No Such Thing as Sacrilege in the West Western media coverage of the Russian political organization (hardly a musical group) known as “Pussy Riot” has been one of the most distorted news coverages of recent memory. Now that they have been found guilty of hooliganism and sentenced to 2 years
Quietude, Silence and Prayer It is in keeping constant vigilance, guarding our senses, and living a life of repentance and self-rapprochement, that we can hope to gain control of our passions and enter into true communion with God. The basic element of such a life has got to include quietude,
Educating the Mind while Ignoring the Heart The stress that is placed upon the importance of educating the mind is enormous. Without a good solid education, we are told, your life will amount to nothing. One of my grandmothers grew up in Wisconsin as a simple, uneducated woman. She worked
Fight the Darkness with the Light of Christ It is never good for us to try to fight the darkness and evil that attacks us, for the more we struggle the more we become entangled it it’s embrace. We are powerless to combat evil. It is only when we let in
The Feast of the All-Merciful Saviour Today is the Patronal Feast Day of our holy brotherhood. The foundation of our monastic community began in 1986, under the spiritual guidance of my spiritual father, Archimandrite Dimitry (Igoroff) of Santa Rosa, of blessed memory. Since last year marked our 25 anniversary, we
Our Prayers Should not be in the Form of Blackmail When we approach the Lord with our needs we should take care that our prayer not be a form of blackmail. God knows our needs before we ask, and it is from our fallen nature that we tend to approach
Virtue of a Saint or Passion of a Harlot? We are all called to live the angelic life, for it is not just monks who are called into communion with God. We are all invited into that sublime life in imitation of the angels, and whether we live as monastics
Ethiopian pilgrims to the monastery Seek first the Kingdom of God It seems to be part of our human condition that we always want something. As children we ask for candy or cookies, and even sneak around our moms when told we have to wait till after dinner. As young
Our fig tree Complaining Bears the Fruit of Bitterness Complaining seems to many like such a little sin, and nothing to be worried about. Yet the impact of a complaining heart is spiritually ruinous, for when we complain we bear bitter fruits that destroy our peace and the peace of
Which Type of Christian are You? There are two types of Christians. There are those who can say with the Apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20)”. And then there are those Christians who