Syria, the Arab Spring, and RussiaA year ago, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia joined his Syrian counterpart, Patriarch Ignatius of Antioch, whom His Holiness has known for forty years, in a street procession that took place in Damascus. During this same visit, Patriarch Kirill made an appearance with
Dockton Village, just north of the monastery True and Lasting Freedom True and lasting freedom is the internal freedom that comes in having a relationship with Christ. It has nothing to do with external or physical freedom. Many who suffered imprisonment in the gulags of the Soviet Union were freer
The Bitterness of Fleeting Joy We all have certain things in our lives that we feel passionate about. When I was a young man, long distance running was my passion, and nothing gave me more joy than the run. Every day was organized around running. I’d even plan vacations around
Young Coptic Sunday School teachers, from Saint Mary’s Coptic Church in Seattle, made a pilgrimage to the monastery Dead to the World, but Alive in Christ We cannot give Christ to others unless we have welcomed Him into the central place in our own heart. We must know and love
Living our Lives in Imitation of Christ If we desire to please God, we only need to live our lives in imitation of Christ, Who both taught, and lived, humility. In our steadfastness in faith, modesty of attire, and simplicity in words and conversation, we imitate Christ. In our works
Elder Pavlos of Sinai The Elder Pavlos of Sinai, who spent Saturday afternoon with us, recounted something about my own late spiritual father, Archimandrite Dimitry of Santa Rosa, that I’d forgotten. Father Dimitry, who had escaped from Communist Russia, having suffered beatings and imprisonment, never spoke against them, nor ever
Have We Robbed God? “Will a man rob God ? Yet you have robbed Me ! But you say: ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me.” (Malachi 3:8 – 9) With love in Christ, Abbot
God Never Abandons Us Even though we seem overpowered by temptations, God never abandons us. God knows how our weakness makes us vulnerable, yet never allows us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist. We sometimes feel as though we were beasts of burden, carrying loads that weigh us
Feast of the Holy Ascension! Ascension of the Lord, Troparion, Tone IV —Thou didst ascend into glory, O Christ our God, having gladdened Thy disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. And this blessing convinced them that Thou art the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. Kontakion,
Our attitude has an impact that can keep us from growing spiritually. A bad attitude impacts the way we live, and hurts those around us, negatively influencing our family, our friends, and our church community. We must commit ourselves to keeping a positive attitude, for negative thinking will not make