And the response of authentic Christian charity The Church, if she be authentic in her Christian witness, must grapple with the challenges of society starting from its most marginalized sector. If the Church does not teach with a loud voice that her ministry must include service to the poor and
We must guard our hearts As we are all filled with thoughts that flood our minds, let us consider each thought and decide whether it be our own, or those of the enemy of our salvation. If they be the latter they should be dispelled and given no room to
The genocide of Christians in the Middle East It’s a pity there is virtually no meaningful or informative conversation taking place in the United States about the widespread persecution of Christians throughout the Middle East. Muslims in America scream and howl at the slightest provocations, yet in the face of
Not about a helpless baby given birth in a stable Although our monastery observes the Julian Calendar, and will be celebrating the Birth of Our Saviour on the 7th of January, I want to take this opportunity to greet all of my readers for whom today is the Nativity, with
Hell and hate One of my favorite authors as a young man, was Thomas Merton, the famous Trappist monk. In the introduction to his work New Seeds of Contemplation he wrote: “Hell was where no one has anything in common with anyone else except the fact that they all hate
Living our Orthodox Faith in a multi-cultural society Orthodoxy by it’s very nature is a demanding religion, one that requires her faithful to fully embrace a lifestyle that is in opposition to the world about us. The many periods of fasting and the practice of standing for our services are
The transformational power of our unchanging faith In an age when many Christian denominations are trying to appear relevant and modern, I am amazed by the number of people who thank me for imaging the ancient faith of Orthodox Christianity in the midst of this secular world. Many Orthodox jurisdictions
Committed to living as the presence of Christ According to Saint Ephraim the Syrian (306 – 373), “The Church is not the assembly of saints, it is the mass of sinners who repent, who, sinners though they are, have turned towards God and are oriented towards Him.” As a people
We must put aside divided loyalties “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). As you begin a new year, be