SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“In the Gospels, there are seven instances of someone calling on Jesus for mercy (Mt 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30, 31; Mk 10:47, 48; Lk 17:13; 18:38, 39). In every case, they receive it.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 3 Maccabees 5:50-51) “…we are struck by the ceaseless care that the Lord Jesus offers to wounded humanity. This essential truth – the truth of God’s mercy – can be easily overlooked amidst the many details of the Gospel. Mercy is priceless! We are to hold it close to our

“The world in which we live is broken and filled with broken people. The evidence is all around us. Every day we are affected by the reality of this context…Our culture is rooted in assumptions of radical individualism. It believes that we are not only distinct and separate from everything around us but also that what we think about something is, largely, the sum total of our experience. Thus, what I think and how I feel are considered sufficient to define “my reality.” There

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one (Col. 4:6), teaches the Apostle Paul. Speech is our main means of communication, and it is precisely speech that can build up or destroy, bring light or utter darkness. The Apostle Paul is speaking about everyday speech—the words we use in all of life’s ordinary situations. Even the simplest words we say on the phone, in a shop, or type in comments should be filled wi

“God created human beings to live forever in complete harmony with Him and in perfect obedience to His will. But by the sin of Adam and Eve, the whole human race became subject to death and disobedience. In this state of corruption, all humans were helpless to keep the law. But the Son of God was born to undo what Adam and Eve did. Paul writes, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh

“As love, God chooses to abase Himself in fully experiencing the weakness and vulnerability of an infant so that in this supreme act of humility, He can break down the barrier between the creature and creator. His embrace as a helpless, dependent child of His mother very specifically clarifies the type of intimate reconciliation and healing He desires with His creatures. He takes the initiative; He makes himself vulnerable, in every sense of the word. He who holds the univers

“… ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand’ (Rom 13:12). Night is the time of darkness, when most crimes are committed. Night is also the sinful state of the soul that does not want to know God and does not strive for salvation. Predators hunt at night, and the enemy of mankind works in darkness, “like a lion roaring after its prey, seeking whom he might destroy.” I am the light of the world, says the Lord. He chases away the darkness of night, and grants people the Light

“The Christians who worshipped in that original roofless shrine could look up into the sky, in their imaginations following Christ as He ascended from earth to heaven. There is always something inspiring and uplifting about looking up. The sky is one of the many miracles surrounding us, whether we see it filled with clouds or with stars. Sorrow makes our heads hang down and look towards the earth, while joy lifts up our heads.” (Fr. Lawrence Farley) “Christian hope is the con

“The wounds come. None of us escapes the hurt and pain of human relationships. No parents are perfect. No siblings are ideal. Classmates and even best friends engage in shaming and bullying. Teachers, in their own brokenness, unwittingly give unintended lessons to a child. Over time, the conflict, the darkness and the hardening set in. We lose our capacity for awe and wonder and with it a clear view of the world. Our access to God seems blocked by the opacity of our own wound

“We will face trials and tribulations in this life, but we need not be overwhelmed by them. Even Jesus stumbled and fell carrying His Cross…Through the operation of our wills, in cooperation with God's grace, we can surmount many of the trials and tribulations that life in the fallen world brings with it. We must endure them, because they are part of this world that we dwell in, but we need not be overwhelmed or determined by them.” (Fr. Joseph Irvin) “Our task is to become s

“I am always leery when asked about various spiritual undertakings. Whether it’s a rule of prayer or a rule of fasting, the true struggle is never found in doing what is extraordinary. It is, rather, the very difficult matter of enduring what is given to us. God, in His providence, allows us all that is necessary for our salvation. Grace is primarily found within the ordinary faithfulness of our life.” (Father Stephen Freeman) “Notice the Archangel Gabriel’s words to the Theo