Glory to God For All Things

June 28, 2016

Reading by the Light of Christ

Let us suppose that you have heard the story of Jesus, in a fairly bare form, nothing like as complete as any of the gospels – just a general outline. And then let us suppose that the only Scriptures you have access to are the Old Testament. You have never seen a New Testament […]
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Interpretation, Orthodox Christianity, Reflections, Scripture, Scripture
June 26, 2016

The Greatness of a Lesser World

Nothing could be more “cozy” than Tolkien’s description of the Shire. Many think the Shire is an idealization of rural England, and, no doubt, it certainly resembles it. Though the English do not seem to live in holes, they, nevertheless do like their gardens. And though the major cities resemble major cities elsewhere, rural villages […]
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C.S. Lewis, Incarnation, Modernity, Orthodox Christianity, Reflections, Solzhenitsyn, The Sacraments, Tolkien
June 24, 2016

A Writer’s Reflection

The composed and uninterrupted remembrance of our absolute weakness and sinfulness is truly the, par excellence, (yet admittedly peculiar) means to permanent, spiritual joy. – Dino (in the comments) Readers of this blog who stay around for a time discover that often the best “meat” is found after you crack the shell – that is, the […]
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Orthodox Blogs, Reflections, Salvation, The Journey of Faith
June 20, 2016

A Truly Rational Faith

St. Paul notes that “faith works through love” (Gal. 5:6). This describes the very heart of the ascetic life. Only love extends itself in the self-emptying struggle against the passions without becoming lost in the solipsism of asceticism for its own sake. It is love that endures the contradictions of reality without turning away or […]
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Communion, Conversion, Knowledge of God, Modernity, Mystical Theology, Reflections
June 14, 2016

The Renunciation of Reason

I grew up in a house of contradictions. We loved each other and we fought. I had a brother who was five years my senior, and we somehow developed a style of contradiction. If he said white, I said black. If I said red, he said blue. Or after either of us made a perfectly […]
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Asceticism, Knowledge of God, Mystical Theology, Orthodox Christianity, Reflections
June 10, 2016

Everywhere Present

Everything 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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Incarnation, Reflections, Salvation, Time
June 8, 2016

To Become My Enemy

With the unending political cycle that is America’s public life, there is also an endless identification of enemies. And, of course, this year the enemies seem to come out of central casting – it would be hard to invent characters more susceptible to caricature. The Church has entered something of a political season as well. […]
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Church, Communion, Enemies, Forgiveness, Reflections, Repentance, Salvation, The Church, Union with God
June 5, 2016

The Holy and Great Council and the Hidden Work of God

The science of psychology had its beginnings in the 19th century. It has since gone through many changes, complete with clinical science of the brain and its chemistry. However, in its earliest days it had something of a mystical twist. Freud, Jung and their cohort could see the surface of the personality and the various […]
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Orthodox Christianity, Reflections, Salvation, The Church
June 1, 2016

A Simple, Great Soul

For a variety of reasons, I have been spending a fair amount of time with A.I. Solzhenitsyn, the great Russian writer who died in 2008. I am working through a collection of his writings and have been watching videos on his life along with detailed interviews. If any man lived through the maelstrom of the […]
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Conversion, Morality, Orthodox Christianity, Reflections, Solzhenitsyn, The Journey of Faith, Union with God
May 27, 2016

Democracy in the Kingdom of God

Nothing is equal because nothing is the same. All things are unique and unrepeatable. This is especially true of persons. Understanding this helps us deal with reality. But the mindset of our modern world suggests in a very seductive manner that things are quite different. It suggests that all things are indeed equal and that […]
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Modernity, Mother of God, Reflections, Saints, Saints and Tradition

Seraphim, may her presence and prayers lift you up during this wonderful time! The entire parish community will be praying…

Thank you for writing this, I have been surprised and blessed by a feeling that Christmas is showing through all…

Janine, Interestingly, I’ve been pondering the title, “Panagia.” I’ve served among Greeks, who use this deeply devotional and heart-felt title…

Thank you all for the discussion about Mary, whom I call Panagia (“All Holy”) I believe she has been with…

Thank you Matthew, these are good words of encouragement!