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The Silent Word
Read more: The Silent WordPhillips Brooks, the Anglican priest who wrote the hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” offered a very rich phrase with his observation, “How silently, how silently, the wondrous Word is given…” The ubiquitous sound of Christmas music has accompanied me into almost every store and restaurant since late November. At its best, the music is […]
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Christmas Throughout the Ages
Read more: Christmas Throughout the AgesI’ll have to ask for forgiveness at the outset on this post – mostly because of its speculative nature – something I generally prefer not to engage in – at least not for others to read. The Incarnation of Christ is significant in the course of our salvation – but we all too easily look […]
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To See the Heavenly Country
Read more: To See the Heavenly CountryThese all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that […]
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Brighter Than Any Royal Chamber
Read more: Brighter Than Any Royal ChamberAt the end of the Great Entrance, when the priest places the Holy Gifts on the altar, there are several verses which he repeats quietly. They are all deeply meaningful to me, but one has been on my heart much of late: “Bearing life and more fruitful than paradise, brighter than any royal chamber: Thy […]
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The Doorway to Bethlehem
Read more: The Doorway to BethlehemAs we draw near to the feast of the Nativity, Bethlehem looms ever larger in my mind. At the same time, the entrance to Bethlehem appears as well. This article, posted on Christmas of last year, draws attention to the unusual feature of the entrance of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. We all […]
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The Heart of Forgiveness
Read more: The Heart of ForgivenessNothing is more difficult to our heart than forgiveness of our enemies. I cannot complete this small series on the heart without a few words on this topic. This post was written last March. I cannot think that any of my readers is a stranger to forgiveness, either the need to be forgiven or the […]
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What the Heart Reveals
Read more: What the Heart RevealsIt has been said that “icons do not depict but rather reveal.” It is an insight into the intrinsic character of icons. Events that are seen in a merely historical manner do not reveal their true nature. The meaning of an event and its significance are almost never apparent. Indeed, the world itself does not […]
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Guard Your Heart
Read more: Guard Your HeartI often think about the admonition of the fathers to “guard your heart.” It seems so obvious to me that the disposition of my heart has everything to do with how I will perceive and react to everything around me. An anxious heart perceives everything as a threat – a disaster or vexation in the […]
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A Heart Without Exits
Read more: A Heart Without ExitsThe following is a short collection of sayings from the Elder Epiphanios of Athens (1930-1989). They are quoted from the text, Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit. True love is like the flame of a candle. However many candles you light from the flame, the initial flame remains unaffected. It doesn’t lessen at all. And […]
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Ever Being Formed in our Heart
Read more: Ever Being Formed in our HeartIn our modern world we sometimes forget that a single person is not able to do much on their own. If Wittgenstein was right, then we really can’t do anything on our own. We live, for good or ill, within a culture, within a social matrix that makes most aspects of our life possible. Language […]
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I agree that parenting is the most difficult, most important, and least appreciated “job” in Western society. I truly feel…
Esmêe, In hindsight (as a man in his 8th decade), I see that almost nothing has the power of ethos…
Dee, I think I know the video you’re describing. It was a Q&A session at the conference where I spoke.…
What baffles and intrigues me is why some children who are born and raised Orthodox remain practicing Orthodox Christians throughout…
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Yes Father, I think you have the correct situation I’m referring to. I’m glad you go where you’re invited! Hopefully…