The Devil can not Violate our FreedomThe devil does not have power over us, unless we give it to him. His power to tempt us, or to fight against us, is never beyond our ability to resist, for his power can never violate our freedom. The devil’s power is not
Brother Theofil bringing the bells Turning the Commute into a Monastic CellOver the past thirty years, I have lost count at the number of lay people who have voiced interest in monasticism. Many have told me, had they’d become Orthodox at a younger age, they might have forgone marriage, for
Angels Among Us David Fouty, and his father, Robert Fouty, M.D. (click photo to enlarge) Among my counted friends is a man by the name of David Fouty, son of other friends, Robert Fouty, M.D., and Dorothy Fouty. David, who is in his late forties, was born with Downs Syndrome.
Balancing a World of Body and Soul In the age of health clubs, diet fads, belly tucks, face lifts, and hair transplants, we seem, as a species, to have gone mad with our focus on image. Important as exercise is, when we become so focused on body image, that we
…and render unto God what is God’s“Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and render unto God what is God’s (Mark 12:17).” This words, spoken by Christ to His disciples, are a good reminder to all of us to walk in all humbleness, love, and compassion. We must be quick to
Without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).If we be true to our calling as the children of God, we must live in imitation of Christ. We must imitate His meekness and humility. We must love others just as did He. We must be willing to be transformed, and made
Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Moscow, Russia Seeking out Healing in the Life of the ChurchOrthodoxy offers a very precise way in which to enter into communion with God. It is a way that must be learned, for simply “becoming Orthodox” will not lead the seeker into an inner life that
Lecturing at Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA It is only human to become despondent when we have failed in keeping to our moral, ethical and spiritual standards, succumbing, instead, to temptation. Our Orthodox Faith teaches that we must be compassionate towards others, loving, quick to forgive, exemplar in our Christian
Hesychasm Versus Aristotelian Scholasticism The 14th century dispute between Augustinian theologian Barlaam of Calabria, an Aristotelian scholastic, and Saint Gregory Palamas, whom he accused of heresy for his hesychasm (the Orthodox teaching on mystical prayer), was important because it demonstrated one of the major differences between the Latin West, and
The Web of Economic Slough and Imagined Security Our world is going through a period of economic slough, with many families having suffered great loss. Mortgage foreclosures have displaced many from their homes, with increased numbers of children attending school, counted among the homeless, and hiding their plight from their