Children must be taught kindness at an early age More and more frequently we read about children taking their own lives, having reached a place where they would rather be dead, than live another hour suffering from bullying. Too often parents and teachers have ignored the problem of bullying, dismissing
The essential element for the salvific union of two people The western world has seen a terrible downward trend in the number of couples choosing to get married. Of those couples who do, almost fifty percent of their marriages end in divorce. Those marriages that do last, see only a
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Thanksgiving has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on the last Thursday of
And the light of Christ, the True Light on the horizon Times like ours call for us to become spiritually fit, so we can be beacons of light among those who have lost all hope. The challenges that face all of us during this pandemic are not for the faint
“None are so old as those who’ve outlived enthusiasm (Henry David Thoreau).” Given my many cancelled lectures around the country due to the pandemic shutdown, I am now living the life of a hermit. Good for most monks I would guess, but certainly not my cup of tea. I really
During difficult times it is important that we let peace reign in our hearts A number of recent disturbing events within the life of the Church have left many, including some clergy and monastics, with the sense of gloom, wondering what’s coming next. During times like this it is good
YouTube video of Abbot Tryphon’s homily on Saint Nektarios of Pentapolis. (Click above to watch)
Others cannot know they need Christ if they do not see Him in us Christ empowers us to change the hearts and minds of others by the example of our allowing Christ to change us. In the words of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, if we “acquire a humble and contrite
Those times when God seems absent are only an illusion Sometimes we enter a dark place where God seems distant from us. This is only an illusion, for God is closer to us than our own breath. These times are allowed by God to bring us closer to Him, much
What must we do when we feel broken? It is only human to become despondent when we have failed in keeping to our moral, ethical and spiritual standards, succumbing, instead, to temptation. Our Orthodox Faith teaches that we must be compassionate towards others, loving, quick to forgive, exemplar in our