Joy and Sorrow/Joy and Sadness
“Our modernity thirsts for fun and is quite refined at coming up with ways to amuse ourselves. But having fun doesn’t mean having joy. Fun is often just the feverish fluttering of the wings of a soul stricken by despair. Joy lives by the invincible certainty that its object can never be forcibly taken away—not today, not tomorrow, never. Modernity has lost faith in the very possibility of such joy. Thus, we must remind it all the more insistently that such joy is possible in
Words/Speech
“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
Seeking/Searching
“ We would like to think that gaining spiritual understanding comes from the sudden unveiling of a revelation, a quick flash of insight....
Calling from Christ
“As we look to the scriptures, with the crucified and exalted Christ as our starting point, we can, only now, recognize that the world...
God's Will vs Self Will
“…sin lies in the direction of the will…A person sins when he looks upon his life as if it belonged only to him…It is necessary for...
Individualism (Modern Notions)
“By offering our time and energy to attend to the mundane matters necessary for the wellbeing of the Church, we grow in love for Him in...
God's Presence
“I truly felt the presence of God, and this feeling was reflected in my love for going to church… And I didn’t have this religious life...
Weakness
“The second active character in this event [Matthew 26:6-16] is the sinful woman, whom the Church’s tradition and hymns tell us had...
Lent
“The first evidence of Great Lent is found in the Paschal Letter 2 of Athanasius the Great (297- 372), Patriarch of Alexandria, dated to...
Heart (Change of)
“...mere outward confession of sin is not what God desires, but an inward change of heart.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 Kingdoms 15:24-26)...