SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“It is so tempting to identify the way of the Lord with whatever or whomever we happen to admire, but that usually serves only as a distraction from the repentance necessary to acquire the purity of heart to which He calls us. Whenever we invoke Christ to reinforce our preconceived notions, regardless of how moral or justified we think our goals may be, we risk becoming guilty of the idolatry of trying to use God to get what we want in this world on our own terms. Those who o

“Prove yourself a god to the unfortunate by imitating the mercy of God. There is nothing so godly in human beings as to do good works…When you have done something good, remember [Christ’s] words, “without me you can do nothing” [John 15:5].” (St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Mark the Hermit) “The branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains connected to the vine [John 15:4] , from which its life and sustenance flows. As far as the disciples were concerned, they would p

“For it is God Who acted in both an unexpected and also shatteringly decisive way by transforming the tomb into a womb from which emerges new and everlasting life.” (Fr. Stephen Kostoff) “Should I not rather say that the tomb itself is a womb? There is, in fact, a great similarity. Just as the Lord came out from his mother’s womb living, so also He rose living from Joseph’s tomb. Just as He was born from the womb in order to preach, so also now He has been reborn from the tom

“Peter is so overcome with fear that neither Christ's prediction (Luke 22:34) nor the crowing of the rooster calls him to repentance, but only the Lord's gaze causes him to weep bitterly …When Peter went out and wept bitterly it shows he really did not want to fail here and was deeply grieved that he had…Nevertheless, “through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Luke 22:6-

“In this passage [Luke 20:20-26] Jesus points to the image (Grk εἰκών, eikōn) of Caesar on the coin. This same Greek word is used in Gen 1:26 (LXX) to state that humanity is made in the “image” of God. Jesus is making a subtle yet powerful contrast: Caesar’s image is on the denarius, so he can lay claim to money through taxation, but God’s image is on humanity, so He can lay claim to each individual life.” (NET Bible, Luke 20:24) “This, by the way, is a key piece of what it m

“Isn’t it strange how much easier it is to thank God when you have almost nothing, than it is when you have much more than you need? I have noticed this in myself. I am very thankful to God when I have a little bread (when I might not have any), but when I have bread going moldy because I have so many other things to eat, I forget to give thanks. When we have abundance, we have to force ourselves give thanks, otherwise we won’t.” (Fr. Michael Gillis) “I have realized that the

“The Greek word rendered “jealous” is the origin of the English word “zeal.” It means “jealous,” but also means “to strive after,” “eagerness,” and “admiration…Christians are (1) called to follow Christ with enthusiasm and zeal (Acts 18:25; Rom 12:10, 11) and (2) warned against misguided enthusiasm, a zeal “not according to knowledge” (Rom 10:2).” (Orthodox Study Bible, Zechariah 1:14-15, Glossary) “Love does not preclude a zeal for the beloved or a protective, positive, prop

“…the Church is justified as being greater than the Law, for the Law does not know the forgiveness of sins, nor the mystery in which secret sins are cleansed; therefore, what is lacking in the Law is perfected in the Gospel…Who could declare things that were above the Law, except the One who ordained the Law?” (St. Ambrose of Milan, St. Cyril of Alexandria) “Blame cannot be placed with God for our failure to understand. Even in our legal tradition, the principle of ignorantia

“…I begin my day with prayer and some beneficial reading, opening my heart to the divine energies of the Holy Spirit. This is a sort of re-charging of my heart in the morning, which helps it stay on course.” (Sr. Dr. Vassa Larin) “The heart, the seat of a person’s will and emotions, is the place where spiritual renewal begins. There God plants love and patience, traits that will produce a harvest of good works.” (Foundation Study Bible, 2 Thessalonians 3:5) “Christ actually r