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Through a Glass Darkly
Read more: Through a Glass DarklyPerhaps the most intriguing passage in all of St. Paul’s writings is his description of an inner struggle in Romans 7. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.For the good […]
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Conformed to His Image
Read more: Conformed to His ImageOne of the most distinctive doctrines in Orthodox theology is that of theosis – divinization – becoming “like God.” Those who inquire into the faith likely stumble across this teaching fairly early, and, no doubt, some are drawn to it. Of course, there are those who run away from it and fear that it is […]
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A Cultural Feast
Read more: A Cultural FeastI read somewhere that, prior to the Protestant Reformation, there were over 50 feast days in England on which people did no labor (these were in addition to Sundays). If you do the math, it adds up to over seven weeks of vacation per year. The Reformation abolished all but one or two. I have […]
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The Last Enemy
Read more: The Last EnemyThe Last Enemy (as named by St. Paul in 1Cor 15:26) was also the first enemy, and has been our enemy throughout human existence: it is death. Death is more than the separation of the soul from the body, it is the threat of non-being. In the writings of the Fathers, particularly those of the […]
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It’s a Lying Shame
Read more: It’s a Lying ShameThe story of the first sin begins not with a choice, but with a lie. As much as we tend to emphasize “free-will” as the origin and dominant factor of human sin, we do well to remember the true nature of our lives. Things are much more complicated than freedom can account for. Rather, we […]
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The Ascetic Imperative – A Matter of Communion
Read more: The Ascetic Imperative – A Matter of CommunionAmong the more interesting experiences in my life was the two years spent in a Christian commune. It was not West Coast fancy, much less connected to anything historic such as the Bruderhof. It started with two very zealous Jesus freaks (myself and a friend), an apartment, and something of a necessity thrust on us […]
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When Shame Becomes Toxic
Read more: When Shame Becomes ToxicArticles on the topic of shame inevitably provoke questions. This short article is an effort to give a bit more substance by way of an answer to some of those questions. I hope it is helpful. Shame is a normal emotion – one which we could not live without. It signals emotional boundaries (among […]
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Self-Emptying and Self-Fulfillment
Read more: Self-Emptying and Self-FulfillmentThere are many ways to imagine or describe human existence. Perhaps the darkest of all can be seen in the writings of the English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes. He essentially described human beings as living in a constant state of competition. Our “natural state” is one of self-interest. He famously wrote of the state of nature: […]
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Fr. Steven. Thank you for this post, and for all your writings. I whole heartedly agree with your thoughts on…
Mary, May God give grace to us all!
Bless Father… Thank-U from my heart ❤️ 💙 💜 really helping us on our daily journey… Glory to God for…
I agree wholeheartedly. During my first ten years in the Orthodox Church, I did not join the parish community and…
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Jeff, I seem to recall the anecdote involved St. Sophronius of Jerusalem, St. Andrew of Crete, and a third that…