SACRAMENTAL LIVING

Understanding Christianity as a Way of Life

Education

“ ‘Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus’ (Acts 4:13). Uneducated and untrained refers specifically to religious education. This lack of religious training stands in contrast to the expertise of the Sanhedrin. The wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit transcend earthly religious training, for God works in the humble and simple as well as in those

Condemnation

“The Lord Jesus declares that God’s concern is to “save” and not to “condemn” (John 3:17). Why, then, does the Lord place the emphasis on condemnation (vss. 17-20)? The answer is quite simple. God sees a condemned race – His own creation – perishing and given over to the oblivion of death. The Source of Life looks lovingly upon a creation permeated by death. Its self-destruction is an affront to His very nature.” (Dynamis 4/28/2020) “Adam’s first act earned divine condemnati

Mystery

“If you would enter into the mystery, then, like Christ Himself, you must become small, weak, poor, misunderstood, and willing to be broken. You cannot know Him if you refuse to be like Him. This is the only path that is truly Christian. Outside the mystery, there is nothing to be known, nothing that will save.” (Father Stephen Freeman) “And what do we make of the changing of the water into wine? Our limited ability as human beings is contravened by the grace and love of Chr

Holiness

“What is holiness? Freedom from every sin and the fulness of every virtue. This freedom from sin and this virtuous life are only attained by a few zealous persons, and that not suddenly, but gradually, by prolonged and manifold sorrows, sicknesses, and labors, by fasting, vigilance, prayer, and that not by their own strength, but by the grace of Christ.” (St. John of Krondstat) “The Lord never withdraws His demand for holiness of life. Thus He purifies the building dedicated

Born Again

“ ‘Born again.” The word anothen originally meant ‘from above’ [cf. Luke 1:2], then ‘again’ [cf. Galatians 4:9], and even ‘from the top’ [cf. John 19:23, Mark 15:38]. Nicodemos takes the meaning to be ‘again,’ a second birth form the womb. The Vulgate translates it by renatus fuerit denuo…In other passages the meaning ‘is from above’ and usually so in the Gospels.” (Holy Apostles Convent) “Born again: The word again can also be translated “from above” and clearly refers to th

Immersion

“The baptismal font becomes at once a tomb and a womb: "at the self-same moment you die and are born; the water of salvation is at once your grave and your mother" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem). The triple immersion in and emersion from the baptismal waters is laden with meaning. Baptism is both a death and a new birth. The water destroys one life and it begets another. It drowns the old man and raises up the new. The liturgical act gives expression to two realities: the death of

Come and See: Recognizing the Unrecognizable Christ

Come and See: Recognizing the Unrecognizable Christ

On Wednesday, April 22 at 7 pm, Michael taught a Zoom class to more than 30 people for the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral Community called, Come and See: Recognizing the Unrecognizable Christ. The class lasted 90 minutes with an opening prayer service, lecture and then interactive discussion. Class description: Prior to His crucifixion and resurrection, many saw Christ with their eyes but did not truly understand who He was and the nature of His purpose. All of the accounts

Heart (Illumination)

“What is the heart? In biblical and patristic usage, the term “heart” does not correspond to the emotions. Rather, it is synonymous with the “spirit” of a person, and closely related to what the Fathers call the nous. These three terms – heart, spirit, and nous – may be defined as the essence of the soul, the place within each person where God reveals Himself (Mt 5:8). Most certainly, the heart is where God chooses to illumine the faithful (2 Cor 4:6)…The role of the heart an

Crucifixion

“Christ accepts death on the Cross neither to receive the Father's punishment on our behalf, nor to satisfy the Father's need for blood-justice (as if God would demand such things), but so that by entering death as the divine Son of God, He can destroy this last enemy, which is death itself." (Orthodox Study Bible, Matthew 27:50) “Christ, crucified and risen, is our Paschal lamb, our Passover. United to Him in baptism, our life becomes an unending deliverance from evil…Evil i

Praise and Popularity

“When we do something well, we want to tell others and be recognized. But recognition is dangerous—it can lead to inflated pride…Often those who try the hardest to become popular never make it. But the praise of people is not that important. Don’t spend your time devising ways to become accepted in the public eye. Instead, strive to do what is right, and both God and people will respect your convictions….How much better it is to seek the praise of God rather than the praise o

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