Children learn love of God by the example of their parents Every Orthodox parent wants their children to grow up attending Sunday Liturgies and staying active in the life of the Church throughout their lives. Yet many parents don’t demonstrate the importance of having a personal relationship with God in
Building our endurance and confidence “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise (Hebrews 10:35-36)” When we find ourselves caught up in what we want, or
And the corporate nature of salvation There is a certain emptiness in trying to live the Christian life outside the life of the Church. This is because it is impossible to truly live as a Christian without the Church. The reading of the scriptures, and our commitment to prayer, are
Convert or face death In a recent speech following the beheading of a British aid worker by the Islamic ISIS, David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, referred to Islam as “a peaceful religion”. Like the ongoing litany which began with President Bush following the 9/11 attack, one would
And the surrender of self-will There is freedom from stress, anxiety, and even anger, when we place our trust in God, and in he whom God has set over us as our spiritual guide. The invading enemies to our salvation have power over us only when we depend on ourselves.
Don’t react, be at peace Each day brings on new challenges regarding the health of your soul. Those moments when a family member or coworker makes a remark that are meant to anger you, are those times you need to guard your heart. When those around you are gossiping about
We are all in this together As we struggle in this life, it is good to remember that we are all together. We find our place of silence, where we encounter God, but even in this place set apart, we are together. In our journey to God, our common goal
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
To the founders of this holy monastery On behalf of the holy brotherhood, I want to thank all of you who have been donating towards the support of the monastery, either through PayPal, or by mail. These are difficult economic times for everyone, and as our $230,000.00 mortgage looms over
click on photos to enlarge Encountering drought in one’s soulLike much of the country, Washington State is experiencing drought. When most people think of Seattle, they think of rain, lots of rain. Anyone who would choose to live in the Puget Sound region, better like rain, we tell our visitors.