Soviet Dissidents: martyrs and confessors of freedom, truth, and human dignity I chose to major in political science back in the 80’s in large part so that I could study the Soviet Union, the “evil empire” that held a huge swath of the world’s population under the wicked yoke of anti-theistic, totalitarian, communist rule and […]
40 Days of Blogging: Eden
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 […]
Podcast 20141104: Ukrainian Orthodoxy from the Inside
Two Ukrainian Orthodox priests share their thoughts on history and current events After a bit of satire on Putin’s war against Ukraine, Fr. Anthony has a long discussion with Fr. Paul Koroluk, a priest of the UOC-KP (the largest, though canonically-unrecognized, Orthodox Church in Ukraine). We share a vision of Ukraine and Ukrainian Orthodoxy that we […]
If Putin were President of Mexico: the Reconquista (update)
The Background: Before Putin came to Power in MexicoDue to the annexation of large portions of Mexican territory in the 19th century and generations of immigration, a significant portion of the population of US border areas was comprised of Mexican-Americans. At the beginning of the 21st century, there were about six million Mexican-Americans living in […]
Homily on Stewardship (the talents)
Homily on the Talents: What is (getting to) Heaven Like?St. Matthew 25:14-30 Main point: What do do with the riches God has given us? Multiply them! How? By investing all those riches in spiritual activities that provide a strong return on investment and having enough self-discipline not to waste them on activities that cause spiritual […]
Homily Notes for Pentecost: How to Acquire the Holy Spirit
How to acquire the Holy Spirit Come to Church and follow the Orthodox Way. A fruit of the Orthodox Way is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. Won’t happen; can’t happen outside of Church. Look at the icon; look at the scripture It is not an individual gift, meant for our personal satisfaction. Reinforces the […]
Homily Notes – Christ’s Ministry to the Samaritan Woman
St. John 4:5-42 This encounter gives us an account of Christ’s showing us on how to live a human life. The way He shared the faith: He has [is!] something beautiful; he shares it simply with others – not out of ego but so that there would be more healing and joy in the world. […]
Notes on Christian Meditation and Living the Good Life
Talk on Christian Meditation and Living the Good LifeSt. Michael UOC Ladies’ Sodality RetreatFr. Anthony Perkins, 13 May 2014 There is within us, a yearning for something better. We feel ourselves to be refugees in a land that isn’t quite right. We desire peace, joy, and growth within our own lives; but find peace to […]
Saving yourself from the damage of war
I am going to stay on this soapbox a bit longer because I am worried. Many people who are dear to me are following the news from Ukraine very closely, searching out every twitter feed, youtube release, live video feed, local (i.e. Ukrainian) blogger, and MSM commentary that will keep them update on what is […]