SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“The adversary sows his half-truths in any of us who are willing to listen.” (Dynamis 1/9/2021) “Truth or Consequences was an old humorous TV game show that originated in 1940 and ran in various versions off and on until the late 1980s. But Truth or consequences in reality is more serious than a game show and much bigger than a city. It’s a condition of life. Christ is the truth and choosing anything less than Him to include half-truths and lies opens us up to the consequence

“We live in a world where actions and choices have consequences. That is what it means to be human. Those saying that the cost of living in a world where such consequences are possible is too high a cost are really asking to live in a non-human world, a world of machines running on programs or animals running on instinct. But God made a world for men and women to live in, a world of consequences, a world full of invitations to joy.” (Fr. Lawrence Farley) “Since God will not a

“We complicate our lives terribly by our thoughts and desires…the fact that we have desires is not the problem; our problem is that our desires have become twisted out of shape and need fixing…The more we have struggled to take even small steps toward the healing of our souls, the more our disordered desires and spiritual maladies have reared their ugly heads.” (Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, Fr. Lawrence Farley, Fr. Philip LeMasters) “…we are what we want. Our wants and longin

“The ritual life of Israel and later Judah was aimed entirely at maintaining the purity of sacred space so that Yahweh, the holy God could dwell there and of the people so that they could draw near to him. It served, from Moses to Christ, as a sin management system for the people of God to allow for repentance and restoration. It did this until Christ, through his incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement made us sons of God just as Abraham had been promis

“During this season of mask-wearing, we have become weary of a “faceless” existence. I can think of nothing that is more de-personalizing that the hiding of our face. I respect the science (and certainly would not want a surgeon operating on me without a mask). But I lament our common experience even as I pray for this time to pass. I also think, however, of how many masks we have all worn in our lives. We find many ways to hide our face – our true face.” (Father Stephen Free

“Those who are afflicted in various ways because of Christ and who persevere to the end have their faith tested and proved. They ought therefore to rejoice, even if some of their labor appears to be involuntary. Peter calls this kind of labor grief, a word which he uses in one of the two meanings described by the apostle Paul, who said [in 2Co 7:10] that there is one grief which leads to death and another which leads to repentance…There is no greater witness to the love of Go

“Coming to terms with and making peace with our own powerlessness is the main aspect of letting go of control. In essence, we redefine powerlessness; rather than seeing it as a threat, we see it as the waiting room where we have our encounters with God and His providence…Eventually we reach a point where we see that the space of our own powerlessness is precisely the space where God acts, where He surprises us. It is here that we most clearly see God’s providence and activity

“Integrity is all about integration, as opposed to fragmentation and disintegration. A complete human being, one well pleasing to God, is someone who has godly integration within. His or her thoughts and actions, in response to the grace of the Holy Spirit, operate with unison and obedience to God’s will. This is why sinful behavior is so deadly to our souls and bodies over time. It creates fragmentation within. In worst cases, it causes such depravity that a person is almost

“Our society values self-reliance. We teach that maturity means that we no longer depend on others for direction or support. When we are fully grown, we should take our own path in life. However, our reading of Proverbs 3:1-18 teaches us the opposite. The wise teacher of Proverbs says, “Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight (OAB vs. 5).” (Fr. Basil) “Spiritual “maturity” is something quite different from biological or psychological maturity.

“ ‘So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God’ [James 1:19-20]. The wrath of man is unjust, ungracious, and severe. It proceeds from uncontrolled anger, not from God's judgment….Because a diseased mind has no control over its own judgment, it thinks that whatever anger suggests must be right….For us to discern the righteousness of God requires patience, graciousness