Category: The Morning Offering

God Infuses His Energies into the Icons The Old Testament God was revealed to us by Christ Jesus. Prior to the incarnation of the Logos, God’s people were forbidden to make any image of Him, for no one had seen His face. Yet when Christ said to His disciples, “he

The devil is calling for compromise. We must demand otherwise.

The Place of the Holy Virgin in Our Lives The Holy Virgin is a stumbling block for many protestants looking into Orthodoxy. The idea that this woman described in the Gospels in such humble terms could be called Mother of God seems unbiblical to them. She was never called Mother

“To whomever we give our heart, this person can harm us or abandon us. The spirits of wickedness are constantly putting evil thoughts into our feelings of love and preying on us. Divine love is boundless and all-encompassing, whereas we are attached to men and the lifeless things of this

Cremation versus the Orthodox Practice of Burial The first time I ever attended a funeral service where cremation of the body of the deceased had taken place was in Portland, Oregon, many years ago. An Episcopal priest friend had died and had requested his body be cremated. Walking into the

“Christians therefore ought to strive continually, and never to pass judgment on anyone—no, not upon the harlot on the street, or upon open sinners and disorderly persons—but to regard all men with singleness of intention and purity of eye, so that it may become like a fixed law of nature

Let My Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven When we closely examine our heart, we must see whether we are filled with a strong sense of self importance, or if we see ourselves as the least of all. If we think highly of ourselves, this sense

The Abbot responds to @nathanmcgowan7454 who asks: Father, how do you stay focused in prayer? My mind always drifts to other things and I have a hard time concentrating. Ask more questions in the comments below, and I will try to respond. Maybe your question will get featured in the

The Temptation Of Living Only For Today The almost universal temptation of our time is to be living only for the present moment. We want to enjoy ourselves now, relax and be comfortable now, have it all now. Our focus is, consequently, on a tiny slice of eternity. By focusing

Become like God: fully human. “Not too many years ago a young monastic aspirant went to Mount Athos. In talking with the venerable abbot of the monastery where he wished to stay, he told him, “Holy Father! My heart burns for the spiritual life, for asceticism, for unceasing communion with