Waging War against the Flesh Since the eyes and the ears are the doors of the soul, an Orthodox Christian must not leave the body without attention. Unlike the religion of Gnosticism, which teaches the separation of soul and body, with the physical world being evil and something to be
Know Who You Really Are We are all surrounded by fictional characters, persons who are the invention of filmmakers, promoters, and even self-inventors. The original meaning of the word “hypocrite” was “actor”, and it is ignorance of our true nature as children of God that keeps us living as fictional
When Charity becomes an Occasion for Self Worship Food is a common problem for many people, for food so often fills a void, becoming a way of comforting oneself when faced with the stresses that are a part of our modern, everyday world. Being in service to others, such as
Saint Nektarios of Pentapolis Leavetaking of the Holy Mountain Altogether, Father Basil and I visited seven different monasteries during our ten day pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain. Each monastery had its own powerful impact on my soul, and I found it very difficult to leave what must truly be the
Hammi, the Norwegian Forest Cat Sometimes we find ourselves so caught up in what we want, or what we think we need, we become despondent when we face disappointment or loss. We can get so caught up in reaching our goals we fail because we got too caught up in
Moscow Sretensky Choir Appeal Petr Gudkov The famous Sretensky Monastery Choir is touring the United States and will be singing in Seattle on Sunday, and in San Francisco on Monday. This is the very choir that sang for the Vigil Service on the Eve of the Unification Service in Moscow
The Bell Tower of St. Panteleimon Monastery The German At the conclusion of the service we once again approached the holy icon, offering our final veneration. I joined the other monks, but I could not look upon her, shamed as I was. I prostrated, kissed the base of the holy
The entrance to the Great Lavra Inside the Great Lavra One’s first sighting of the Great Lavra is overwhelming. Constructed over a thousand years ago to withstand attacks by pirates, Latins, and Muslim invaders, it looks like the ancient medieval fortress town that it is. When entering the main gate
Holy Community (parliament) The main street of Karyes, capital of Mt. Athos The Holy Community Arriving in Karyes, Father Basil and I proceeded to the Holy Community in order to present our passports and visas, thus gaining official entrance to the Holy Mountain, the world’s only monastic republic. Mount Athos
Mount Athos () The Holy Mountain In May of 1989, a little over a year after moving to Vashon Island, my friend Father Basil Rhodes took me on a month’s journey to Greece. We spent time in Athens and Thessaloniki, before heading for our ten day stay on the Holy