Despite my “Bah Humbug” post about gift giving, I actually love the rituals of Christmas. The home ones are especially nice: hanging stockings (made by my Mom for my Pani, each of my kids, and me), putting up the Nativity banners, setting up the Nativity creche (are they statues if all the figures are pillows?), […]
Day Twenty-two – Saint Nicholas
December 6, 2013 By
There is amusing meme bouncing around Facebook that plays on St. Nicholas’ defense of Orthodoxy against Arianism during the first Ecumincal Council (325): he punch-uated this defense by striking Arius in the face. Both Christ and His Mother confirmed the righteousness of his action when they restored him to his episcopal dignity (the Emperor St. […]
Day Seventeen – Holiday Depression
December 2, 2013 By
[Please note that I am writing about malaise, not actual depression. If you are suffering from depression, seek professional help.] Studies show that cases of depression and general malaise increase during the Christmas season. It’s a real problem, and – unless you are some sort of saint (or Vulcan) – it’s probably one you struggle […]
Day Fifteen – Avarice (love of money)
November 29, 2013 By
There are two things priests can talk about that are pretty much guaranteed to either get filtered out (ignored/missed) or opposed with varying levels of indignation: sex and money. The problem is that our scriptures – and Christ Himself – spend a lot of time on that subject. This means that the Church and her […]
Homily – The Good Samaritan as a Lesson of Love
November 24, 2013 By
Homily – The Good SamaritanSt. Luke 10:25-37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. The lawyer wanted to test Jesus, thinking that Jesus would condemn Himself by dismissing the Jewish Law. […]
Day Nine – The Sabbath
November 23, 2013 By
We were made to work One of the great virtues of this nation is its commitment to work hard and to work well. This virtue does not allow us to see work in purely economic terms; it isn’t just about paying the bills, providing for the family, or having enough to give freely to those […]
Day Eight – Canned Food
November 22, 2013 By
I have been married for 20+ years and have four children. One of the roles that I take seriously is as the provider and protector of my family. In simple times, this can be done by exercising the virtue of hard work. The sweat of the brow puts meat on the table, pays the rent, and […]
Day Seven – The Holy of Holies
November 22, 2013 By
Our parish has been holding services in the hall for the past year. Not an easy thing to deal with, especially for those who grew up in our old building, with its wonderful acoustics, iconography, and architecture. It is hard for some people to feel the presence of God in the hall. I sympathize with […]
Day Six – Glory
November 21, 2013 By
We just finished celebrating the All Night Vigil for the Feast of the Holy Archangel Michael and All the Bodiless Hosts (our parish feast). One of the neat things about the Vigil service is that it is loaded with hymnography; Lord I Call, Litya, Aposticha, Canon, Praises, plus Tropars and the Kondak, all of them […]
Day Five – He who began a good work in you
November 19, 2013 By
Saint Paul is such a great example of leadership. First, he gave himself 100% in service to God and the Church, showing us what commitment looked like, what it costs, and how it can transform people and communities. I love that. Enthusiasm is contagious, and St. Paul was enthusiastic for all the right things. […]
