Cremation versus the Orthodox practice of burial The first time I ever attended a funeral service where cremation of the body of the deceased had taken place was in Portland, Oregon, many years ago. An Episcopal priest friend had died and had requested his body be cremated. Walking into the
And the need to embrace our grief We need to mourn. One of the most tremendously rewarding and challenging aspects of the priesthood is comforting people in their darkest moments of sorrow. Do not be mistaken and think that priests are exempt from the pain of those whom they try
When we are judged and maligned Within the life of the Church we sometimes see jealousy, envy, and slander taking center stage. The history of the Church is filled with sad occasions where brothers have heaped attacks on their brothers, with bishops conspiring against bishops, priests conspiring against priests, and
Holding on to guilt and shame There are many people who cling to memories of past sins, holding on to guilt and shame, reliving things long ago confessed, as though they happened yesterday. They struggle with regrets, often revisiting shame as though they were archeologists, digging for historical artifacts that
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
Confronting our habitual sins during the Lenten journey As we continue our Lenten journey, this is a time when the Church puts much emphasis on the role of repentance. We strive to go to confession more frequently during Great Lent, just as we’ve increased our level of fasting, and frequency
How do we keep our youth in the Church? We are living in an age that has witnessed changes on a massive scale as never before. The way we communicate has changed with the coming of the internet, with information available that would have required a library and advanced degrees
Prayerful struggle leads to genuine repentance Sometimes when we fall into temptation, we allow the feelings of guilt to become an obstacle to prayer. Yet if we cease to pray until we repent, we will never repent, for prayer is the door to genuine repentance. In our struggle on the
Complaining about unfair treatment If we are always complaining about how unfairly we are treated, we will have failed in our imitation of Christ, Who was abused by His enemies unto death. We should strive to reign with Our Lord by loving our enemies and never complain. Christ looked towards
Our thoughts determine our lives “Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool