Proper Preparation for Receiving the Holy Mysteries The Russian Orthodox Church requires anyone who desires to receive Holy Communion prepare themselves with confession, the Precommunion Prayers and to abstain from food or drink from midnight on. Most of the world’s Local Orthodox Churches hold to this standard, recognizing that the
MURDERED Pope Tawadros Egypt: Muslims murder Coptic priest Coptic Pope Tawadros, spiritual leader of Egypt’s 12 million Christians, giving his blessing to the removal of Muslim Brotherhood President Morsi, and His Holiness’s having attended the announcement by armed forces commander General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi suspending the constitution, sectarian violence erupted
How to Kill the Ego In our self-centered age we have come to believe we must feel good about ourselves and have rejected the idea of guilt and sin. Sin is seen as religion’s outdated instrument for keeping people in line, making them dependent on an institution that should be
How your Soul Differs from that of an Animal The Orthodox Church teaches that animals have souls, although not the same as ours. When conceived, God bestows upon us the nous, which distinguishes us from the other animals. It is the nous that is the eye of the soul, intelligent
The Role of Saints in our Christian Lives Growing up Lutheran I always believe the veneration of saints by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians was a form of idolatry. They were idolaters because they “worshiped saints”. This worship of the saints was a major stumbling block for most protestants, since
And the Struggle Between Two Worlds The world is in a new struggle not unlike that which happened during the Soviet Union and the cold war that was brought on after the fall of the Royal House of Romanov. This was followed by World War II when we saw the
Two young bucks in our yard Looking for Hopein all the Right Places Earlier this evening I was listening to one of the last songs recorded by Johnny Cash, probably the best country western singer of all time. The line in his song, “put me in my box on
The Ultimate Act of Love is to Share Our Faith With Another It has been my experience that many individuals denying the importance of faith in their lives have, in reality, simply been put off by religiosity. They’ve seen a form of Christianity that is disingenuous and have therefore discounted
Recollection of God is required if we are to be reconciled with God. Seeking to be aware of God throughout the day helps us remember to do battle with the passions and leads to repentance. Contrition brings on the grace needed to gain a pure heart, which in turn joins
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