Am I a real believer? “Believe” is for me a sort of loaded word, since it usually means for a western-formed person a mainly intellectual activity. It seems to me that it more properly means a combination of love and trust. Perhaps the real sign that we are a believer
When we experience the “dark side” of the Church For those who have experienced what has been called the “dark side” of the Church, the struggle to remain faithful to the Orthodox Faith can seem daunting. The dark side is the result of the sinful, fallen nature of all of
And the acquisition of a humble and a contrite heart When the monk attempts to rely on his own strength to do battle with his fallen nature, he will be defeated. The arena, his field of battle, takes place in his own heart, and will be a life long battle.
Embracing Absolute Truth In an age when many people think truth is relative, the knowledge that there is such a thing as absolute truth, is comforting. The freedom that comes with the knowledge that we are able to embrace teachings that are a continuation of an unbroken line dating back
Tending the garden of the heart Both my Norwegian grandfather, and my mother, were avid gardeners, so I grew up surrounded by the beauty of plants and flowers. The cottage garden is a distinct style of garden that is certainly my favorite. The use of traditional materials, in an informal
Thinking upon our own death Saint Sisoes, the great ascetic, who stood before the tomb of Alexander the Great, beheld the skeletal remains of one who was once covered in magnificent garments. Astonished, the saint mourned for the vicissitudes of time and the transience of glory, and tearfully proclaimed, “The
The Miracle In the middle of September 1999, John Noe drove up from Vancouver, WA, to join the monks for a public hearing concerning a sand mining operation that would remove one-tenth of Maury Island. A short distance from the monastery (Vashon Island is actually two connecting island), the Glacier
The Construction of the Church After the pouring of the foundations that would comprise the main core of the monastic compound, we built the first monastic cell. Although this first of what would eventually be seven cabins remained unfinished until most of the final buildings were completed, we felt having
The most arduous of all ascetic practices Saint Gregory of Sinai spoke of the effort involved in prayer, when he wrote, “No bodily or spiritual activity without pain or toil ever brings fruit to him who practices it, because ‘the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it
Being truly grateful on Thanksgiving The United States is one of the worlds few countries to have established a national day in which to give thanks to God for all He has given us. This day may have become a purely secular excuse for some to over eat, but for