The recently restored Saint John the Wonderworker Chapel On Being Responsible Stewards of That Which God has Given Us I once knew a man who would destroy anything he no longer wanted, rather than give it to another person, or turn it over to a charity. Thinking he might regret parting
Thinking Before We Speak Many a parish has been torn apart by careless speech. Many an extended family has seen rifts between family members because of one careless word. Couples have divorced because one spouse would not refrain from a critical word. Our struggle with the passions must begin with
Do not Turn Right or Left According to Saint Basil the Great, “The person who does not allow his thought to incline towards excess or deprivation but directs it to the midpoint, that of virtue, is upright in his heart”. Virtue must be practiced. Just as one who would desire
click on photos to enlarge Our Enemy is not of Flesh and Blood The Church Militant, which is the Church of Christ here on this earth, is in the midst of a battle. Our enemy is not one of flesh and blood, but one of darkness and evil. The survival
Committed to Living as the Presence of Christ According to Ephraim the Syrian, the great sixth century saint, “The Church is not the assembly of saints, it is the mass of sinners who repent, who, sinners though they are, have turned towards God and are oriented towards Him.” As a
Be careful how you use the Internet Yesterday I received an email from a young man who asked why I was stooping to raising money for the monastery by allowing ads to appear with my blog, The Morning Offering. I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, but
A Defeatist Attitude is a Prescription for Defeat As Christians we must believe that our ultimate welfare is in the hands of God and recognized that our life, although filled with many difficulties and struggles, is a journey of anticipation to the Eternal Life that is to come. Because this
Church as Hospital of the Soul Our Orthodox Faith defines sin as an illness that is in need of healing, not as a crime that requires punishment. The Church is a hospital for the soul whose therapists (priests) first sought therapy and then became the therapists. As a healing institution
Hieromonk Paul serving at the Feast of the Dormition Anger and Road Rage Banished with the Jesus Prayer The very best tool to banish anger and road rage is the recitation of the Jesus Prayer. Calling upon the Holy Name of Jesus, when under spiritual attack, is a quick way
The Importance of Regular Spiritual Reading The past few days I have addressed the issue of young Orthodox Christians and their college experience, suggesting that they must be prepared to defend their faith in a challenging, secular setting. The truth is, all of us need to be prepared to defend