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
Witnessing to the Love of Christ What is our responsibility, as Orthodox Christians, as regards those who do not live according to biblical morality? We first remember that we have fallen short of the glory of God, and say, like Saint Paul, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of
The Struggle for Peace Must Begin With Me After yesterday’s essay concerning the Orthodox priests who were part of a mob attack on a homosexual demonstration in the country of Georgia, I was reminded of a photo I have in my archives. Instead of leading a violent attack, and being
“We have all sinned and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23).” We Orthodox often miss the mark in understanding and ministering to this world. We fail the words of Christ, “to love one another as God has loved us”, and forget we are charged by Our Lord
Living the Evangelical Life of the Gospels Monks are not necessarily holy, but by vocation are attempting to become holy. The world is constantly asking for compromise, but the monk tries to live a life that is an ancient ideal, where Christ reigns in the heart and the world is
Entrance to Monastery Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk said, “Do not think about the sins of your brother but about what in him is better than in yourself.” These words are powerful, and can be life changing if we take them as our own. Finding fault only in ourselves is always
Perilous Situation The Persecution of Christians in the Middle East It’s a pity there is virtually no meaningful or informative conversation taking place in the United States about the widespread persecution of Christians throughout the Middle East. Muslims in America scream and howl at the slightest provocations, yet in the
Group of Methodists visits Monastery What about non-Orthodox Christians? Saint Silouan the Athonite was once traveling by train with an archimandrite who was a zealot quick to correct others about the True Faith. Coming upon a group of traveling Roman Catholics, Saint Silouan’s traveling companion proceeded to tell them that
Changing the World Begins with Me The Elder Sophroni of Essex said he believed in changing the world, one person at a time. These words are in agreement with those of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, who said acquiring inner peace causes a thousand around us to be saved. As long
The Limits of Human Reason and the Knowledge of God There is the seen, and there is the unseen, the material and the immaterial. That which is material can be scientifically examined and experienced, the immaterial can only be seen and experienced spiritually. These are two worlds that are only seemingly