SACRAMENTAL LIVING

Understanding Christianity as a Way of Life

Asceticism

“Asceticism does not consist of prohibitions. Asceticism is activity, a working out, a perfection of oneself . . . inspired by the task of inspiration…When you have no theology of asceticism because you believe you’ve got salvation wrapped up, then cultivating virtue has no incentive. All that’s left is activism and activities.” (Father Georges Florovsky, Father Andrew Stephen Damick) “In the first stage a man turns from darkness to light, from the domain of Satan to God; in

Thoughts and Feelings

“This thinking mind that “whirls about” is constantly concerned with thoughts, concepts, and images, and we obviously need this dimension of mind to meet the demands of the day, to think, to reflect on and enjoy life. But the thinking mind has a professional hazard. If it is not engaged in its primary task of reason, given half a chance it fizzes and boils with obsessive thoughts and feelings…Our normal response to an afflictive thought-feeling is to pounce on it with a comme

Giving and Receiving

“ ‘So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7). Paul’s purpose was not only for money to be contributed to the poor but for it to be contributed with great eagerness. Likewise, God appointed almsgiving not only for the nourishment of the needy but also for the benefit of the providers, and much more so for the latter than for the former. For if he considered only the interest of the poor

Respond/Responding

“ ‘And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure’ (1 Corinthians 4:12). The apostles have endured all kinds of humiliation, being treated as filth, and instead of fighting back have responded with love toward their persecutors—all for the joy of serving Christ and reconciling the world to God.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 Corinthians 4:12-13) “As we plot our strategies, here is St Paul reminding us that we who are apostles – we wh

Prune/Pruning

“Life in Christ is never a bed of roses. He promised pruning. But if we respond to the Gardener’s tending as fruitful branches, yielding the sweet wine of virtue, we have the joy of knowing that He chose and appointed us to go and bear fruit—in good times, in bad times, and in eternity…The most fruitful and the most joy-filled Christians are the most pruned Christians." (Fr. Mark Sietsema, Bruce Wilkinson) “Jesus makes a distinction between two kinds of pruning: (1) cutting o

Alive (Fully)

“..the glory of God is man fully alive, the glory of God is the human person fully alive, living in loving relationships in harmony with nature and under God.” (Father John Zeyack) “…unless we are creators, we are not fully alive…Creativity is a way of living life, no matter what our vocation or how we earn our living. Creativity is not limited to the arts or having some kind of important career.” (Madeleine L'Engle) “Another of our saints, who lived quite early on in the

Coronavirus

“No matter what challenges we face, including sickness and death and inconvenience, we may use them as points of entry into the blessedness of His Kingdom. Our present situation provides many opportunities to deny ourselves out of concern for protecting the health of our vulnerable neighbors. It calls us to die to our addiction to pleasure and self-interest for the sake of others. It reminds us that saving our lives in this world is an impossible goal, for the common ravages

Panic

“…it is easy to forget the sober truth of God’s eternal love and care for us. But history shows we humans have faced epidemics and pandemics before. Each time panic has only worsened the situation. History also shows that we Christians were never ones to lose our peace during times like these. The spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire was partially due to how Christians ministered to the poor and dying during disease outbreaks in the Empire. We Christians were seen takin

Thoughts (Battling Them)

“It is impossible to stop our mind, which is ever-moving, from having thoughts, although it is within our power to feed it either with spiritual meditation or with worldly concerns.” (St. Moses the Ethiopian) “Without such quietude, which the Fathers call hesychia, we do not even realize how dominated we are by our thoughts. With it, we at last are given eyes to see how they flood through us and out of us with such abandon…Who sits in solitude and is quiet hath escaped from t

Refine/Refining/Refinement

“It is by coming to know Christ that we understand what our purpose is as human persons made in the image of God. It is by coming to know Christ that we come to understand how our life, even the sufferings and hardships of this life in this world, help to refine us and bring us closer to perfection as the person we were created to be. It is by coming to know Christ that we come to know who God is, and therefore who we are in relationship to Him. Our sinful passions are not pa

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