In such times of trial it is important to live in accordance with the Gospels After further consultation with other monastery leaders and personal prayer and searching on the matter, we as a community have felt it to be important to make the Church services available to those who wish
Category: The Morning Offering
Watchfulness and the guarding of the heart Watchfulness has been described by Elder Ephraim of Philotheou as “the axe which shatters the large trees, hitting their roots. When the root is struck, it doesn’t spring up again.” A conscientious attention to our thoughts is an important tactic in spiritual warfare,
What should a Christian’s response be to dark times As an Orthodox Christian, I do not believe God makes us suffer. However, I know that God sometimes allows me to suffer as a means of delivering me the salvific medicine that can bring about healing of my fallen nature. God
Having encountered Christ our life turns direction In the story of the Magi we read of three wise men who, having seen a star in the east, travel to a desert cave, wherein they find the Child, laid in a manger by His Virgin Mother. Once they had beheld the
Doing combat against the critical spirit within yourself Fearing the loss of control, we construct a wall of defense around us, keeping authenticity at bay. Fearing rejection, we see ourselves as unlovable, and blame others. Knowing we are inauthentic, we flee from the truth by becoming critical of others. We
Here’s a tip from the experts to help you and your household stay safe from coronavirus COVID-19. Don’t let the virus in. That’s the best way to avoid getting sick. Here are some action steps to help you keep the virus away. Practice excellent personal hygiene habits, including washing your
Religion is dead, but Christ in me is alive! We are not compelled to love God, having been created with free will. God does not, nor can He, compel His creatures to love Him. Mutual love requires, by its very nature, freedom to either respond in love, or not. Yet
Avoiding hypocrisy in our journey to God It is very easy to live our lives in hypocrisy if we are not mindful of the pitfalls of the spiritual life. We can become Pharisees without even noticing, if we let our Christianity be artificially lived. Living our lives as though we
The Orthodox Faith is nothing without transformation of life If our spiritual life is concentrated only on external practices and traditions, but does nothing to bring about real change, we have gained nothing. Too many people think as long as they keep the fasting rules, do their prayers, and attend
And the declaration of anathemas against the iconoclasts The Old Testament God was revealed to us by Christ Jesus. Prior to the incarnation of the Logos, God’s people were forbidden to make any image of Him, for no one had seen His face. Yet when Christ said to His disciples,