Category: Orthodox Christianity
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The Sacrament of Mercy
There are many things that Christians think about that have been spiritualized out of existence. Our secular culture tends to grant two kinds of realities: the first is the reality of solid objects – or things we treat as solid objects. The second is the reality of thought and imagination. Of course, we do not…
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The Audacity of Mercy – St. Isaac the Syrian
St. Isaac stretches love and mercy to it’s farthest limits, occasionally beyond the bounds of canonical understanding. He remains a saint of the Church and his words are very important to hear. +++ Let yourself be persecuted, but do not persecute others. Be crucified, but do not crucify others. Be slandered, but do not slander…
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One-Storey Universe on Kindle
For those who own an Amazon Kindle (I got one for Christmas), my book, Everywhere Present: Christianity in a One-Storey Universe is now available. The price is discounted when compared to the paperback. Conciliar Press, its publisher, is increasing the number of titles available in Kindle format. I welcome this new means of sharing my…
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The Strength We Find in Weakness
Abba Poemen believed that the only time you could observe a person’s true character was when that person was tempted. From the Sayings of the Desert Fathers +++ There is obvious wisdom in the saying about Abba Poemen: it is not our strengths that best define us, but our weaknesses. In our culture, where virtual…
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Where the Gospel Begins
Where does the Gospel begin – how do we tell the story of Christ? This question may seem too obvious to require an answer. However, it is increasingly relevant in what some describe as a “post-Christian” era. This reality came home to me years ago, during the first year of my ordained ministry. A woman…
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Telling the Truth
Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “That Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, And mightest prevail when Thou art judged” (Romans 3:4). And everyone deceives his neighbor, And does not speak the truth, They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves…
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Learning to Sin
As strange as it sounds – human beings have to “learn to sin.” Not that we need any help doing the things that sinners do – all of that comes quite easily to us. But we have to learn that we are sinners – and this does not come easily to us. Oddly, I first…
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The Song of God
Man is a musical composition, a wonderfully written hymn to powerful creative activity. – St. Gregory of Nyssa (PG 44, 441 B) In St. Gregory’s thought, man is not only a singer, but a song. We are not only song, but the song of God. Indeed within one theme of the fathers, all of creation…
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Of Whom I Am First
In the Divine Liturgy, it is customary for this prayer to be offered by all who are coming to receive communion. I quote a portion: I believe, O Lord, and I confess that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who camest into the world to save sinners, of whom I…
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Waking Up
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). This fear descends on us from on High. It is a spiritual feeling, firstly of God and then of us ourselves. We live in a state of awe by virtue of the presence of the Living God together with awareness of our own…
Thank you, Sr. Teresa!