Holy Tradition supports the proper interpretation of the Bible Many evangelical protestants see Holy Tradition as standing in direct contrast to Scripture, as though Tradition is always relegated to “the traditions of men”. However, there are numerous references in Holy Scripture to Holy Tradition. For example: “Many have undertaken to
The Church Calendar and spiritual maturation One of the most spiritually profitable discoveries for me, personally, was when I started, as a new Orthodox Christian, the observance of the liturgical calendar. Each day of the year I was carried along with the cycle of commemorations that brought to life various
The truly humble man does not consider himself humble Saint Macarius of Egypt, called The Great by the Church, because of his perfection of the virtues, and his profound humility, and who said of himself that his struggle to acquire humility was not complete, is but one example of the
Where communion with God is restored At the Mystical Supper in the Upper Room Jesus gave a dramatically new meaning to the food and drink of the sacred meal. He identified Himself with the bread and wine: “Take, eat; this is my Body. Drink of it all of you; for
Building a personal relationship with Christ Most of us struggle with questions about things eternal. It is part of relationship building. If we are to have a personal relationship with God we must be open and honest and unafraid to question. The Lord wants us to be real with Him.
“What began in Russia will end in America.” ~Elder Ignatius of Harbin, Manchuria As an American I have clearly seen, over these past forty years or so, a secularization of our who nation, with the end result that evil is taking root. Consequently, the American people are being deceived by
The workings of the enemy of the Church There have always been attacks on the integrity of the Church. Sometimes these attacks have been directed head on toward the Church, such as the invasion of Islam into Orthodox lands. At other times the Church has experienced attacks within her own
Putting off for tomorrow what can be done today We all have times when we procrastinate. There is a story of a young monk who confessed to his elder that he was always struggling with procrastination. His elder told him it was his lack of faith which made it impossible
The limits of human reason and the knowledge of God The things that are of God are far beyond the capabilities of our finite mind to comprehend. The divine can only be known through the nous, that place in the heart that is our true center. It, unlike the brain,
Christ’s resurrection becomes our resurrection Orthodox do not accept the Doctrine of Original Sin as espoused in the West, but teach, as did the Early Church Fathers, that we inherit only the results of Adams sin, not his guilt. This is known as Ancestral Sin because the sin of our