Asking the prayers of those who have won their place in Paradise The concept of Christ as the “sole mediator between God and man”, assumes that “mediator” means “intercessor”. But, there is a more profound meaning, not merely an intercessor but the reconciliation of God and man in the reality
Loving the poor and homeless among us This past week, following a doctor’s appointment in Seattle, I drove past a homeless camp. My mind was immediately drawn to the memory of the day a homeless man attacked me, and with an unexpected “sucker punch”, knocked me to the ground while
Can we be a Christian without fasting? The Nativity Fast is already in progress for those on the Gregorian (New) Calendar, and the Julian (Church) Calendar. During this period of prescribed fasting we are to abstain from all meat, dairy, eggs, cheeses, and all animal products. The Church does allow
The link between the Old and New Testament Temples Orthodox temples have kept to the same form and function since ancient times. Using the Old Testament Temple model, Orthodox churches are divided into several courts or spaces peculiar to their function. The Holy Table, upon which is celebrated the Eucharist,
Don’t ignore the little things that bring you joy If we pay attention to our health, family and spiritual life, everything else will take care of itself. We shouldn’t let life be so full of work that we don’t have time to focus on the things that bring us joy.
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 the Mother of God seems unbiblical to them. She was never called
On the importance of representing the Orthodox Church to the world It was relatively late in my life when I embraced Orthodoxy. Already forty-one, I found myself wandering in a spiritual wasteland, knowing I was drying up spiritually, but hoping there was something out there that would fill the void.
Disappointments are meaningless when we have peace of heart We often find ourselves disappointed in life. The job we really wanted is given to another person. An associate at work doesn’t invite us to the dinner party, yet invited a coworker and his wife. A person we’d love to have
The theological vision of God and natural science Orthodoxy does not exclude from the theological vision of God the findings of natural science. Science and faith can be in concert with one another and our desire to reinstate our communion with God can involve both natural science, and the science
It is not our persecutors and detractors who are our enemies Sometimes the humiliation we experience at the hands of others can be daunting, to say the least. Those moments when we are confronted with hatred, sometimes based on the jealousy of another, are often the most difficult to bear,