Pets as gifts from God Every evening I try to spend an hour or so in the library, sitting in front of the fire place. Our beloved Norwegian Forest Cat, Hammi, sleeps in the library/community room every night. Hammi is most happy when the entire monastic brotherhood is gathered together
The Falling Asleep of the Mother of God According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, Mary, having spent her life after Pentecost supporting and serving the nascent Church, was living in the house of the Apostle John, in Jerusalem, when the Archangel Gabriel revealed to her that her repose
We are joined with the cloud of witnesses When we say that Christianity is a way of life, we are referring to the fact that the Church is the purveyor of divine revelation from our Creator. This divine revelation infuses us with a transformational power that lifts us up, changes
Our faith must be our main priority Orthodoxy is by nature a faith that demands full participation and deep commitment, otherwise it becomes just another religion, devoid of salvific, transformational value. Our Orthodox life is an adventure, full of pitfalls and great heights. If we make our faith the primary
Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of 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
Going deep into the heart We all need a good dose of silent prayer each and every day. Finding that perfect place in your home that can become your cave, or prayer closet, will afford you that sacred space wherein you can go deep into the heart and connect with
Living our lives in total commitment Christianity is a religion of asceticism, instructing us to store up our treasures in heaven, where the benefits have eternal value. Throughout the New Testament we read of the importance of struggle, where focus on the acquisition of a humble and contrite heart is
Encountering the holiness and peace of the Ancient Church The very first time I entered an Orthodox church, I felt drawn to Her. There was a tangible, inner tug, and an overwhelming sense of peace, holiness, and awe, emanating from the very walls of the temple. The serving clergy were
Being empathetic allows us to see through the other persons eyes To be empathetic is to be more tolerant, for by being empathetic we can view the extenuating circumstances of other people’s lives. This means that we learn to seek a broader understanding of other people’s behaviors, because we’ve become
Anger must not be allowed to take root Most people, when angered by someone, think the best way to deal with the anger is by avoiding the person who offended us. The problem with this approach is that it allows the anger to take root in the heart, festering as