SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“When one receives grace, there is then need for the greatest prudence and discernment. God gives these to the person that asks Him for them so that He may serve God in the Spirit Whom he receives, and also that he may not be conquered by evil and be deceived, led astray through ignorance, presumption, and carelessness by acting against all that the Lord wills.” (St. Macarius the Great) “The hard part of the Christian journey comes after we receive grace that opens our hearts

“Reading scripture is a fortification of the spirit… We have a continuous need for the full armor of the Scriptures…Grounding in Scripture will always draw God’s servant closer to Him.” (St. Isaac the Syrian, St. John Chrysostom, Dynamis 5/27/2015) “And when we are under attack—tempted to sin, or to be discouraged, or to just give up altogether—it is then that we must wrestle the words and promises of the Bible into the center of our being; to “let the message of Christ dwell

“Mark 6:7-13, especially vs. 7: “And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.” Let us take note of the nature and scope of this verse’s message, for it is issued to all the faithful. The Lord calls us, His disciples, to Himself. He sends us out in teams…” (OCPM 9/13/2017) “Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, many climbers have attempted to scale its deadly s

“Have you ever gotten out of your fitness routine – skipped a workout or two and ate some junk food you don’t normally eat. Before you know it, the wrong habits start flirting with becoming habitual and you gain some pounds and find it harder to motivate. Faith and doubt can operate similarly. Doubts can creep in when you get out of our prayer and liturgical routine. We miss a few Sunday’s at church, we get lazy with daily prayers, we lighten up on fasting, etc., and before w

“The unity of the Body of Christ is organic. The Lord Jesus declares that “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (M. 25:40). God cares for “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). “Freely you have received, freely give” (Mt. 10:8)...the whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts—that we are His fingers and muscles, the cells of His body.” (Dynamis 7/13/2019, C. S. Lewis) “The class

“If we cultivate responsiveness to God’s presence, develop the habit of asking and waiting on God, divine management can be the characteristic of our lives….Searching out God’s will demands alertness of spirit. Let us set aside the belief that we are in charge...When we place the details of our lives in Christ’s hands, seeking His will and accepting our Lord as the Governor of our life’s path, we will discover the joy of having an infallible Guide manage our choices at every

“The term world is used in several distinct ways in Scripture. In some cases, it refers to all that is glorious, beautiful, and redeemable in God's creation (John 3:16). Other times, it refers to that which is finite in contrast to that which is eternal (John 11:9; John 18:36). In still other instances…it indicates all that is in rebellion against God (see also John 8:23).” (Orthodox Study Bible, John 15:18-25) “A Christian is one who, wherever he looks, finds Christ and rejo