SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“In my view, the category of happiness is hardly ever discussed in the Church, and for me it is a puzzle. We have nine Beatitudes: blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers... If we translate the word “blessed”, it means “happy”. Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, happy are the meek, happy are the merciful, and so forth. These are the commandments of happiness. But, unfortunately, in Orthodoxy happiness is not s

“The Greek word here [for simplicity in Romans 16:18-19] means literally “unmixed”…Thus, St. Paul is saying that in regard to evil, we should not mix evil with good but be pure in our motives, attitudes, thoughts, and behavior…the Gospels themselves, Christ didn’t pay much attention to people’s external image and formal religiosity, but was more interested in the state of their heart. From there proceed “evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, covetings, wic

“If we are honest and confess our personal shortcomings, we have the opportunity to repent. We have the opportunity to increase our gratitude toward God. God will be receptive to our expressions of gratitude if we are sincere. Do we take time to thank God each time following recovery from an illness or surgery? Do we show gratitude to God continually for talents and gifts received during the course of life? Are we always thankful for prayers answered? Are we at peace deep wit

“…humility substitutes for everything. And even if we do not have any other virtues, but humbly realize that we have nothing, then we will be ready to receive the Holy Spirit. Let us try not to forget about this…And let us live in such a way as to be worthy successors of the apostles and worthy bearers of the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is what we are all called to do—to try and humble ourselves before God and our neighbors, to fulfill God’s commandments; and then the Lord

“Some who are opposed to the established Church use this verse to claim that “all you need is Jesus—not the Church, her clergy, and her sacraments.” But the Son became the one Mediator by becoming Man through the Holy Spirit and a virgin—that is, through God and men. He “built” His humanity not from Himself alone but from another, the Virgin Mary. Likewise, as the Mediator He says, “I will build My church” (Mt 16:18); He establishes her leaders and her worship. As Mary gives

“…the Lord calls people to Himself in many different ways. Even a path of protest, mistakes, and wandering, if it is sincere, can lead to Christ…the Church does not reject anyone who sincerely seeks salvation. There is no sin or spiritual blindness that the Lord cannot lead a person out of, if they truly want to come to Him. But it is also a warning: a “comfortable God” is not God, “freedom without obedience” is not freedom, and “love without the cross” is not love. Only thos

“Our spiritual goal is to align our life, our hearts and minds, and our wills with the will of God. We are endeavoring to have Christ be the Lord of our hearts and minds so that all of our actions, thoughts and feelings are unified and coincide with His. We want it to be that Christ can look at us, as He did Nathaniel, and measure our hearts with the words that here is a person “in whom there is no guile” (John 1:47)” (Fr. Ted Bobosh) “I find that the more I surrender to God’

“Today the words of the Apostle of love, John the Theologian, knock at our hearts—words that sound like a sword cutting in two all the complexity of our being: He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. (3 John 1:11). In these simple words lies the entire optics of the Christian life. We often confuse goodness with natural gentleness, good manners, or merely a fleeting emotional impulse. But the Apostle speaks of something else. Goodness is not a chara

“When we are emotionally, physically, and spiritually attacked and exhausted, we are distracted from doing God’s work and our energy is literally being sapped away like a tree that has been “attacked and continually sends nourishment to its wounded parts. Rest assured; we all have places that have been wounded. A memory. An experience. A grief that we are still carrying for a loved one. A dream unpursued and a prayer that we believe to be unanswered. And these weaknesses, the

“Every day of your life is a battle and the field of battle is the human heart and mind. This is where the battle takes place on a daily basis. Whether you pay attention or ignore it, whether you apply yourself or you are negligent, you are already at war.” (Fr. James Guirguis) “Choosing a side means not only standing with the army to which you pledge your allegiance but also actively participating in that side’s combat. Civilians in human war may try to stay out of harm’s wa