Avoiding the stagnation of this present world For those who embrace the enjoyment of partying and entertainment, all in an attempt to avoid the hardships and life struggles that make great souls, they will have failed to embrace the essential element that makes this life journey salvific. They will have
The necessity of a pastor’s freedom to preach The adoption of the Johnson Amendment in 1954 was the moment the Internal Revenue Service was given the power to dictate what could and could not be preached from American pulpits. With the threat of fines, or even losing tax exempt status
Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit The Divine Liturgy begins with the words, Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. This kingdom is our true home
We must put aside all resentment The decision to forgive another person a wrong done to us begins when we decide to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. To forgive someone does not mean that we forget what they did to us, for this may be impossible. The
Birth control and the Orthodox Christian Couple Marriage, for the Orthodox Christian, is to have as it’s foundation, Jesus Christ, and a commitment to live in full communion with the Church. When a couple are joined together in this mystical (sacramental) union with one another, they become one flesh, and
The Ethic of Love The supreme ethic of God, is the ethic of love. You can not have love without the freedom of the will. If we would be free to love God, we must also be free not to love God, otherwise we are only compelled to love Him.
We will participate in the ongoing Heavenly Banquet One of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of the priesthood is comforting people in their darkest moments of sorrow. Do not be mistaken, and think that priests, monks and chaplains are exempt from the pain of those whom they try to
Regarding Saturday and Sunday’s postings Friday morning I awoke in a state of extreme exhaustion, and with difficulty breathing. The medics from our fire department (I am their chaplain) decided to transport me to the Emergency Room of Swedish Cherry Hill Medical Center in Seattle. Examined by the ER doctor,
Holiness comes only to those who keep vigil Not an hour should pass without taking time to examine our heart, for the hour of judgement can come at any time, and we must be ready to give account to God for our life. In the Gospel of Matthew (5:8), we
Regarding the recent meeting between the Patriarch of Moscow and the Pope of Rome Recently the Melkite Greek-Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo in Syria, addressed a group of Western reporters concerning the dramatic situation facing Christians living in the Middle East. The archbishop said, “The European media have not ceased to