Together with my brother, Abba Melake Birhanat Are these the End Times? The cultural and spiritual warfare that is taking place between the “Christian” West, and the Islamic Middle East, together with the extreme climate changes taking place around the world, have become a source of concern for many. Coupled
Preaching on the occasion of Saint Demetrios Day, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Seattle The Island of my Salvation Following my return from the Holy Mountain we were faced with mounting bills, rising rent costs, little income, and my personal desire to return to Mt. Athos to continue my
Vashon Island, in the Salish Sea The Return to the United StatesAfter having spent almost a month in Greece, including ten days on Mount Athos, the return to the United States, via New York City, was major culture shock. I found myself grieving for the loss of the simple life
New Martyr Fadi Jamil Haddad Damascus (Agenzia Fides) – The body of the Greek Orthodox priest, Father Fadi Jamil Haddad, pastor of the Church of Saint Elias in Qatana, was found today in the Jaramana neighborhood (north of Damascus) not far from the place where he was kidnapped, on October
Waging War against the Flesh Since the eyes and the ears are the doors of the soul, an Orthodox Christian must not leave the body without attention. Unlike the religion of Gnosticism, which teaches the separation of soul and body, with the physical world being evil and something to be
Know Who You Really Are We are all surrounded by fictional characters, persons who are the invention of filmmakers, promoters, and even self-inventors. The original meaning of the word “hypocrite” was “actor”, and it is ignorance of our true nature as children of God that keeps us living as fictional
When Charity becomes an Occasion for Self Worship Food is a common problem for many people, for food so often fills a void, becoming a way of comforting oneself when faced with the stresses that are a part of our modern, everyday world. Being in service to others, such as
Saint Nektarios of Pentapolis Leavetaking of the Holy Mountain Altogether, Father Basil and I visited seven different monasteries during our ten day pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain. Each monastery had its own powerful impact on my soul, and I found it very difficult to leave what must truly be the
Hammi, the Norwegian Forest Cat Sometimes we find ourselves so caught up in what we want, or what we think we need, we become despondent when we face disappointment or loss. We can get so caught up in reaching our goals we fail because we got too caught up in
Moscow Sretensky Choir Appeal Petr Gudkov The famous Sretensky Monastery Choir is touring the United States and will be singing in Seattle on Sunday, and in San Francisco on Monday. This is the very choir that sang for the Vigil Service on the Eve of the Unification Service in Moscow