SACRAMENTAL LIVING

Understanding Christianity as a Way of Life

Circumstances

“When Esau and Jacob were born, Scripture records that the younger son, Jacob, follows so quickly that he grasps onto the heel of his older brother. His name, Jacob, means “heel holder” …Idiomatically, Jacob may also mean “supplanter,” as Esau bitterly notes when his birthright is stolen by Jacob’s deception…However, God changes deceivers and manipulators into devout servants. Saul, the persecutor and self-proclaimed “chief of sinners,” becomes the Apostle Paul; Simon, who de

Fasting

“The Church’s tradition of fasting exists to restore balance between body and soul, between penitence and rejoicing, between us and the world around us…When the body is humbled, our thoughts become more peaceful, too. This is the purpose of fasting.” (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou, Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica) “Withdrawing from earthly things whets our spiritual appetite for Christ’s heavenly gifts…fasting never devalues earthly things, but in a spirit of gratitude re

Peace

“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

Obedience

“Often in the Scriptures the word know means not just being aware of something but having personal experience of it. Jesus did not know sin, not because He was unaware of what it is but because He never committed it himself. For although He is like us in every other way, He never sinned. Given this meaning of the word know, it is clear that anyone who says that He knows God must also keep his commandments, for the two things go together.” (Didymus the Blind) “We can be said t

Fear

“…fear can lead to aggression: “Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” (Robert J. Wicks) “The temptation to dispense a rough “justice” against some individual or group flares up whenever we lose our focus on our common humanity and succumb to fear…Fear of men, with their finite power and unproven opinions, always rises from the wellspring of atheism. Those who fear men do not see the hand o

Meekness

“We tend to think of meekness as a personality trait. When we hear the word meek, we usually think of someone softly spoken, easily pushed around, someone who never raises his voice, maybe even someone who is weak. But meekness is not the same as weakness, nor is it a particular kind of personality; it is a virtue...” (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou) “It [meekness] is an inner grace of the soul that accepts the will of God without complaint or resistance. Yet, those wh

Stewardship and Serving

“The steward of God actively practices virtue and lives quietly and devoutly as God instructs him through holy tradition. By following these basic guidelines, the “friend of God” becomes a servant who controls the passions of anger and self-indulgence. Such a person draws strength from God, especially from the sacrament of holy communion, and has a genuine desire to make God-pleasing decisions at work, at home, and with everyone he meets. “Your will be done on earth as it is

Word and words

“God and His Word are one. To trust in God is to trust in what He has spoken. Faith is based on God's word. Christ dwells in the heart of the believer to the extent His word indwells in him. The apostle Paul exhorts the believer to seek God's word as the possession of the heart. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Col. 3: 16). Christ abides in us when His word indwells the heart, because the word releases the presence of Christ. The spoken word is the extension of t

Fame

"We live in an age where self- promotion, competition, wealth, and fame are considered good. For some, these things constitute the very goal of life." (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou) “In the modern world, a man is thought to be successful in terms of his objective accomplishments. If he has acquired wealth, fame, power, or privilege, he is considered accomplished and worthy of emulation…But in the Gospel of Christ, we are reminded that God’s judgments are quite differ

Comparisons

“We must avoid at all costs competitive comparisons of each other's deeds…To be judgmental is to point out something that is wrong in someone else’s life, making the person feel put down, excluded, and marginalized...Being judgmental is fueled by self-righteousness, the misguided inner motivation to make our own life look better by comparing it to the lives of others.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Galatians 5:13-15, David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons) “Pride gets no pleasure out of having

1

2 3 4 5

Categories

Archive

Search By Tags

No tags yet.