Holiness comes only to those who struggle Not an hour should pass without taking time to examine our heart, for the hour of judgement can come at any time, and we must be ready to give account to God for our life. When we practice the examination of the heart,
Living out every day with joyfulness of heart The renowned 19th century Russian saint, Seraphim of Sarov (1759-1833), said of himself, “I don’t know anything”. These words were remarkable coming from a hermit who was the most sought after spiritual adviser of his age, with even the Tsar seeking out
The great virtue of forgiving others Many years ago I was dining with a monastic community, during one of my travels. I noticed a senior monk eating meat, and found myself judging him for not keeping the monastic tradition of avoiding meat. When visiting with one of the junior monks,
We must all learn to respect differences of opinion The cultural and spiritual warfare that is taking place in this country has served to divide many people, even pitting friends and family members against one another. Not since the Civil War have American’s been so divided. Conservatives are often seen
The energy of the mind inside the heart It has been said that humans are a microcosm of the whole universe because we have within ourselves the entire material world. Created as we were for immortality, it is our fallen nature that has separated us from that which God had
Christian morality, ethics, and liturgical services are inconceivable in the absence of love Our liturgical rites and religious traditions are of no value if we have not love and mercy. When we rise to a sincere evangelical love for others, we become God’s collaborators, for our Christian love and mercy
Creating an Orthodox Christian environment in the home Creating a Christian home begins with the icon corner. The bright corner becomes the center for every domestic church, where the family devotions take place. This is also the family’s way of declaring to visitors that this is a Christian home, where
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 evil that has descended upon our nation is largely my generation’s fault My generation had a lot of spiritual capital handed down by our parents, but we spent it without replenishing it. We lived on a previous generation’s deposit of morality and spiritual heritage, but we failed to acknowledge
And the corporate nature of salvation There is a certain emptiness in trying to live the Christian life outside the life of the Church. This is because it is impossible to truly live as a Christian without the Church. The reading of the scriptures, and our commitment to prayer, are