What about people who are not Orthodox? It is always a pity when people who claim to be Orthodox make judgements against fellow Christians. In the tradition of Orthodoxy, wherever we find beauty and truth, it is of God, and it is our calling, as Orthodox Christians, to rejoice when
Category: The Morning Offering
Don’t let charity become an occasion for self-worship Food is a common problem for many people, for food so often fills a void, and becomes a way of comforting oneself when faced with the stresses that are a part of our modern age. Yet food is not the only addiction
Do not turn to the right or to the left (Prov. 4:7) Evil is the sickness of the soul, for it deprives the soul of its own healthy nature, which is virtue. Virtues are in the middle between excess and laxness. It is the middle way that keeps us on
Spiritual progress comes through examination of the heart Not an hour should pass without taking time to examine our heart, for the hour of judgement can come at any time, and we must be ready to give account to God for our life. According to Saint Theophan the Recluse, when
We must strive to always be truthful In our daily encounters with our spouses, family, friends, and coworkers, we must always strive to be truthful. Deceitfulness must never be allowed to be a part of our life, for deceitfulness in relationships with others will always translate into being untruthful with
The mastering of oneself brings about true freedom It would seem to be an almost genetic trait of we humans to desire freedom. We want to live in a free society, have the freedom to make our own choices, and freedom from the tyranny of others. Yet we fail to
Hell and hate One of my favorite authors as a young man, was Thomas Merton, the famous Trappist monk. In the introduction to his work New Seeds of Contemplation he wrote: “Hell was where no one has anything in common with anyone else except the fact that they all hate
The monastic vocation is all about relationships Sunday saw the commemoration of the Prodigal Son, a clear sign that we are getting closer to the beginning of Great and Holy Lent. The story of the parodical son is a call to repentance, and is seen, according to Bishop Nectary of Seattle
Tapping into the noetic memory of the heart The heart, in the Orthodox tradition, does not only have a natural operation, as a mere pump that circulates blood. In Orthodox patristic tradition the heart is the center of our self-awareness. Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain (+1809) calls the heart
The divine flame will consume us At the very first moment we decide to turn to God, our heart begins to be warmed by the action of the Holy Spirit. Our heart is kindled with the divine flame that will transform us. This flame will consume us completely, and will