Important for both Confessor and Penitent The Seal of Confession is a hard and fast rule throughout the history of the Orthodox Church. Since the priest, in Orthodox theology, is but a witness to the confession, since the confession is given to Christ Himself, confidentiality is an absolute must. The
The Essential Element for the Salvific Union of Two People The western world has seen a terrible downward trend in the number of couples choosing to get married. Of those couples who do, almost fifty percent of their marriages end in divorce. Those marriages that do last, see only a tiny
The Hermit’s Contribution to Community The personalism of Orthodox asceticism in the life of a hermit is inseparable from the life of the Church. Saint Seraphim of Sarov tells us that if we acquire the Holy Spirit a thousand around us will be saved. Hermits, although distancing themselves from the
United States Backed Free Syrian Army Continues Attacks on Christians On December 3rd, Islamist rebels kidnapped a group of nuns from the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Thecla in Maaloula (north of Damascus). These armed men burst in the monastery, forcibly taking twelve nuns. The nuns remained in the town after
Reaching Out to Prisoners with Forgiveness “I was in prison and you came to Me (Matthew 25:36).” I served eight years as a volunteer Orthodox chaplain within three Washington State Prisons in Monroe, WA. With the goal of bringing the love of Christ to those, who, for whatever reason, found
Explore your on-line Orthodox Radio Station For those who have not explored Ancient Faith Radio, I would urge you to do yourself a favor and make this on-line radio station a part of your daily routine. You can download programs onto your ipod and walk your dog while listening to
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
Striving to Attain the Kingdom 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
The Reality of God Discovering God for Oneself At the age of sixty-eight I find myself spending an increasing amount of time on area campuses, and hosting a growing number of young people making a pilgrimage to the monastery. At an age when many of my contemporaries are grandfathers, or
Being Truly Grateful on Thanksgiving The United States is one of the worlds few countries to have established a national day in which to give thanks to God for all He has given us. This day may have become a purely secular excuse, for some, to over eat, but for