The Kindly Priest and the American Tourist A protestant woman from Tacoma, WA. was on vacation with her husband in the Greek city of Athens. Each day she walked to a small sidewalk cafe near the hotel for her coffee and watched the locals pass by. One of these locals
Verses Anxiety and Unease If we are easily offended, or lose our peace of mind when someone treats us badly, inner peace cannot be attained. The Christian who lives his life with internal strife and worry edifies neither other Christians, nor does he reflect anything of Christianity that would be
We are Not Required to Remain in an Abusive Relationship Although the best way to respond to another person’s anger is not to withdraw, but to move towards them with kindness, there are times when distancing yourself from someone who is angry is necessary. There is absolutely no good reason
Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving Jesus Christ called for a thorough conversion of our heart and mind, and a complete turning away from the old man (our fallen nature). The main act that begins this conversion is metanoia, which means thorough change of mind. This happens when we become aware that
Orthodoxy and Beauty are Inseparable Orthodox Christianity attracted me from my very first encounter with the magnificence of it’s churches and the grandeur of her divine services. Having grown up amid the natural beauty of Northern Idaho, with mountains and lakes that could take our breath away, I’d previously found
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