SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“Christ's Ascension is His enthronement in the fullness of divine authority and glory. Icons of the Ascension represent Christ in such a way that one cannot tell whether He is going to heaven or coming again to earth. This captures the profound truth that we are already living under His reign while awaiting His return. Thus, the icon shows Christ being taken up (Acts 1:9-11), coming again in like manner (v. 11), and yet continually present (Mt 28:20). Believers are not to sta

“Human biological life is a gift from the Creator, not the negative consequence of sin. St Paul’s words about the first Adam becoming a ‘living being’ can be interpreted to mean a ‘biological being.’ Adam was created with a physical, even mortal nature like all other biological creatures, but had the potential to be a spiritual being. But as St. Paul notes, the physical/biological was first. The spiritual nature needed to be developed by humanity, but sin is the roadblock to

Timothy 2:1); yet, note, there is no essential difference between these types of petitions, for both are “prayers,” and both are offered for others in need. Still, considering mankind’s physical, emotional, and spiritual requirements, the range of possible human problems is vast. Hence there is good reason to offer regular intercessions. The Apostle does not limit us, but urges that we pray for whatever needs and afflictions currently are befalling our fellow men.” (Dynamis 9

“Reading the Scriptures, studying the church fathers, attending worship, praying, and meditating are all good and godly things. But they are not ends in themselves. When we engage in these holy activities, our sincere and fervent goal should be to encounter the Lord Jesus Christ. We may be the most informed and even enthusiastic students of the Word. We may be devoted to the teachings of the church. We may excel in Christianity as Paul excelled in Judaism. But all that we thi

“Seth was begotten from Adam and Eve. This threefold relationship illustrates, to a certain extent, the Holy Trinity. Adam had no human father. He was begotten by no one. Thus, he was unbegotten. Seth was begotten from Adam. Eve was neither unbegotten nor begotten. Instead she proceeded from Adam (Genesis 2:21). Therefore, Eve and Seth were related to the unbegotten Adam, but each in a unique manner—Eve proceeded from Adam, but Seth was begotten from him. Each person had his

“The Church’s tradition of fasting exists to restore balance between body and soul, between penitence and rejoicing, between us and the world around us…When the body is humbled, our thoughts become more peaceful, too. This is the purpose of fasting.” (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou, Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica) “Withdrawing from earthly things whets our spiritual appetite for Christ’s heavenly gifts…fasting never devalues earthly things, but in a spirit of gratitude re

“Christ accepts death on the Cross neither to receive the Father's punishment on our behalf, nor to satisfy the Father's need for blood-justice (as if God would demand such things), but so that by entering death as the divine Son of God, He can destroy this last enemy, which is death itself." (Orthodox Study Bible, Matthew 27:50) “Christ, crucified and risen, is our Paschal lamb, our Passover. United to Him in baptism, our life becomes an unending deliverance from evil…Evil i

“When Barnabas and Paul are mistaken as gods by the gentiles in Lystra because Paul healed a crippled man, they remind these gentiles of a simple truth: ‘He [God] did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness’ (Acts 14:17). Paul wrote something similar in Romans 1:20: ‘For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the thin

“Since the dawn of time, resistance to God has been the hallmark of the human race – the great problem plaguing every man and woman.” (OCPM 5/24/2017) “Every human being struggles with immorality, because at our core is our heart’s rebellion against God.” (David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons) “The rebellion of the world against God reveals several things…While union with Christ brings love, truth, and peace, it also brings persecution, because the world hates love and truth..." (Orth

“Our human origins and our destiny were restored and modeled by Jesus Christ in moments such as His Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor. But it was in His post-Resurrectional appearance to St. Thomas and the other Apostles in the Upper Room that Jesus Christ provides the most dramatic witness of all.” (Father Thomas Loya) “Christ, in turn, spoke to the disciples about His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem, and Peter rebuked Him! The great scandal is always the sc