Brother Theofil constructing a gate The Banishment of Self-Indulgence As we struggle against the passions, we must learn to be patient with the difficulties and hardships that come our way. If we are to banish self-will, we must first learn to banish self-indulgence. Any struggle for virtue must include a
Category: The Morning Offering
Asking for Miracles in our Smugness and Pride Asking for miracles in order to believe, betrays a sort of smugness on our part, sort of like asking for an expensive gift from a perspective friend, before considering their overture for friendship. It could hardly become a true friendship, if it
The Gospel of Christ, and Politics It is deeply disturbing to me to have witnessed the politicizing of Christianity in this nation. The conjoining of politics and faith have led to a polarization of our nation that has not been seen since just prior to the Civil War. In our
Doubt: The Ultimate Sickness Yesterday was Saint Thomas Sunday, the day the Church commemorates doubting Thomas. The Apostle Thomas, though he had been a disciple of Christ, and had witnessed the Lord’s many miracles, still insisted that he would not believe in the Resurrection, unless he could place his hands
Orthodox Christian Fellowship retreat on Raft Island () The Struggle for Repentance In our struggle on the path to God, repentance must be the central theme. Only in repentance will we find the true meaning of life, for only in repentance can one enter into communion with God. This life
Looking Only for the Good in Others The Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain said there are two types of people. There are the bees and the flies. The bees are attracted to flowers and sweet smells, whereas the flies are only attracted to dirt and stench. Ask a bee
Hieromonk Paul, Archbishop Kyrill, Bishop Theodosy, and Abbot Tryphon Passing on the Gift of Love My father was a golf pro in Spokane, Washington, during my grade and early middle school years, and the country club was the center of our family’s social life. My brother, Dwayne, and I use
Seeking Help from the Church for Living in Honesty Twittering mindlessly on the internet for hours on end, or spending whole evenings sitting before the computer, mindlessly communicating with people who are unknown, personally, and who may not even be who they claim to be, are examples of squandering time
CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! The Necessity of Christian Friendships In this age where secularism is on the rise, and materialism has become a major distraction from spiritual pursuits, Christian friendship has never been more important. The pursuit of personal fulfillment, entertainment, worldly pleasure, and the acquisition of
Honesty before God begins with Transparency Transparency of the heart must rule, if we are to have an honest relationship with God. Nothing can be hidden from the Lord, yet we often live as though we can hide that which we know is not pleasing to God. Putting on face