SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“Virtue may be defined as the conscious union of human weakness with divine strength…if we rely on our own capability as if our natural powers are our strength, we confuse our human works with virtue. On the other hand, if we “do not make an effort” to receive divine help and “transcend human weakness” with the power of God, we will fall short of virtue…the development of virtue depends on…the cooperation between God and the human person.” (St. Maximus the Confessor, Fr. Basi

“Purity is the foundation of theology and a true relationship with God…Acquiring purity must be our first step toward knowing God…purity of heart is the goal of every Christian…“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled” (vs. 15). The pure in heart shall see God (Mt 5:8). They follow the Lord, being qualified “for every good work” (Tts 1:16), for we “know them by their fruits”

“We go to Church to set our hearts on fire with love for God and the world. We go to Church because there are so many things to care about and for which we offer prayer to the merciful God. We are to awake from our slumber so we can follow the Lord with diligence and vigilance.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh) “Although some early Christians failed the test of faith, the names of steadfast disciples such as Timothy, Luke, Mark, Priscilla, Aquila, and Onesiphorus, are well known to readers o

“Our primary vocation is to have union with God and become Christ-like in all that we say and do. Our secondary vocation, or vocations, are what we do in our lives that enables us to express this Christ-likeness” (Sacramental Living) “In order to bear witness to the good news that the Son of God has become truly one of us, we must freely pursue the vocation of becoming like Him in holiness as we grow in our participation in His divine life. Our fundamental vocation remains th

“In the Feast of Christmas we are being given the essential key to understanding salvation or redemption in Christ. From the moment of His conception at the Annunciation, Christ in uniting humanity to divinity is beginning our salvation…Death is the final enemy to be destroyed by Christ in God’s plan to save humanity (1 Corinthians 15:26). It is because Christ is God incarnate that He is able to destroy both sin and death through His own death and resurrection.” (Fr. Ted Bobo

“While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws [Mark 10:20], he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man’s response to Jesus’ command to give away all he had revealed that internally he loved money more than God.” (NET Bible, Mark 10:20) “Obedience is good but true obedience to God is evidenced by how we are obedient. It is easy to be unconsciously legalistic and think we are being obedient

“The word “contentment” combines two Greek words that together mean “self-sufficiency”... It refers to a state where nothing else is needed. Paul teaches this attitude when he says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8).”…One of the ironies of our age is that gratitude is “in” right now, yet contentment seems to be in short supply. The self-help sections of

“In a medieval world, the “order” of things was thought important: kings and commoners, high-born and low-born, masters, yeomen, and apprentice, etc. The whole of the universe had an order (hierarchy) that included the angels, human beings, and all creatures. The point was not oppression or suppression, nor to “keep people in their place.” Rather, the order of things served the purpose of union with God.” (Father Stephen Freeman) “Order reflects the nature of God’s holiness.

“ ‘For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt’ (Mark 9:49).  Being seasoned with fire means being tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Mark 9:49) “…Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?” The question Paul poses in [2 Cor 13] verse 5 is an appropriate challenge for us as Christians. Just as Saint Paul urges the Corinthians to “examine yourselves as to whether

“Let me allow God to turn my emotional hunger into spiritual hunger for Him as I try to avoid pathways that lead only to my numerous cravings.” (Archpriest Steven John Belonick) “When the Lord came to the Samaritan city of Sychar (Jn 4:4-43), He and the disciples stopped near Jacob’s well. While the disciples go “away into the city to buy food” (vs. 8), an extensive conversation takes place between the Lord and a woman who has come to draw water. As the discussion is ending,