View from Vashon Island Tapping into the Noetic Memory of the Heart The heart, in the Orthodox tradition, does not only have a natural operation, as a mere pump that circulates blood. In Orthodox patristic tradition the heart is the center of our self-awareness. Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain
Great Commandment Whom do we see when we look into the face of another? Our world is polarized in ways not seen in many generations. This polarization is bought closer to home because we now live in a nation that is far more cosmopolitan than in the past. Even small
Believing in God is not Enough Many people believe that God exists, but they do not know Him. It is one thing to believe in God, but quite another thing to actually have a personal relationship with God. In John 14:8-9, the Apostle Philip asked Jesus to show them the
A Reason of the Hope that is in YouIf we are attentive to all the Lord does for us, we will endure those times when our prayers seem to go unanswered. That God is not always giving us just what we think we need, in no way means he does
Procrastination is Dangerous in the Spiritual Life Putting off for tomorrow what can be done today is something we all do on occasion. We indulge ourselves with laziness, coming up with excuses as to why we don’t need to do things now. We’ll do the dishes later. The lawn mowing
Visiting my friend, Abbess Anastasia of Holy Theophany Monastery When We do the Wrong Thing Habitually That we must struggle with our passions is a given. All the holy fathers council us to do battle with the passions, yet we continue committing the same sins over and over. Sometimes it
The recently restored Saint John the Wonderworker Chapel On Being Responsible Stewards of That Which God has Given Us I once knew a man who would destroy anything he no longer wanted, rather than give it to another person, or turn it over to a charity. Thinking he might regret parting
Thinking Before We Speak Many a parish has been torn apart by careless speech. Many an extended family has seen rifts between family members because of one careless word. Couples have divorced because one spouse would not refrain from a critical word. Our struggle with the passions must begin with
Do not Turn Right or Left According to Saint Basil the Great, “The person who does not allow his thought to incline towards excess or deprivation but directs it to the midpoint, that of virtue, is upright in his heart”. Virtue must be practiced. Just as one who would desire
click on photos to enlarge Our Enemy is not of Flesh and Blood The Church Militant, which is the Church of Christ here on this earth, is in the midst of a battle. Our enemy is not one of flesh and blood, but one of darkness and evil. The survival