SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“There is always the danger, in this scientific age, that we will discount the possibility of falling into idolatry. The Israelites seem unsophisticated when they demand the creation of “gods that shall go before us” (Ex 32:1). Yet we modern thinkers often show ourselves capable of being captivated by secular things and ideas. We fall into the trap of giving persons, programs, movements, or theories the devoted attention and obeisance due to God alone. This constitutes idolat

“…a Christian’s experience of beauty is by necessity a faith experience.” (Jeffrey L. Morrow) “What Christians call “repentance”—from the Greek metanoia, to turn back—is often sparked by an encounter with the beautiful.” (Makoto Fujimura) “…beauty requires people who live beautiful lives. They need neither wealth nor power, only the living icon of the Logos to be manifest in their being. It is the secret to Christian “civilization” – not an empire maintained by force of arms

On Friday, June 26 at 7 pm, Michael taught a Zoom class to people for the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral Community called, Being a True Disciple of Christ in Today’s World. The class lasted an hour with an opening prayer, lecture and then interactive discussion. Michael offered a brief reflection on what it is to be a true disciple of Christ in today’s world, and what this is in practice regarding money, authority and obedience, and our spiritual disciplines.

“…before his conversion on the Damascus Road, Paul was suffering from paranoia, was out of his right mind. And afterwards he was in a state of metanoia—and metanoia means being turned around, repentant, being in a healthy state of mind.” (Madeleine L'Engle) “When we think about maintaining our health you might not always consider your mind as a part of that process. However, maintaining a healthy mind is extremely important. Furthermore, you may not consider that your relatio

On Friday, June 26 at 7 pm, Michael taught a Zoom class to people for the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral Community called, Being a True Disciple of Christ in Today’s World. The class lasted an hour with an opening prayer, lecture and then interactive discussion. Michael offered a brief reflection on what it is to be a true disciple of Christ in today’s world, and what this is in practice regarding money, authority and obedience, and our spiritual disciplines.

I have been attending the Orientale Lumen Conference for nearly 10 years and have met so many wonderful people, and haven spoken at it a few times myself. This year’s conference was a Zoom session due to present conditions. The theme of this year’s conference wad “Liturgy and Icons: Worshiping with Images.” The plenary speakers were: 1.    Plenary I - Archbishop Elpidophoros, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of New York 2.    Plenary II-  Fr Mark Morozowich, Dean, The Catholic Univ

“ ‘Do not speak evil of one another’ (James 4:11). Belittling criticism of others is another case of pride coming out in what we say. It is a lack of faith united with evil works, an offense both to the person criticized and to God. God's will is to love others (James 2:8) with humility and mercy, even if they are in the wrong…” (Orthodox Study Bible, James 4:11-12) “Every wicked act dulls the sense of our thoughts and gives birth to arrogance. For although it is necessary fo

“The image of Christ and His disciples in a boat is traditionally used to illustrate the Church. God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see His protection more clearly. Christ's rebuke of the storm is also an illustration of His calming the tempests in the human soul.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Matthew 8:23-27) “Following the Lord Jesus involves far more than simply getting into a boat. The following which Christ requires of us is the self-denial of

“The deeper meaning of “faith” (pistis) is “trust,” total and unwavering confidence in God’s utter faithfulness towards us. In response to our trust, expressed through the worship by which we “bless” Him, God bestows upon us still further blessings. Our relationship with Him involves a reciprocal movement. Through worship we offer ourselves to Him, yet through that same worship He offers Himself to us. We “bless” Him by our thanksgiving, our adoration and our praise; and we a

“Because they can easily deceive others, those who put on a show of virtue or religion are more dangerous than those who are evil outright. Thus, we must be all the more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Matthew 7:15) “Deception is a major phenomenon of our own times. There have always been deceivers. But deception has become a far more integral part of modern life…Looking over the landscape of modern life, we see that the human communit