-
Forgive Everyone for Everything
Read more: Forgive Everyone for EverythingIn Dostoevsky’s great last work, The Brothers Karamazov, the story is told of Markel, brother of the Elder Zossima. Diagnosed with tuberculosis, he is dying. In those last days he came to a renewed faith in God and a truly profound understanding of forgiveness. In a conversation with his mother she wonders how he can […]
-
Prayers for the Dead
Read more: Prayers for the DeadThe Orthodox pray for the departed. The most pressing prayer within the liturgies appointed for this purpose is for God to forgive their sins. We say, “For no one lives and does not sin, for You only are without sin….” This is easily misunderstood, but it goes to the very heart of the mystery of […]
-
Eating Your Way to Paradise
Read more: Eating Your Way to ParadiseIt is interesting that the story of mankind’s first sin involved eating. We didn’t eat too much, only the wrong thing in the wrong way. But as sins go, it seems rather mundane. Murder is more dramatic (that was a second generation sin). Betrayal makes for a better novel. But there it was – we […]
-
A Particular Brilliance
Read more: A Particular Brilliance“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory […]
-
Wrestling with God
Read more: Wrestling with GodOne of the most interesting stories in the Old Testament is found in Genesis 32. There we hear the story of Jacob wrestling with God. Or is it the story of Jacob wrestling with an angel? Jacob had to face his brother Esau the next day. His anxiety comes through even in that ancient account. […]
-
The Scriptures and the Church
Read more: The Scriptures and the ChurchThe notion of the “Scriptures” has undergone radical changes across the centuries. Today, we picture them as a single book, the Bible. Indeed, we picture that book as private property, perhaps a personal guide for all things spiritual. Even when we hear its words being quoted in public or in Church gatherings, we imagine the […]
-
His Appearing in the Liturgy
Read more: His Appearing in the LiturgyStanding in the Church, listening to the choir or chanter sing while priest censes the icons, words swirl with the rising smoke and connections and associations multiply as words evoke images and images evoke thoughts: participation, coinherence, incarnation, mystery, timeless form and formless time, fullness and emptiness, fulfillment and… And then the thought comes, full-formed […]
-
Theophany – Showing the World to Be the World
Read more: Theophany – Showing the World to Be the WorldI was standing beside the Jordan River, somewhere along its trek through Israel. I was with a group of pilgrims led by Met. Kallistos Ware gathered for the Great Blessing of the Waters. Somehow, it seemed that I was the only priest who had brought an epitrachelion (stole), so I loaned it to the Metropolitan […]
Subscribe to blog via email
Support the work
Your generous support for Glory to God for All Things will help maintain and expand the work of Fr. Stephen. This ministry continues to grow and your help is important. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!
Latest Comments
Sincerely, Dee , I could not be more happy to hear that. 🙂
Owen, As Orthodox Christians, we are taught Christ’s words to the sheep, who asked Christ, “When did we feed you,…
Fr. Stephen, I hear what you’re saying. Maybe it’s also fair to say that no religious tradition is hermetically sealed…
Dee, Thanks for this question. These things are difficult to speak of, so I will attempt to be brief. The…
Read my books
Listen to my podcast
Please Read
Categories
Archives
Thank you so much. This blog is so helpful ad hopeful.