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On Loving Your Enemy
Read more: On Loving Your EnemyFrom Fr. Sophrony: However wise, learned, noble a man may be, if he does not love his enemies – that is, love his every fellow-being – he has not attained to God. Contrariwise, however simple, poor and ignorant a man may be, if he carries this love in his heart, then ‘he dwelleth in God […]
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Back Home (sort of)
Read more: Back Home (sort of)I have spent the day traveling down to South Carolina for a short family visit, and to connect with one of my daughters to help her in buying a car (just the joys of being a parent). My last couple of posts have been dealing with our relationship to place – in settings such as […]
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Reading the Readers
Read more: Reading the ReadersI like to buy books at a bargain – when I can and if I can. These days, books often come at a bargain with Amazon’s listing of used books. Occasionally the prices are almost irresistable (especially for a book lover). What has become of occasional interest to me can only happen with a used […]
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Small Things, Great Hopes
Read more: Small Things, Great HopesOn the surface it was not a world-shaking event. A friend of the parish loaned me a DVD last week. The DVD was a Russian DVD – with English subtitles. Again, not a world-shaking event. Thus, let me take a few minutes to explain why I felt the earth move. The movie in question is […]
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Putting Things Back Together
Read more: Putting Things Back TogetherOne of the most striking features of the day of Pentecost, in the Scriptural account, is the emphasis on diversity. The mission to the Gentiles is a major theme in Luke’s writings (which includes Acts) and thus Pentecost has great importance for him. The disciples gathered in an upper room as they had so many times […]
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On the Feast of Pentecost
Read more: On the Feast of PentecostO Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere and fillest all things; Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life – come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One. On this day (Sunday) the Orthodox Church marks 50 days after the feast […]
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That the Gospel Should be Shared in Love – St. Silouan
Read more: That the Gospel Should be Shared in Love – St. SilouanThe following is another excerpt from Father Sophrony’s Saint Silouan of the Athonite. Father Silouan’s attitude towards those who differed from him was characterized by a sincere desire to see what was good in them, and not to offend them in anything they held sacred. He always remained himself; he was utterly convinced that ‘salvation […]
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Back to Metaphors
Read more: Back to MetaphorsSuppose you have the occasion to sit with someone, an interested party, and explain to them the Christian faith. How do you tell the story? When I was in college we had groups who shared the 4 Spiritual Laws – a version of a Christian story, but not the one I would tell. We do […]
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If You Would Celebrate Pentecost – Love Your Enemies
Read more: If You Would Celebrate Pentecost – Love Your EnemiesFrom the Elder Sophrony’s St. Silouan the Athonite. This commandment of Christ’s, ‘Love your enemies,’ is the reflection in our world of the Triune God’s all-perfect love, and constitutes the corner-stone of our whole teaching. It is the ultimate synthesis of all our theology. It is the ‘power from on high’ and the ‘abundance of […]
This week is my first time to experience the bridegroom services. What amazing beauty! Having experienced this I begin to…