The place of the Holy Virgin in our lives The Holy Virgin is a stumbling block for many protestants looking into Orthodoxy. The idea that this woman described in the Gospels in such humble terms could be called Mother of God seems unbiblical to them. She was never called Mother
Category: The Morning Offering
The importance of the desert to the inner life The Russian word, “Poustinia”, means “desert”, and the importance of the poustinia to the inner life can not be dismissed. If we are to hear the voice of God speaking to us, we must listen to His silence. If we are
When we put on Christ, we become God’s messenger Walking through life with a smile on our face and a song in our heart is the best way to keep our mind and heart in a good place. Life has many turns and many trials, but when we keep centered
Let us be angels unaware to others There is not one of us who does not meet someone in a given week who is not in need of encouragement, love, and mercy. They are often mothers, whose children are going to bed at night hungry for lack of food money.
We must avoid centering on our own needs and desires Self-centeredness keeps us from focusing on the needs and interests of others, and obscures our true nature, as God intended. Pride keeps us from embracing Christ’s way of selfless service to others, even to those who especially need our love
“What began in Russia will end in America.” ~Elder Ignatius of Harbin, Manchuria As an American I have clearly seen, over these past forty years or so, a secularization of our who nation, with the end result that evil is taking root. Consequently, the American people are being deceived by
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
And the demon of dejection Depression is one of the plagues of the modern age, overtaking many with it’s insidious poison, and ravaging many a life. The pain and suffering that comes with deep depression can infect those who surround the sufferer, for the depression of one person can spread
And the injustices perpetrated against the indigenous peoples When the United States purchased the Russian-American Company from the Imperial government of Russia, they were not sold Alaska, as has been claimed, but a Russian company. However, once the American government took control, they subdivided Alaska, considered land owned by the
Where the temporal and the eternal are connected We can be rich in liturgical correctness and wealthy in traditions, but if we do not have love and mercy, we are in reality bankrupt. Our Lord Himself made love and mercy the chief criterion whereby we will be judged on the