SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“…the entire purpose of Great Lent is repentance, which is cleaning up our Christian life, and our church communities so that people will want to come and see more of Christ based on our witness of Him.” (Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis) “In the coming fast we have the opportunity to awaken our hearts and minds to Christ, who calls us to undertake the regimen of fasting. However, He does not wish us to abstain in narrow, slavish obedience to a set of rules concerning the intake

“Righteous anger is a natural human emotion experienced in the face of sin. While there is anger that is certainly sinful (Mt 5:22), there is also anger that is God-given and proper to humanity (Ps 4:4). Christ's anger here [Mark 3:1-6] is in response to people professing God, yet having such hardness in their hearts that they could not rejoice in the healing of one of their brothers.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Mark 3:5) “The Fathers teach that anger in and of itself is not a si

“Virtue may be defined as the conscious union of human weakness with divine strength’...To explain, Maximus says that if we rely on our own capability as if our natural powers are our strength, we confuse our human works with virtue. On the other hand, if  we “do not make an effort” to receive divine help and “transcend human weakness” with the power of God, we will fall short of virtue.” (St. Maximus the Confessor, Fr. Basil) “God who alone judges the great events of history

“This unique reality that constitutes our true self, is, in its most foundational aspect, a gift. We never “create ourselves”…We are not the makers of our own reality. There is such a wonderful liberation in this when we begin to truly understand it. We do not bring ourselves into existence, nor do we form and create our world. Our present reality is not the result of some chain of decisions and consequences. Such naive reductionism (often posited by many religious people) si

“There is a relationship between sin and death. Sin causes death, and the fear of death leads one to sin and thus to bondage, Christ sets us free from this bondage of sin and death.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Hebrews 2:15) “There are myriad things that can keep us in bondage but three are particularly strong and weapons of the strong man (Matthew 12:43-45) that we buy into all too readily. They are be self-deception, being unteachable, and control… The strong man is the devil wh

“The Lord Himself said: “Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father also is merciful” [Luke 6: 36]. He did not say: “Fast as your heavenly Father fasts,” neither did He say: “Give away your possessions as your heavenly Father is without possessions”; but he did say: “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.” This is because this virtue—above all—emulates God and is a characteristic of Him…God’s judgment is based in mercy…” (Orthodox Study Bible, Romans 9:22-24, Abba Do

“We often lose hope in the face of worldly troubles. However, it is precisely while on such tough journeys that God calls us to move forward confidently…Faith is a principle of questioning and struggle before it becomes a principle of certitude and peace…our faith journey is a movement from seeing our faith as an “interesting uncertainty” to an “incomprehensible certainty.” (Dynamis 9/7/13, Thomas Merton, Gerald Manly Hopkins) “To step out brings us nearer God and to true joy

“The Apostle James is intensely concerned with the vice of partiality (see James 2 verses 1, 4, and 9). But what, exactly, is this partiality he warns against? The New Testament Greek word translated into English as partiality is formed from the word lambano – “to take in hand,” “receive,” or “recognize” – combined with the word prosopon, which means “person.” According to Metropolitan John Zizioulas, in Greek culture prosopon came “to be identified . . . quickly with the mas

“Hardship need not break us. It can build, refine and reveal. That is the work of providence, God’s good will working in us a glory that is abundantly above all we could ask or think.” (Father Stephen Freeman) “The power of God is always present to help aid those who have to bear any hardship for the sake of religion, to lighten their labors, and to strengthen their ardor.” (Eusebius of Caesarea) “…we should also recognize that the act and attitude of thanksgiving is also rel

“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 for God’s will demands being alert in spirit….Let us be humble, set aside the belief that we are in charge and embrace humility. If we will place the details of our lives in Christ’s hands, choose to seek His will in all things, and accept our Lord as the Governor of the details of life, we will discover the joy