SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“The word used in the Beatitudes is, rather, ‘makarios‘. This Greek term had a long pre-Biblical history. It refers not to a relationship between things but to a state of being marked by happiness or bliss… Recognizing this term is important to understand the argument of St. James’ epistle. He states that the one who hears the Torah and truly keeps it will be blessed (makarios) in all that he does (Jam 1:25). He is not here claiming that if one keeps the commandments perfectl

“Some of us live in the past, our lives driven by memories of some powerful experience, defining event, or former relationship. Past-oriented people mix their present choices and relationships with a reality that no longer exists. They steer through life following the dictates of something or someone gone by. Perhaps we become fearful victims of childhood trauma, or cynical and bitter after a betrayal, or simply dwell in memories of better times. When we choose to inhabit suc

“ ‘Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them’ (Matthew 11:2-6)…Belief in God and Church attendance are highest among the poor and lowest among the wealthy. Apparently, Jesus is still preaching to the poor.” (Father Stephen Freeman) “In taking upon Himself our shared human nature, Christ con

“Christians are able to face any and every event with confidence in what the Lords intends. Our Lord puts into words His pure gift of revelation that He addresses to all such queries: “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father” (vs. 22). We know God’s ultimate conclusion: “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev 22:3). God is in charge during every upheaval in our lives. Whatever ha

“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

"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

“When our Lord reads Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2), He declares its prophecy fulfilled: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, / Because He has anointed Me” (vs. 18). In other words, salvation has arrived, the year of the Lord’s favor (vs. 19). This fulfillment includes the preaching of good news to the destitute. This “good news” defines the nature of the salvation Christ brings to the world: a deliverance achieved in and through His Person and extended to the entire world through the

“When our Lord Jesus Christ, during His teaching ministry, taught us the true Wisdom of God, he turned much of the wisdom of the world upon its head…The Apostle Paul distinguish between two kinds of wisdom: “the wisdom of this world” and “the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:20-21). He declares Christ to be the Wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24), for those who are united to Him receive true wisdom, while those who resist Him are self-condemned (Jn 3:18).” (Father Stephen De Young, Dynamis 7/8

“ ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord’ (Romans 12:19). Vengeance is perfect and righteous judgment, which only God is capable of carrying out.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Romans 12:19-21) “For the faithful, there are no grounds for seeking revenge and taking the law into one’s own hands. Rather, Christ our God reveals the more perfect approach of the Kingdom of Heaven: non-resistance to evil. We are to turn the other cheek, surrendering our goods, and go the extra mi

“St. Paul is clear that salvation, eternal life which comes as the reward given by our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ on the great day of his coming again as well as all of the fruits of the Spirit in this life, come to us through faithfulness (Eph 2:8-9). We do not receive these things by doing generally more good things than bad things. We do not receive these things by checking off a list of do’s and don’ts with regard to outward observance. We do not receive these t