The willingness to suffer with another person What does it mean to truly love another person? It means we carry the other person in our heart. If we do not bring the other person into our heart, we do not really love them. If we are unwilling to help another
Freely responding to God’s invitation to commune with Him It is important to remember that our God did not create us as puppets, but rather as persons with the freedom to respond, or not, to His invitation to enter into communion with Him. Just as a loving dad, desiring to
We must use discernment when sharing the faith The holy Elder Porphyrios of Mount Athos, was forced to move to Athens because of his poor health. While walking with two young spiritual daughters in the area of Omonoia one day, they spotted a young woman coming their way wearing the
Unceasing prayer is simply keeping our mind attached to God by our desire As we address our prayers to God, it is good to remember that we need not confine our prayer in words. It is also good to remember that God does not require us to remind Him by
Our thoughts determine our lives “Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool
I must accuse myself, blame myself, judge myself I see people’s sins, but I don’t know whether they have made peace with God. I don’t know if the person who has sinned regrets it, but I am not called to judge them, but only to forgive them. As I become
Entering into the Silence All Orthodox Christians are aware of the importance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in our journey to God. These three practices are at the heart of the Great Lenten Fast. Prayer is our way of communicating with God on a daily basis, and fasting days (Wednesday
When we feel abandoned and alone, and God seems absent from us We all have those moments in our lives when we feel as though God is absent, even perhaps nonexistent. Those times leave us feeling alone and abandoned, as though we are lost in an empty stadium. We feel
We must strive to always be truthful In our daily encounters with our spouses, family, friends, and coworkers, we must always strive to be truthful. Deceitfulness must never be allowed to be a part of our life, for deceitfulness in relationships with others will always translate into being untruthful with
The place where heaven and earth are united As a priest, I bear the awesome burden of offering the Holy Oblation before the Throne of God, on behalf of all the people who’s names are submitted to the monastery, and who are Orthodox. I offer for my spiritual children, and