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What We Shall Be
Read more: What We Shall BeThe city that I live in was founded in 1943 for the purpose of building an atom bomb. Various movies have shared Hollywood’s moral opinions on that endeavor, none of which are very surprising. When I moved here in 1989, I met a good number of the “Class of ’43,” people who were here during […]
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Whose Psyche Is It, Anyway?
Read more: Whose Psyche Is It, Anyway?When we discuss our psychological state, what are we talking about. Better yet, who are we talking about? What is the identity of the guy in my head? Generally, such questions are not asked. They can become important in certain dissociative disorders. If I have two guys in my head, there is clearly an issue. […]
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The Tears of Our Fathers
Read more: The Tears of Our FathersThe first time I saw my father cry was a day of deep tragedy. An aunt, my mother’s oldest sister, had been brutally murdered by a stranger who came into her office off the street. It made no sense. I was nine years old. I opened the door to my father’s bedroom and saw him […]
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The End of the Modern World
Read more: The End of the Modern World“Welcome to the 21st Century!” Pick your issue, and if its outcome conforms to a popular, desired norm you are likely to hear such a greeting. The greeting also implies that a less than desirable outcome is wrong because it doesn’t belong to our time. It might be characterized as “medieval,” “outmoded,” “out-of-date,” “primitive,” “Neanderthal,” […]
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Beyond Death’s Door
Read more: Beyond Death’s Door“Grandpa, will you die?” The quiet spoken question from the backseat of my car came from my then four-year-old grandson. I knew it was an important moment. “Yes, I will. Everyone grows old and dies.” I added, “But then I will be with Jesus in heaven and I will pray for you all the time.” […]
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Begotten of the Father
Read more: Begotten of the FatherNo revelation is more central to the Christian faith than God as Father. Some might immediately respond that the Trinity should be seen as the central revelation. But, in Orthodox understanding, the Trinity has its source (πηγή) in the Father. We should understand this not only as a matter of Trinitarian thought, but as the […]
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Like A Refugee
Read more: Like A RefugeeIt was June 13, 1940. A young Vladimir Lossky (later to be author of The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church) was making his way on foot with the crowds from Paris who were fleeing from a victorious, invading German army. The invasion was sudden, surprising, and completely overwhelming in its success. The entire operation took no […]
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An Audience of None
Read more: An Audience of NoneIn the 1980’s sci-fi comedy, Short Circuit, a charming military robot character, “Number 5,” is awakened into consciousness by a lightning strike. He fears going back to his military keepers where he will be re-programmed. And so, with help from human friends, he begins his touching effort to stay free. His famous line, repeated often, […]
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The Way of Shame and the Way of Thanksgiving
Read more: The Way of Shame and the Way of ThanksgivingThe language of “self-emptying” can have a sort of Buddhist ring. It sounds as we are referencing a move towards becoming a vessel without content – the non-self. Given our multicultural world, such a reference is understandable. It is, however, unfortunate and requires that we visit the true nature of Christian self-emptying. Our self-emptying is […]
Asceticism, Atonement, Knowledge of God, Mystical Theology, Reflections, Thankfulness, Union with God
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Life as a Fractal
Read more: Life as a FractalI have found the term “fractal” to be increasingly useful. Rather than thinking of one thing as a “copy” of another, I see the similarities that are, nevertheless, unique. I have three adult daughters, all of whom resemble their mother (and each other) with each them still being quite unique. Interestingly, I did not recognize […]
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As someone whose worldly memory is getting spotty, I am deeply grateful that Jesus’ memory of me seems stronger than…
Justin, Yes, we say the pre-communion prayer in our Greek Orthodox parish as well.
I am grateful to be remembered.
Matthew, Also, we recite it at the last of the Pre-Communion Prayers: Receive me today, O Son of God, as…
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Michael, et al What a terrible and insignificant thing it would be if what we carried into eternity were nothing…