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
When We Pray We Must Pray for Repentance When we face down our own weaknesses, we can begin the process of constructing the foundation for an intimate relationship with God. Ignoring those things that keep us stuck in the quagmire that is the ego, prevents spiritual growth, and the joy
How Our Soul Differs From That of an Animal The Orthodox Church teaches that animals have souls, although not the same as ours. When conceived, God bestows upon us the nous, which distinguishes us from the other animals. It is the nous that is the eye of the soul, intelligent
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
We Must Stand Against the Powers of Darkness The world is in a new struggle not unlike that which happened during the Soviet Union and the cold war that was brought on after the fall of the Royal House of Romanov. This was followed by World War II when we
The Ability to be Empathetic to the Needs of Others When we are in our head, we are more judgmental, yet when we are in our heart, we become non-judgmental. Being critical of others is not an Orthodox trait, for being critical, whether of other people, or even the way
Evangelizing for the Faith is Our Duty as Orthodox Christians “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” Mark 16:15 Two Byzantine brothers, Saints Cyril and Methodius, brought Orthodox Christianity to the Slavs in the ninth century. The brilliance of Eastern