Together with long time friends, Bishop Alexander and Archbishop Benjamin During my recent visit to Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco, for the celebration of Theophany, I was amazed at how many people approached me regarding my daily blog, The Morning Offering. It is certainly gratifying to hear that my
Category: The Morning Offering
Together with two San Francisco firefighters The Role of Bodily Suffering in the Salvation of Human Kind Elder Ambrose of Optina Monastery said, “We should not forget that in our age of ‘sophistication’ even little children are spiritually harmed by what they see and hear. As a result, purification is
Civilization Needs Unity Between Religion and the Secular State The great divide between the secular state and religion has grown substantially during my lifetime. Gone are the days when our nation was based on Christian values and where religion played an important role the public life of this country. The
The saints serve as our guides in serving the poor In many parts of the American countryside one can find the remnants of poorhouses (sometimes called workhouses), institutions run by local county or state governments as a means of dealing with the issue of the unemployed poor and homeless. These
On Making a Good Confession Following His glorious Resurrection, as He appeared to His Disciples, Our Lord Jesus Christ gave the command that: “Whosoever’s sins you remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever’s sins you retain, they are retained.” John 20:23 From that moment in history, the Church has
Be Not Troubled About Many Things! Every day can bring about many events or problems that can make us feel unsettled. Yet if we want to keep unrest at bay, it is important that we prayerfully receive everything with the knowledge that God is watching over us, and that all
Do not let the sun go down on the anger of your brother (Eph. 4:26)“Anger is by nature designed for waging war with the demons and for struggling with every kind of sinful pleasure. Therefore angels, arousing spiritual pleasure in us and giving us to taste its blessedness, incline us to
St. Elizabeth Church Christ will Triumph over Evil Increasingly Christians have been talking about the coming of the Anti-Christ. Events around the world have created a sense of doom among many believers, seeing in the economic downswing, rise of Islam, extreme climate change, and breakdown of societal norms, as precursors
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 the Great Lenten Fast. Prayer is our way of communicating with God on a daily basis, and fasting days (Wednesday
Lifeless Things Offer no SatisfactionThe lifeless things of this world offer no spiritual satisfaction, yet we often sell ourselves off to things or people by giving them power over our hearts. It is easy to feel abandoned or hurt by those to whom we’ve given power. If we need affirmation