The saints are alive in Christ Jesus Vigil lights are placed before the icons of the saints, according to Saint Symeon the New Theologian, as a way of showing that without the Light, Who is Christ, the saints are nothing. It is only as the light of Christ shines on
Becoming one flesh The institution of marriage, for the Orthodox Christian, is to have Jesus Christ as the foundation, with a commitment to live in full communion with the Church. When a couple are joined together in this mystical (sacramental) union, they become one flesh, and begin their relationship as
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
Isolation and the Christian Life In an age when families no longer eat dinner together, children watch TV, play computer games, and text message their friends from their bedrooms. When adults can be seen walking in our cities talking on cell phones. At a time in our history when people
Let my prayer arise as incense before Thee From Old Testament times believers have burned incense as an offering when worshiping God. The ancient temple in Jerusalem even had priests whose sole duty was to keep the censer burning twenty-four hours a day. Ancient pagan kings were often escorted with
Christian marriage does not require staying with the abuser There are times when distancing yourself from someone who is angry, is necessary. There is absolutely no good reason for you to move towards another, when they are being abusive. For the wife of an abuser to remain in danger while
Relevant to an ever changing world One of the most powerful reasons for embracing Orthodoxy is to be found in the Orthodox Church’s insistence that she holds to the evangelical and apostolic doctrine of the Ancient Church. In an age when everything is up for change, there is a certain
Complaining bears the fruit of bitterness Instead of complaining, do something about your complaints. Make a difference in your life, and the lives of those around you, by keeping focused on making a difference. If there is reason to complain, change your complaint into a positive action that changes your
The enemy of faith is pride The absolute necessary element for salvation is faith. Faith alone will save us, for only faith brings us into communion with God. Faith is a free gift, for nothing we can do can save us. No good works can save us. Being a good
When we conceal our sins from our confessor An article on confession, written some time ago, elicited a number of comments that I feel need to be addressed in more detail. A number of people privately shared that they were hesitant to confess certain sins for fear of being embarrassed