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The Transfigured Beauty of the Crucified God
Read more: The Transfigured Beauty of the Crucified GodOn the Mountain Thou wast Transfigured, O Christ God, And Thy disciples beheld Thy glory as far as they could see it; So that when they would behold Thee crucified, They would understand that Thy suffering was voluntary, And would proclaim to the world, That Thou art truly the Radiance of the Father! Kontakion of the Feast of […]
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Knowing God
Read more: Knowing GodThe knowledge of God, generally spoken of in a very experiential manner, is an absolute foundation in Orthodox theology. Nothing replaces it – no dogmatic formula – no Creed – not even Scripture – though Orthodoxy would see none of these things as separate from the knowledge of God. But the questions I have received […]
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The Mystery of the Mother of God
Read more: The Mystery of the Mother of GodThe 15th of August is the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God (her death). Orthodox Christians fast for two weeks prior to this great feast and celebrate it with great solemnity. A question was recently placed by a reader about the “perpetual virginity” of Mary. I am offering this small post to […]
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The Double Mystery of the Cross
Read more: The Double Mystery of the CrossSt. Gregory Palamas, in his Homily on the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (Homily 11), makes reference to what he calls the “double mystery” of the Cross. He cites St. Paul’s statement, “The world is crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). The first mystery is embodied in our denial of the world […]
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The Daily Battle
Read more: The Daily BattleMore thoughts on the struggle with the passions: One of the essential understandings of the passions within the fathers of the Church is that they are not inherently evil. Gluttony may be a passion, but the desire to eat is a gift of God. Fornication is a sin, but the marriage bed is blessed, etc. […]
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Another Look at the Passions
Read more: Another Look at the PassionsI have recently been reading Fr. John Chryssavgis’ In the Heart of the Desert, an excellent introduction to the teachings and spiritual practices of the desert monastics. His comments are interwoven with sayings from the Desert Fathers (and Mothers). I share here some of his work on the passions, very apropos of our conversations here […]
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The Truth as it is in Christ
Read more: The Truth as it is in ChristIn the Gospel record of Christ’s trial before Pontius Pilate, we are told that Christ said He had come to bear witness to the Truth. Pilate, in what he must have thought was a clever response, says, “And what is Truth?” We know from elsewhere in the Gospel that Christ explained, “I am the Way, […]
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Everywhere Present
Read more: Everywhere PresentEverything you do, all your work, can contribute towards your salvation. It depends on you, on the way you do it. History is replete with monks who became great saints while working in the kitchen or washing sheets. The way of salvation consists in working without passion, in prayer…. May God give you the strength […]
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You Are Not a TV Show
Read more: You Are Not a TV ShowThe modern world, with the advent of technologies such as the internet and other instantaneous forms of digital creation, has created what is easily described as a virtual world. In digital comprehension, a virtual world is not a real world, but increasingly feels like one and, to some extent, can be experienced like one. Doubtless, […]
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The Mystery of Goodness
Read more: The Mystery of GoodnessBeloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God (3John 1:11). One of the most common affirmations in Orthodox services is the goodness of God. Many services conclude with the blessing: “For He is a good […]
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Thanks so much Dee and Fr. Stephen. Fr. Stephen … is the fire of hell being understood as nothing other…
Dee, Matthew, Yes! Moses sees God as fire in the Burning Bush – it is fire but the bush is…
I should also add that I do not see such fire as punishment of an angry, retributive, abusive, jealous God.…
Matthew, You ask about the ‘fire’ I feared, let me begin an answer by repeating what Father mentioned earlier: But,…
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Thanks also to you Byron.