Spiritual Growth and Maturity
“…this is how the path of religious life begins. As the holy fathers write, the soul passes through three stages: slave, hireling, and son. The stage of the slave—a person does not yet love God, but fears hell. He keeps the commandments because he has been horrified by the description of fiery gehenna. This is faith expressing the religious instinct of self-preservation. The stage of the hireling—a person already hopes for reward. He fasts in order to receive the Kingdom of H
Joy and Sorrow/Joy and Sadness
“Today we continue to celebrate the most fundamental and joyful proclamation of our faith: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life! He is our Pascha, our Passover, from death to life, for Hades and the grave could not contain the God-Man Who shares with us His victory over corruption and decay in all their forms. In a world enslaved to the fear of the grave, He has illumined even the dark night of the tomb with
Busyness
“The waves of change in our society threaten to make our sea legs wobble as we are buffeted from all sides with moral chaos, antisocial...
Money
“God needs a place in our hearts, to grab a hold of something in a man’s soul. Then the man can be helped. But if his heart and soul are...
Goals (of the Life in Christ)
“…the goal of the Christian life is the acquisition of love for God and others. The Lord Himself speaks of only two commandments, upon...
Happiness
“Happiness is the state of a calm, joyful, and cheerful soul, and only a man with a clear conscience can experience it. If a man’s heart...