SACRAMENTAL LIVING

Understanding Christianity as a Way of Life

Children and Parents

“This is a strong reason why Christian theology resists and rejects conceptions of childhood that conceive of it as either an ephemeral stage of human existence or that deny its universal status. When we become adults and parents, we do not simply leave behind the office of child like the crab that sheds its first shell for a second and a third. Through the whole of our lives, we naturally continue to relate to our parents as their children. We also find it needful to “rememb

Obedience (and Freedom and Salvation)

“Obedience is not to carry out this or that order that you were given, while you object on the inside. Obedience is to subordinate your soul’s convictions so that you may be freed from your evil self. Obedience is to become a slave in order to become free. Purchase your freedom for a small price…And don’t listen to that thought of yours which advises you.” (Elder Joseph the Hesychast) “Obedience is to subordinate the soul to Christ…but this subordination is offered in full fr

God's Nature/Our Nature

“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

Secularism

“Today’s passage [Genesis 4:16-26] describes the history of Cain and his descendants, whom we might call the first “secularists.” Cain shows us what becomes of human life when it is devoid of any awareness of God. Here we see into the heart of secular man: his existence is entirely organized around the material and psychological dimensions of life, where the passions reign over the spirit…This is secularism: a life devoid of relationship with God…Secularism inevitably leads m

Love and Sin

“The ethic of Limitless Love demands that we should be able to recognize the presence of God in the very sin that the sinner commits…You must not think I mean that God approves of the sin or encourages the sinner. I simply mean that even in an act of sin God is, to a certain extent, present…Everything that happens—the bad act as well as the good—has its roots in the being of God. Only because God gives us our being (or rather lends it to us) are we in existence at the very mo

Spiritual Growth and Maturity

“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.

Personhood

“The Greek word for “faith” is derived from the thought of being persuaded. “The “faith” is the conviction of the truth of sacred things…This term is a noun and does not refer to the verb of trusting in Christ or God’s grace. Nor does it mean personal belief. It is not what is imagined or envisioned. Nor is it a body of doctrine, that is, a set of propositions, of definitions, of treatises about God. It is certain and the common foundation of the truth upon which the life,

Participation

“The modern fascination with its own mind actually alienates us from what is real and true. We perceive knowledge as thinking – the Fathers perceived knowledge as participation. We know things through communion...knowledge of the only true God is far more than intellectual understanding. It is participation in His divine life and in communion with Him…Christ invites us all to participate in Him…Judas too is invited to the table for the mystical supper, Jesus seeking by all me

Faith and Action

“God’s being and actions are one. This is essentially the teaching of the Church on the topic of the Divine Energies… Another simple term for “energies” is “actions” or “doings.” The root of the Greek word simply means “doing.” Indeed, it is most often translated as “deed” or “work.” “Workings” would be another accurate way of rendering “energies.” Understanding this points us towards the heart of the Church’s proclamation. Who God is, and what God does, are not two separate

Friendship

“Christ has come according to the power given Him from the Almighty Father, and has summoned people to friendship, blessing, repentance, and dwelling together…we should regard our fellow Christians—as friends, since each of us has become a friend of Christ. It is perhaps significant that the same Saint John who reported that Christ called the disciples His friends in John 15:15 also used the term to describe Christians [3 John 14]—it is because Christ has made us His friends

Perception

“As Aaron Beck once said, “all emotion is preceded by perception”. This is quote is quite consistent with the ascetical teachings of the church. We would do well to study that simple quote and begin to apply it to our lives. How exactly have we been perceiving all of these events, what meanings have we been assigning to them? What have we felt as a result of these meanings assigned or perceptions?” (Fr. Joshua Makoul) “Early in my career as a high school guidance counselor,

Language

“God speaks to the world largely in symbol and sacrament. The direct assault on reason is rarely effective…The heart is too often on guard and unable to receive what is being given. As such, I think that symbol and sacrament have a way of speaking “laterally” (or some way that I do not have words for) such that the heart hears what the mind (or emotions) reject…Unfortunately, the language of the “heart” (kardia in Greek) has been co-opted in our culture and enlisted in the so

Freedom (through Love and Service)

“We look forward to the time when our family can be reunited, and we can settle into a new, balanced routine. Regardless, there is still a need that must be met. Matushka still has patients, the physically suffering, that must be cared for. I have my own spiritual patients, both in the parish and at my base, who likewise find themselves in need of care. Throughout all of this, it is our hope that our children can learn from this experience, understanding that the needs of oth

Soil

“Let us consider our heart for a moment as a parcel of land we are seeking to cultivate. Concerning hardness of heart, Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos says: “At first the ground may be soft and relatively easy to plow. But as we continue digging, we reach a level full of pebbles. Further down we reach solid rock. It is like sowing on granite. Nothing can penetrate it . . . because of three things: over preoccupation with worldly affairs, focus on physical pleasure, and obsess

Life (Life-Giver)

“ ‘But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’ (John 6:69). “To be givers of life in this world the way Christ was, which was through loving, supporting, healing, ministering, we have to emulate Him which means we have to unite with Him. The Church is the means to do this and then who we are ripples out from the Church walls into the world is our daily choices.” (Sacramental Living Ministries) “‘Most assuredly, I say to you,

Heart (Losing Heart)

“ ‘Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart’ (2 Corinthians 4:1). In the face of numerous onslaughts, challenges to his apostleship, and his responsibility “for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28), Paul still writes, we do not lose heart (see 2 Corinthians 4:16). For he is preoccupied with the glories of the ministry of Christ and the mercy by which it is given to him.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 2 Corinthians 4:1) “When a heav

Genuine

“If God is not a monad but rather a triune community of being whose ecstatic communion brings into existence creatures to love, and if humankind is created in God’s very own image and likeness, then genuine virtue is an unselfish service of love toward others…We are to “owe no one anything except to love one another” (Rom 13:8), for then genuine holiness will flourish among us all.” (Vigen Guroian, Dynamis 11/6/2018) “In the struggle to attain virtue and God’s grace, we often

Suffering (Sharing in Others Suffering)

“The godly suffer, in part, so that having experienced God's comfort they in turn can comfort others. Thus, Paul shows the fallacy in his opponents' idea that Christians should never suffer and should be concerned only with their own salvation.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 2 Corinthians 1:6) “If as the sufferings of Christ abound so also comfort abounds through Christ, let us welcome the great encouragement of Christ’s sufferings and let them abound in us, if we indeed yearn for t

Character and Choices

“God’s glory is the revelation of His character and presence…The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character...The foundation of human knowledge is the character of God as Creator.” (Life Application Study Bible, John 17:10, Hebrews 11:1, James Sire) “Submerged as we are in a society that values fairness over justice, consuming over creating, fame over accomplishment, glamour over character, image over holiness, and entertainment over discernment, we need a blue

Kingdom of God/Heaven

“The things which are highly esteemed among men include money, power, position, and praise…Jesus emphasizes the virtues required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven: humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Luke 16:15, Matthew 18:1-4) “The Lord teaches that we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless we revert to the nature of children, that is, we must recall into the simplicity of children t

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