The holiest place is where you are Twenty-nine years ago I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos, where I was able to visit seven ancient monasteries. Upon my return to the United States, I asked by spiritual father, the Ever-Memorable Archimandrite Dimitri, for a blessing to return
Category: The Morning Offering
Holiness comes only to those who struggle 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. There is no spiritual improvement if we do
We must not educate the mind while ignoring the heart The stress that is placed upon the importance of educating the mind is enormous. Without a good solid education, we are told, our life will amount to nothing. One of my grandmothers grew up in Wisconsin as a simple, uneducated
How can we possibly love everyone? We are instructed by Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves, and even to love our enemies. There are always individuals who come into our lives that we find difficult to like, let alone love. Given this, how do we follow the commandment of
When despondency seizes us The renowned 19th century Russian saint, Seraphim of Sarov (1759-1833), said of himself, “I don’t know anything”. These words were remarkable coming from a hermit who was the most sought after spiritual adviser of his age, with even the Tsar seeking out his counsel. Yet Saint
Entering into the Silence All Orthodox Christians are aware of the importance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, in our journey to God. These three practices are at the heart of our faith. Prayer is our way of communicating with God on a daily basis, and fasting days (Wednesdays and Fridays) are
Those who use abortifacients commit homicide–Saint Clement The heinous crimes committed by ISIS have shocked the civilized world. Burning innocent men alive, stoning women in the streets of Islamic countries, beheading captive Christians, and raping women with such abject cruelty and total disregard for the life of another human, have
With authority comes responsibility When people are hurting, and seeking professional help, they are vulnerable, and the trust they place in the professional makes them particularly open to exploitation. This is why we must have institutions and lines of authority that hold professionals accountable. We can not allow anyone who
Bound together in a community of sorrow Many years, ago, I met Richard, Rose, Savannah, and Ryan on a forest trail, where we discovered to our joy, we had many connections: we were connected in very general ways as people who live on Vashon Island. We were connected more intimately
Leaving the ninety-nine for the one The work of the Church is to seek out the lost sheep, and bring them into the fold. The modern mission of the Church is to go out into the community and find those who are lost. Many who were previously Orthodox, but never