SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“…he [St. James] makes a startling statement: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble” (James 2:19). The devil and his accomplices, the demons, are not atheists. Nor are they sceptics. In the Gospels, we find that the demons confess who Jesus is. They say that they know that He is the “Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24). Again, the man possessed of a demon shouted, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore Y

“Predestined must not be understood as overpowering man's free response, for man's free will is a gift from God. Nor does the term apply to individuals. Rather this term (which can also be translated “preordained”) means that God has a specific calling for His people from before the beginning of the world…‘But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he

“To be perfect, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ. Nothing is gained unless this sacrifice is given freely. The specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person. Because wealth had such a grip on this rich man [Mark 10:17-27], his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions. St. John Chrysostom tells us that giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here; following Him in all things is a far greater and mor

“What then is the source of contention in human society? The apostle’s penetrating insight discloses that the cause is found in the “desires for pleasure” (James 4:1). But the term that this phrase translates has a broader meaning than this phrase suggests. It refers to sensual gratifications, that is, insatiable lusts (vs. 1). James says that these passions “war in your members” (vs. 4:1). He does not mean that the cravings set different parts of the body against each other.

“…by prayer, we practice the habit of keeping God “before our eyes.” Eventually, our constant awareness of the Lord’s presence in prayer permeates our hearts and pervades our minds so that everything we say becomes a kind of prayer and worthy of God’s holy ears.” (Fr. Basil) “God knows the needs of His people. Man prays in order to unite his mind and heart with God. He prays in order that God’s will would be done in his life. He prays so that whatever he needs from God would

“Tribalism is found throughout human society. Humans favor their own group however they define it. And they distinguish themselves from other such groupings. Thus, it seems natural to believe that the scope of God’s concern is concentrated on one’s own associations…St. John Chrysostom says that to think that God is partial to one group or another is an insult to God’s glory.” (Fr. Basil) “Despite all the contrary rhetoric, contemporary Americans are not highly individualized:

“The word mercy in English is the translation of the Greek word eleos. This word has the same ultimate root as the old Greek word for oil, or more precisely, olive oil; a substance which was used extensively as a soothing agent for bruises and minor wounds. The oil was poured onto the wound and gently massaged in, thus soothing, comforting and making whole the injured part. The Hebrew word which is also translated as eleos and mercy is hesed, and means steadfast love. The Gre

“There is an etymological connection between authority and authenticity. The word authentic is from the Greek authentikos, meaning “original, genuine, principal,” and from authentes, “one acting on one’s own authority.” God, as the author of all being, is the only one whose authority is not derivative. For the rest of us, if we have genuine authority, it must be rooted in some way from above. In order for a created being to have authority, we must be subject to authority.” (N

“Double-mindedness (James 1:8) speaks of one who has two loyalties, love of the world competing with love for God (see Mt 6:24). Such unstable life deadens our conscience and turns us aside from the truth.” (Orthodox Study Bible, James 1:6-8) “Children, at their best, have an amazing ability to wonder. The world is fresh and new for them, with many things being seen and encountered for the very first time. They sometimes come to wrong conclusions, but even their wrong conclus

“Peter tells his newborn converts to do: “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow up to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). The phrase here rendered “milk of the word” is the Greek logikon gala, a phrase notoriously hard to translate. The Greek word logikos is cognate with the word logos, “word,” a noun rich in nuance and history, one that occupies over two pages of explanation in a Greek lexicon. Some versions render the phrase “spiritual milk”