What God do you meet in those moments of transcendence? Humans are built with the ability to enjoy and bask in the glory of God (brief warmth of sun after a long winter) Was meant to be a permanent reality; but we chose another way But we still have moments when we feel a special […]
What is a “Peacemaker”? A Reflection
March 1, 2015 By
Then Jesus Christ said; “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” (St. Matthew 5:9) We sing this every Sunday as part of the Beatitudes (sung during the Little Entrance, when the clergy process to the Holy Doors with the Gospel), but what does it mean? Let’s start with the […]
The Publican and the Pharisee in Film: Leviathan and The Island
February 4, 2015 By
This is an excellent review. Corruption in politics and the Church is nothing new. Christ is always the remedy, and sometimes he speaks through the witness of the holy fool. Here is my favorite quote from the article; “If Zvyagintsev has the gumption to offer us a vision of what happens when Christians allow themselves […]
You do NOT have to hate the west to be Orthodox!
February 3, 2015 By
The rhetoric from Moscow – to include from the Moscow Patriarchate and its daughter Churches – may be great at gathering support for Putin’s domestic and foreign policy goals, but it is dividing Orthodox Christians in the West and threatens to do serious damage to Orthodoxy’s ability to spread the Gospel here. There is no […]
Evangelizing Men without Chests – can it be done?
January 23, 2015 By
Professor Anthony Esolen has a real gift for juxtaposing the depravities and weaknesses of modern culture with the strength of traditional Christianity. While his critiques are strong, one of the things I appreciate about him is that he is criticizing western civilization from the inside. As such, I think of him as a sort of Roman Catholic […]
Nazerite Vow Completed – anybody have 2 bits?
January 2, 2015 By
The Setting: the church fire brings new challenges At four-thirty in the morning of the feast of St. Michael, the police came to the rectory bearing some terrible news: the church was on fire. It had obviously been burning for several hours; fire was coming out of the roof and windows. In that moment, I […]
40 Days of Blogging: Eden
November 21, 2014 By
Today’s topic is “Eden”. Genesis is one of my favorite books of the Bible, and its description of our life in paradise is certainly one of the reasons. Humanity has been plagued since that time by its sense of loss and emptiness and driven by the resulting desire to fill that void and either regain […]
40 Days of Blogging: Bread or Beer? Or Bozhe?!
November 20, 2014 By
Today’s topic is “bread or beer”? I’m writing from Constantinople (Istanbul), a country that was once the heart of a vibrant Christian empire… but is now 99% Mulim. It’s a shock. But I’ve seen it before even in my lifetime: so many Christian youth give up their baptismal garment to pursue demonic idols (“the gods […]
40 Days of Blogging: Immortality
November 19, 2014 By
Today’s topic is immortality. Priests spend a lot of time immersed in the reality of death, and yet we simlutaneously proclaim the truth of Christ’s victory over death. How can a rational mind keep such concepts juxtaposed without compromise or delusion? Three quick thoughts (as I prepare to leave the Holy Land for Constantinople): – […]
40 Days of Blogging: Sunday Best
November 17, 2014 By
(From Jerusalem) At midnight last night, I was blessed to celebrate the Resurrectional Divine Liturgy at the site of the Resurrection, the Holy Sepulcher. The experience was overwhelming in the same direction and way that every Paschal service is overwhelming. When it comes to “Sunday Best”, there are three things from this experience that come […]
