Putting our Trust in God, Regardless It is often difficult for us to put our total trust in God. We have our own agenda as to what WE think needs to happen and wonder where God is when we don’t get the answer to our prayers the way we think
The Restoration of the True Self The Lord Jesus Christ was humble, meek and good, and with the help of the Lord we too can be humble. Fasting and prayer are the means by which God can change our hearts, but we must approach both with humility and purpose. Saying
The Hermit’s Contribution to Community The personalism of Orthodox asceticism in the life of a hermit is inseparable from the life of the Church. Saint Seraphim of Sarov tells us that if we acquire the Holy Spirit a thousand around us will be saved. Hermits, although distancing themselves from the
There is no Salvation outside the Body of Christ Orthodoxy is all about community. The fierce individualism found in much of what claims to be Christianity is in opposition to the Orthodox understanding of faith. The Church as the Body of Christ is where we are united in Christ, becoming
The Offering of Flowers to God I was in our cutting garden early this morning, soon after letting the hens out of the chicken coop. This section of our organic garden has been set aside exclusively for growing flowers to adorn the temple. All the major feasts of the Church
The Transitory Nature of this Life I responded to a house fire on Vashon Island late Monday afternoon. The home was in a remote location and the fire fighters were hard pressed to get to the house in time to save it. They arrived to find a locked gate with
We celebrated our Patronal Feast and the 25th anniversary of the founding of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery on Sunday. For those of you who may not have seen these photos because of Sunday obligations, I am posting them a second time (along with a few additional photos). Tomorrow I will
Today we celebrate our Patronal Feast and the 25th Anniversary of the Founding of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery Click on photos to enlarge. Many more photos below. Click on photos to enlarge. Sunday August 14, 2011 9th Sunday after Pentecost.Tone eight. Dormition (Theotokos) Fast. Food with Oil Beginning of the Dormition
Let my prayer arise as incense before Thee. From Old Testament times believers have burned incense as an offering when worshiping God. The ancient temple in Jerusalem even had priests whose sole duty was to keep the censer burning twenty-four hours a day. Ancient pagan kings were often escorted with
The Priest and the American Tourist A protestant woman from Tacoma, WA. was on vacation with her husband in the Greek city of Athens. Each day she walked to a small sidewalk cafe near the hotel for her coffee and watched the locals pass by. One of these locals was