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Saints Among Us
Read more: Saints Among UsThe first few Sundays following the feast of Pentecost are set aside for the remembrance of the saints. The first Sunday is “All Saints,” much like the West observes on November 1. The second and third Sundays mark saints of national and other particular interests. In the Orthodox Church in America, we commemorate, All Saints, […]
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The Mystery of the Fullness
Read more: The Mystery of the FullnessOne of the most common words used in Orthodoxy, drawn very much from the writings of the New Testament, is the term “fullness” (pleroma in the Greek). St. Paul uses it to mean something that is in its completion or its final state, transcending things as we often know them. Because the term often refers […]
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Existence, Choice and God
Read more: Existence, Choice and GodI recall a conversation with a Russian parishioner some years back. She had been baptized as an adult (by me) and I referred to her as a “convert” in the course of conversation. She bristled slightly at my comment and said, “I am not a convert. Converts are people who choose.” She went on to […]
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Babylon and the Trees of Pentecost
Read more: Babylon and the Trees of PentecostFrom the Feast of Pentecost The arrogance of building the tower in the days of old led to the confusion of tongues. Now the glory of the knowledge of God brings them wisdom. There God condemned the impious for their transgression. Here Christ has enlightened the fishermen by the Spirit. There disharmony was brought about […]
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Saving Beauty
Read more: Saving BeautyEverything is beautiful in a person when he turns toward God, and everything is ugly when it is turned away from God. Fr. Pavel Florensky +++ In thinking about darkness and light – and their role in our apprehension of the truth – I cannot but think about Beauty, which is a primary place in […]
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Getting Past Religion
Read more: Getting Past ReligionMy wife inherited a habit. It was her father’s not uncommon practice to sing his way through the day, especially the morning. A devout man, his songs were his favorite hymns. My wife’s habit is similar, only as an Orthodox Christian, her repertoir has grown to include the traditional hymns of Orthodoxy. It is not […]
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Where We Dare Not Go
Read more: Where We Dare Not GoMy previous article spoke about the “moment” and the unique place it holds within our lives. It is strange, therefore, that the present moment is a place we seem to avoid – a place we dare not go. There are many ways to speculate about such an avoidance. In the experience of many, it is […]
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The Moment of Small Things
Read more: The Moment of Small Things“On the night in which He was betrayed…” These words echo hauntingly through the centuries – this phrase which begins St. Paul’s account of Christ’s institution of the Eucharist. Later usage in the liturgy will make a play on the Greek word for “betray.” Strangely, it is the same word used for “tradition.” It is […]
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Mere Existence and the Age to Come
Read more: Mere Existence and the Age to ComeC.S. Lewis, in his marvelous little book, The Great Divorce, uses the imagery of “solidity” versus “ghostliness” to make a distinction between those who have entered paradise, and those who have not. He clearly did not mean to set forth a metaphysical model or to suggest “how things are.” But the imagery is very apt and […]
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The Specific Truth
Read more: The Specific TruthThe Truth, spoken in general, is, perhaps, the most easily spoken truth in all the world. It smooths over the rough edges of hard truth and says more easily that to which all can agree. If all can agree – it is not probably the truth – or it is not a truth worth speaking. […]
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Margaret, There’s an ambiguity in the term “world” in the New Testament. In John 3:16, we’re told that “God so…
Father Stephen, I’ve really appreciated this series, reading and re-reading the posts from time to time. Thank you for it.…
In my town there are four Orthodox parishes: three Antiochian and one Greek. My late wife and I started attending…
Matthew and Mallory, I think conversion to Orthodoxy can be difficult for some. For me the most difficult part was…
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Father, That does help. It can be hard to understand how the “nature” of creation is good, and the “state”…