Fasting suggestions FAST from self-concern and FEAST on compassion for others. FAST from discouragement and FEAST on hope. FAST from lethargy and FEAST on enthusiasm. FAST from suspicion and FEAST on truth. FAST from thoughts that weaken and FEAST on promises that inspire. FAST from shadows of sorrow and FEAST
Humility spawns God’s love in the heart The very moment faith enters the soul is that moment when we turn toward God in repentance and recognize we can not live without Him. As we grow in our faith we come to realize we must remain in a continual state of
And this ship is headed to the safe harbor As the waves of passions confront us and threaten to hurtle us against the rocks, it is good to remember that as long as we remain on board the ship of the Church, we are safe. We sail aboard a ship
Isolation kills the soul and prevents us from learning to love Our Christian faith is communal in nature, and requires us to be actively involved with others. The corporate nature of salvation itself necessitates our interaction with others, for we are not “saved” in a vacuum. The salvation of my
Our transformation through the Lenten Journey The Byzantine Court was filled with sycophants, busying themselves with building alliances that would help them rise in status and influence. During the thousand years of the empire, a few emperors were tricked into believing these sycophants were truly their friends, and could be
Communing from the Body and Blood of the Master during the period of spiritual combat The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is attributed to Saint Gregory the Dialogist († 604), Pope of Rome, but in actuality, it is not the work of one individual, but is a composite work coming
“We just encountered an angel unaware, and we were being tested” While sitting in a sidewalk cafe with my friend, Archpriest Basil Rhodes, having a cup of coffee and a bite to eat, we noticed a homeless man stop behind me. The man was staring at our food, so Father
The Church is catholic because Christ is catholic Christ’s presence in the Church, which is His Body, by it’s very nature requires us to manifest His catholicity by fully living out our faith by the way we live, and by the way we love. The fact that Christ transforms us
The struggle against the passions and our victory in Christ As we struggle with anger, gluttony, with judging others, sexual impurity and a myriad of others passions, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless. We find ourselves feeling defeated and tempted to give up the battle. Sometimes we even
Christ came to heal us of our self-centeredness The communal nature of salvation is directly traced to the fact that God created us, not in isolation from one another, but involved in an interpersonal relationship with His love, and with all other humans. Because we are all created in God’s