SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“The Cross is the singular demonstration of the breadth and depth of God’s love for us. And it becomes the model for all who would take up their cross daily and follow the Lord (Luke 9:23). By walking in the light of the Cross, we will reach our destination of eternal life in the Holy Trinity. We will lose our life in the radical love of one another so that we might find it. And in the self-sacrifice of love, we will be obedient to the new commandment that the Lord gave us du

“Simplicity is an enduring habit within a soul that has grown impervious to evil thoughts…“The acquisition of virtue in the spiritual life is the fruit of spiritual labor, nurtured by the Spirit. Fasting, prayer, generosity, simplicity, honesty, patience and thanksgiving in all things are not the stuff of happiness machines. They are the stuff of the Kingdom of God, where virtue is revealed in its true glory…Let us live more simply and God will have mercy on us.” (St. John Cl

“Christians fail in evangelism when they first proclaim all kinds of moral laws and regulations which they want to impose on others to change their behavior. Rather, the biblical way is to experience salvation first and only then to begin answering the questions about what the resurrection means for our daily lives.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh) “If the everyday witness of the laity is hesitant, it will not attract anyone to faith in Christ. If we restrain ourselves from speaking about t

“The peace of God is a beautiful thing; it is there for each of us if we desire it. Assuredly, just as we miss the sound of a gentle wind blowing through the trees during a busy day, so we miss and take for granted the peace of God that is all around us. It is as close to us as a breeze brushing across our face. It is as close to us as the present moment, yet we often look for it in the past and future.” (Fr. Joshua Makoul) “Foremost among these fruits is the restorative peac

“The world’s present mood is not conducive to prayer and meditation. Mechanism and speed dominate all departments of our present day civilization. We race through life and we hardly have time to read the signposts and to learn whether or not we are on the right road of life. No wonder that so many lives end in ruin and misery. Even in our leisure we are dominated by action and controlled by schedule and thus can hardly experience total relaxation of body and complete serenity

“God and man then possess in common an uncreated energy and life, the One being the Source, and the other the vessel of grace.” (St. Gregory Palamas) “We know that Jesus emphasized faith. To the woman with the issue of blood whom He healed, He said: “Your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34). To the blind beggar He met on a street in Jericho and also healed, He said: “Your faith has made you well” (Mark 10:52). Jesus tied personal faith in Him to the efficacy of healings. But

“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

“The opposite of autonomy is theonomy. This is the belief that the fulfillment of human existence, while it begins in this world, is nonetheless entirely dependent on grace and communion with God.” (Vigen Guroian) “That communion and participation in the life of the other is possible is one of the single most contradictory challenges to the modern world-view. We are not utterly individual in our existence nor in our experience. We are beings whose lives are best expressed and

“Many years before the Lord took flesh and dwelt among us, the Prophet David perceived the grave danger in wealth, warning, “If riches flow in, set not your hearts thereon” (Ps 61:10). Wherever our heart is fixed – whatever matter delights it, whatever goal is foremost in its yearning – becomes the compass guiding our whole life. As the Lord Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt 6:21). Why, then, does Christ focus on riches in particular? He

“Fear is a powerful enemy of our faith and a strong deterrent to the believer’s peace of mind… Faith in God keeps us from losing hope and helps us resist fear…yet faith needs time to mature…Fear disrupts faith and becomes the biggest obstacle to trusting and obeying God…Sometimes faith is the absence of fear. Other times faith may be choosing to believe God even when your heart is melting with fear…We can overcome fear by trusting God for His protection in our darkest hour.”