Priests must serve with simplicity and love Orthodoxy has traditionally avoided clericalism, yet in more recent times this very corruption of priestly service has enter the doors of the Orthodox Church. The quest for honor has led many clergy to participate in a culture of abuse, where they even turn on
Category: The Morning Offering
Our capacity to forgive is directly related to our capacity to love The ability to forgive others requires work on our part, for we must cooperate with the grace that comes as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Since we have been forgiven much, we, in turn, must forgive much.
Passing the crucible is not an option Our monastery has been inundated with visitors for the past number of years, and there seems to be no letup in the number of pilgrims wanted to spend time at the monastery. Additionally, numerous men are requested a chance to stay for a
Given the polarization of the nation that has taken place since the results of the presidential election have been made known, I was asked to repost the following essay previously posted on October 29th. Be Not Afraid God is still in charge As Orthodox priests our true nation is the Church,
A feeble attempt at restoring Ancient Christianity The “Messianic Jews” are a heretical group whose claim of reestablishing ancient “Jewish Christianity”, is a denial of the Orthodox Church’s claim to be the very Church founded by Christ Himself. These people are simply attempting to reestablish a Church that has already
Witnessing sustainable living to all who visit our monastery We monks have been raising free range hens for many years now, and enjoying the beautiful brown eggs, with the delicious flavor and deep colored yolks, while treating our hens, as we do all animals, as God’s creatures. They have feelings,
Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit The Divine Liturgy begins with the words, “Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit now and forever and to the ages of ages”. This kingdom
Natural Science and the Vision of God Orthodoxy does not exclude from the theological vision of God the findings of natural science. Science and faith can be in concert with one another and our desire to reinstate our communion with God can involve both natural science, and the science of
Orthodoxy is a journey of the utmost importance Unless our Orthodoxy becomes something other than magic, with the priest as some sort of wizard who performs the right formulas, and who does all the work for us, our Orthodoxy will have failed us. No one can live the spiritual life
Righteousness is not a part time job Teachers and parents routinely remind children of the importance of refraining from giving in to peer pressure, knowing that good behavior can often be undermined by the desire to fit in with their friends and school mates. We adults need to remember is