Dangerous times require priestly service that is gentle, patient, and merciful Orthodoxy has traditionally avoided clericalism, yet in more recent times this very corruption of priestly service has entered the doors of the Orthodox Church. It has led some clergy to seek out princely honor, danger not only to their
The sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, resulted in our inheritance of death The fact that we Orthodox do not accept the doctrine of original sin as espoused in the West, does in no way suggest that we do not need to be born again (born anew). We
Quietude, silence and prayer It is in keeping constant vigilance, guarding our senses, and living a life of repentance and self-rapprochement, that we can hope to gain control of our passions and enter into true communion with God. The basic element of such a life has got to include quietude,
Children learn to love God through the example of their parents Every Orthodox parent wants their children to grow up attending Sunday Liturgies and staying active in the life of the Church throughout their lives. Yet many parents don’t demonstrate the importance of having a personal relationship with God in
Because we are stuck in habitual and repetitive sins In the Mystery of Confession we avail ourselves before the analogion stand, upon which the holy cross and the Gospel Book rest. The priest stands in as the witness, whereas in the early Church confession was done before the whole congregation
We Orthodox believers know that death is not something to be feared As a small boy growing up in Spokane, Washington, we lived near one of the city’s large cemeteries. From the earliest days, when I was allowed to ride by bicycle out of our immediate neighborhood, I would ride
We must drive out all negative thoughts Our thoughts really do have an impact on our world. Negative thoughts about family members or fellow employees, change our relationships. If we dislike someone at work and allow ourselves to think poorly of them, they are likely to fulfill our low expectations.
“Help me, O God, to put off all pretenses and find my true self.” Metropolitan Anthony Bloom When we enter into communion with one another in the life of the Church, we come broken, and far from the image and likeness that God intended when He created us. We, to
The unity and continuity of the Church is found in her bishops Gathering together for the celebration of the Church’s Divine Services is the great moment in the life of the People of God that brings together both heaven and earth. In these services we are mystically transported to a
Creating an Orthodox Christian environment in the home Creating an Orthodox 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,