The importance of the desert to the inner life The Russian word, “Poustinia”, means “desert”, and the importance of the poustinia to the inner life can not be dismissed. If we are to hear the voice of God speaking to us, we must listen to His silence. If we are
The Church, Like a Forest, Provides Needed Oxygen Growing up in Northern Idaho, I was surrounded by mountains and forests. I don’t remember a time when forests did not tug at my heart and fill my imagination with thoughts of adventure. As a small child my parents took my brother
The Church Calendar and Our Spiritual Maturation One of the most spiritually profitable discoveries for me, personally, was when I started, as a new Orthodox Christian, the observance of the liturgical calendar. Each day of the year I was carried along with the cycle of commemorations that brought to life
The Common Men Called by the Lord As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, it is good to remember that the Lord did not call academics, religious leaders, or important members of the King’s Court, as His Apostles, but rather He called what were essentially
And the Nightmare of an All-Consuming Death This earthly life that we have been given has no meaning unless we see it as a workshop for the future life. We must not neglect that which is of an eternal nature, for the Creator has bestowed this life upon us as
The Necessity of Cooperating With Our Salvation We are called by God to contribute our utmost to the transformation of our soul for that which is necessary for our salvation. It would be a grave mistake for us to expect God to do it all for us. He wants us
The Passion of Anger Destroys the Soul If we think we have to be slaves to anger we deceive ourselves. Anger is not a normal part of any one’s personality and as with any addictive pattern of behavior, it can be changed. As long as we continue to justify our
The Proper Preparation for Receiving the Holy Mysteries The Russian Orthodox Church requires anyone who desires to receive Holy Communion prepare themselves with confession, the Pre-Communion Prayers and to abstain from food or drink from midnight on. Most of the world’s Local Orthodox Churches hold to this standard, recognizing that
The Role of Doubt in the Development of Faith At an age when many of my contemporaries are grandfathers, or even great grandfathers, I’ve discovered the truth of something I read about while still a college student. Grandparents are often more sympathetic to the burdens and challenges that young people