All we need for happiness is right in front of us It is easy to resist taking care of oneself if we run at full speed as though we are the only one who can get things done. We all need to set priorities, making sure we focus on Christ
We must embrace our material self, together with our soul Unlike angels, who are entirely spiritual beings, God has made each of us as creatures dwelling in a material world. To be whole, we must worship God both in body and soul. This teaching is central to our Christian faith
How to kill the ego Modern psychology has told us we must feel good about ourselves and instructed us to reject the idea of guilt and sin. Sin is seen as religion’s instrument for keeping people in line, making them dependent on an institution that should be relegated to the
Desiring to experiencing the reality of God Our experience of God can be many fold, with everything from witnessing the physical or spiritual healing of a friend, or witnessing the miraculous flowing of myrrh from an icon. I once witnessed a cross (about 12 inches long), held by a Coptic
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,
Only with effort can we gain eternal life While observing one of our hens laying an egg for the monastery’s table, it crossed my mind that a chick, if it hope to gain life in this world, must first peck at the inside of the egg, and break it open.
Isolation and the Christian Life In an age when families no longer eat dinner together, children watch TV, play computer games, and text message their friends from their bedrooms. When adults can be seen walking in our cities talking on cell phones. At a time in our history when people
Where the temporal and the eternal are connected We can be rich in liturgical correctness and wealthy in traditions, but if we do not have mercy and love, we are in reality spiritually bankrupt. Our Lord Himself made love and mercy the chief criterion whereby we will be judged on
And transforming it into the Church If she be true to herself, the Church acts with an authority that is grounded in love. She holds within her realm the authority to make her people the children of God. She has the authority to forgive, and the capacity to love. And
We are all on our journey to God, together As we struggle in this life, it is good to remember that we are all journeying to God, together . We find our place of silence, where we encounter God, but even in this place set apart, we are together. In