SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“The Apostle Paul also urgently advises us to resist submitting mindlessly to “the affairs of this life” (2 Timothy 2:4). Fruitful effort in Christ depends on forcing the demands of this life to be subservient to our greater work in Christ. Avoid anything that disturbs union with the Lord.” (Dynamis 7/27/2018) “Although it is quite bewildering and counterintuitive, as we are submissive to God and His ways amid our weaknesses (including our death to self), we are growing spiri

“Faith operates a lot like compound interest. It may start small in our heart, but if we adopt a rule of prayer in our life that we practice daily despite the ups and downs of our feelings and emotions; sincerely embrace the sacramental life with an open heart and a true desire to draw closer to Christ, over time our faith will grow in ever increasing abundance and become solid as the hardest rock.” (Sacramental Living Blog) “The condition of the heart is crucial, for the Lor

“Sometimes we judge ourselves (and others!) too harshly, focusing on our flaws and we don’t turn to God because we view God through this harsh and incorrect mindset and believe He is just as harsh and unloving as us. This mindset is easy to acquire when we think of God the Father as angry and wrathful and needing to sacrifice His son to appease His wrath (of course, one could look at this as He also loves us so much to sacrifice His Son, but either way appeasement is needed f

Luna Press Publishing Academia Lunare is delighted to announce that Echoes of Truth: Christianity in the Lord of the Rings, by Michael C. Haldas, is now in pre-order from the publisher and at Amazon.com (illustrated version and text-only version)! A collector's edition, with the splendid illustrations of artist Elaina Olga, is also available. In addition to being a professor, master of language and myth, and a loving husband and father, J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout Christian.

“In times of grief, terror, and dejection we may reach “the end of our rope” – and yet God is present, most noticeably in our extremities. He tells us that He is preserving us along the way and promises to bring us home after He accomplishes all things.” (Dynamis 9/7/13) “We may sometimes wonder if God will ever respond to our prayers. But we must never doubt Him or give up hope.…though we may think we are at the end of our rope, we are never at the end of our hope...God neve

“God wants us to give or burdens to Him, but we often continue to bear them ourselves even when we say we are trusting in Him. Trust the same strength that sustains you to carry your cares also…Do not think that the Lord has abandoned you. No! He is always with you and invisibly sustains you, even when you forget Him. He will not burden you with trials beyond your capacity. Fear nothing, but with total humbleness and devotion bear your cross and pray.” (Life Application Study

“In times of suffering, the Church encourages us to fully experience our story… Deepening our understanding of our faith relinquishes our need to tell each other empty words like “God won’t give you more than you can handle” and “He/she is in a better place.” Instead, it allows us to offer prayer, presence and understanding that strengthen our relationship to God and each other. If we put aside the pressure to speak, we recognize silence is not awkward; it is prayerful stilln

“Temptations and trials show what hides in the heart of a man. Temptation is similar to the medicine called an emetic. An emetic reveals what is hidden inside the stomach. So temptations and trials make manifest what is hidden inside a man. The Holy Word of God and other Christian books point out the corruption of our nature, but we recognize it by actual experience or deed in temptations and trials. Thus vainglory becomes evident through deprivation of glory, avarice through

“The Apostle Paul declares, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (vs. 16). This process of renewal continues unabated inside us, because we are united to Christ. Even in our worn and sinful hearts can undergo wonderful, renewing change. However, we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit. We must stop looking “at the things which are seen, but [rather look steadily] at the things which are not s

“We are obsessed with control, yet there is no nobility in doing something when you know exactly what the outcome will be. That’s why it’s a noble thing for a firefighter to rush into a burning building to save someone, or a patient to wage a battle with cancer, or a person to listen to someone who needs comfort, because in any of these situations, a person does not know the outcome, but takes a chance anyway.” (Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis) “Should we pray for specific outc