The island of my salvation Following my pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos, back in 1988, I realized our monastic brotherhood was faced with mounting bills, rising rent costs, and little income. It seemed clear to me we could not stay on this island. Additionally, my personal desire to
The God-bearer gave birth to the Word of God, and also became Christ’s first disciple As the Theotokos (God-bearer), how can Mary not be the Mother of God? She didn’t just bear the humanity of Jesus, but she bore the Son of God. Because Christ is both human and divine,
Being the beauty of God in a darkened world When others see how we negotiate our life, how we treat our fellow workers, our neighbors, and our family, they should witness in us devotion and praise of God. Our deeds and our speech must reveal the love of God to
We must forgive others even if they are not repentant A desert father was told by one of his monks that he’d forgiven his brother who had wronged him. However, his brother would not admit to his own actions against him. The abbot told him that in having forgiven his
Pious without stoking the flames of pride Some converts become experts in canon law and liturgical rubrics, and number themselves among the super correct. Archbishop Averky of Jordanville (of blessed memory) said of converts, “they are like envelopes and have a tendency to come unglued.” None of this is meant
The place of the Holy Virgin in our lives The Holy Virgin is a stumbling block for many protestants looking into Orthodoxy. The idea that this woman described in the Gospels in such humble terms could be called Mother of God seems unbiblical to them. She was never called Mother
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
When we put on Christ, we become God’s messenger Walking through life with a smile on our face and a song in our heart is the best way to keep our mind and heart in a good place. Life has many turns and many trials, but when we keep centered
Let us be angels unaware to others There is not one of us who does not meet someone in a given week who is not in need of encouragement, love, and mercy. They are often mothers, whose children are going to bed at night hungry for lack of food money.
We must avoid centering on our own needs and desires Self-centeredness keeps us from focusing on the needs and interests of others, and obscures our true nature, as God intended. Pride keeps us from embracing Christ’s way of selfless service to others, even to those who especially need our love