The homosexual person in light of the Christian community My heart goes out to homosexual men and women who face a life of discrimination and loneliness. I do not believe the majority of them chose to be homosexual. A person would have to be insane to chose a sexual proclivity
God’s gift of life is sacred and must be protected The beheadings of innocent men and women by the followers of the “Caliph” of the Islamic State, has caused shock throughout the world. How these followers of Islam could be so depraved is beyond the comprehension of civilized people everywhere.
When despondency seizes us The renowned 19th century Russian saint, Seraphim of Sarov (1759-1833), said of himself, “I don’t know anything”. These words were remarkable coming from a hermit who was the most sought after spiritual adviser of his age, with even the Tsar seeking out his counsel. Yet Saint
Political ideologies, and our life in the Church I was asked, just recently, which political party I thought was the best fit for an Orthodox Christian. My response was that this is an issue, as a priest of Christ’s Church, I did not think I should answer. Within the Orthodox
Joyful living according to the Will of God If we focus only on the things that haven’t been done and ignore the little things that bring joy to our lives, we will find ourselves in a rut, constantly thinking of where we’d rather be living, or the job we’d rather
Closed Communion in the Orthodox Church When a stranger approaches the Holy Gifts during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy it is the norm in the Orthodox Church for the priest to ask the person to “kiss the chalice”. Not knowing if the person is Orthodox, or whether they are
The good pastor does not demand conformity before healing has taken place It deeply troubles me when I encounter clergy who want to push their parishioners into total conformity and compliance with the teachings of the Orthodox Church, without first helping them seek the healing that takes place within the
But how can we possibly love everyone? We are instructed by Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves, and even to love our enemies. But there are always individuals who come into our lives that we find difficult to like, let alone love. Given this, how do we follow the
God is with us in the intimacy of grief There are those moments that bring together whole communities in need of mourning together. During such times like these, we need to mourn. One of the most tremendously rewarding and challenging aspects of the priesthood is comforting people in their darkest
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