SACRAMENTAL LIVING

Understanding Christianity as a Way of Life

Tranquility

“There is just too much “noise” at practically any venue one chooses to attend or visit…Are we, in turn, in danger of inevitably fearing silence? Or will silence be experienced as a lack of something—anything—to keep us distracted?...we live in an age of constant activity, gratification of the senses, uncontrolled imagination and speculations that wear people out. They are searching for inner stillness—hesychia—from the world of the senses and imagination, but also the theolo

Peace

“The peace of God is a beautiful thing; it is there for each of us if we desire it. Assuredly, just as we miss the sound of a gentle wind blowing through the trees during a busy day, so we miss and take for granted the peace of God that is all around us. It is as close to us as a breeze brushing across our face. It is as close to us as the present moment, yet we often look for it in the past and future.” (Fr. Joshua Makoul) “Foremost among these fruits is the restorative peac

Persistence and Patience

“ ‘I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs’ [Luke 11:8]. When a disciple asks Jesus to teach his followers to pray, the Lord offers a two-part answer. He first provides us with a model prayer (Luke 11:2-4). Then He offers two instructive parables with comments (Luke 11: 5-13) urging us to persist in prayer.” (Dynamis 10/27/2020) “Do not grieve if you do not at

Giving and Receiving

“ ‘So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7). Paul’s purpose was not only for money to be contributed to the poor but for it to be contributed with great eagerness. Likewise, God appointed almsgiving not only for the nourishment of the needy but also for the benefit of the providers, and much more so for the latter than for the former. For if he considered only the interest of the poor

Anxiety

“We move through each day, trying to engage our life by the completion of tasks and tending to responsibilities. As each day passes, we tend to accumulate emotions that pile up because we are too busy to stop and process what’s going in the deep recesses of our heart. Layer upon layer of daily tasks and responsibilities cover over the deeper places within us, such as the “nous”; the seat of the heart or soul. Eventually this catches up with us. As a result of this, we might f

Spiritual Warfare and Thought

“Even if we do not constantly struggle against “murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 12:19), all of us have evil thoughts! We are all defiled before God…We must earnestly address the impurity in our heart, that secret defilement which spawns both evil thoughts and actions. The impure heart is the greatest barrier between ourselves and God, for it separates us from Him who alone is able to restore in us the power to do good.” (Dynamis

Approachable

“The Word became flesh; that is, the Son of God, co-eternal with God the Father and with the Holy Spirit, became human – having become incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. O, wondrous, awesome and salvific mystery! The One Who had no beginning took on a beginning according to humanity; the One without flesh assumed flesh. God became man – without ceasing to be God. The Unapproachable One became approachable to all, in the aspect of an humble servant.” (St. John o

Ritual

“At the tower of Babel, a ziggurat temple, the world’s people sought to bring God down and make Him take up residence in the tower where they could ritually control and manipulate Him.” (Father Stephen De Young) “Enforced prayer produces only hypocrisy, makes man listless even in the fulfillment of his duties, a slave to ritual, leading to Pharisaism and an insincere offering to God of an established rule.” (St. John of Kronstadt) “Love and Liturgy must not and cannot be sepa

Bible/Scripture

“The Holy Bible (or Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments) is the most authoritative part of the Sacred Tradition of the Church. As with today's laws that govern the life of our modern society, these laws are the product of the life of the community; however, once produced, they are placed above and regulate this life. So it is with the Holy Scripture: once established by the Christian community, led by the Holy Spirit of God, then Scripture is placed above and regulates the

Heart and Mind

“When people deny God or ignore Him they become vain in their reasoning and their senseless minds are darkened…From sinful arrogance there follows the inversion of truth. As Isaiah declares, men “call evil good, and good evil [and] put darkness for light and light for darkness [and] put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (vs. 20). The prophet describes what the Apostle Paul calls the debased mind (Rom 1:28). When we flaunt God and choose not to “glorify Him as God, nor [

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