by Fr. Ioannes Apiarius –
June is Orthodox Christianity month. We celebrate humility. We celebrate holiness. We celebrate righteousness. [Read more…]
June is Orthodox Christianity Month, We Celebrate Humility
Wisdom
Apostasy in the Orthodox Church Supported by Certain Clergymen and Hierarchs
by Archbishop Averky (Taushev) –
The enemy of the human race is employing all his efforts and all his means to pull it [the Orthodox Church] down, and he is widely supported in this by open and secret apostates from the true faith and Church, including even those who have betrayed their high vocations and oaths as clergymen and even as hierarchs heading certain individual churches.
In truth, we are experiencing a terrible time — a time such as has never before been seen in the history of Christianity, in the history of mankind! A time of almost total instability! [Read more…]
Carrying the Cross of Truth and Righteousness
by Fr. Peter Olsen –
When we avoid the truth, we drift into the realm of not only falsehood but also dishonesty.
Life can be very confusing and challenging. The great gift of free will that God has given us carries along with it the awesome weight of responsibility and accountability. Sometimes we are tempted, knowingly or unknowingly, to despise the blessing of freedom that God has given us, wishing instead that someone or some thing would instead just tell us what to do and make our decisions for us. In other words, making decisions and choices is hard work. [Read more…]
Christians Cannot Watch Indifferently and Allow Evil to Abuse Good and Destroy Innocence
by Archbishop Averky (Taushev) –
When a gentle word of persuasion has no effect, when people are so steeped in evil that they do not yield to any admonishment and continue doing evil, a Christian cannot and should not take refuge in this teaching of the forgiveness of all, sit indifferently with his arms crossed, and apathetically watch as evil abuses good, as it increases and destroys people, his close ones.
To indifferently watch the ruin of a close one by one who has lost his senses and become a bearer of evil is nothing other than the breaking of the commandment of love for one’s neighbor. Every type of evil should be immediately thwarted with the most decisive measures, even including the sacrifice of oneself in an unequal struggle. [Read more…]
Focus on God Instead of Ourselves
by Fr. James Guirguis –
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (6:22-33)
Our Lord says “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
Often we hear or listen to these words and we think very straightforwardly that this is about what we look at with our physical eyes. Now there is certainly some truth to this, no doubt. But the Lord goes further and it helps to clarify the teaching for us. He says “No one can serve two master; for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” [Read more…]
The Beauty of Holiness Carries Surprises
by Fr. Gabriel Rochelle –
The beauty of holiness is in the face of a nun. Beauty untouched by any artificial, chemical, or cosmetic means can stun you, especially if costuming prevents you from viewing the rest of the body. When you are limited to the face you see with an intensity that eludes you if there is more to observe. It’s like being deprived of one of your senses, which accentuates and heightens and sensitizes the remaining senses. If you see a figure robed in black except for the oval of her face you see more than were she clothed in is called normal attire.
The beauty of holiness is evident in all ages. Age has not only its privilege but also its unique beauty. This is also true, then: the holiness of beauty may be seen in the face of a nun – and it is ageless. [Read more…]
Righteousness Is Not A Part Time Job
by Abbot Tryphon –
The quest for righteousness is not a part time job.
Teachers and parents routinely remind children of the importance of refraining from giving in to peer pressure, knowing that good behavior can often be undermined by the desire to fit in with their friends and schoolmates.
We adults need to remember that we, too, are often subject to peer pressure. When we are surrounded by people who always take the moral high road, who are honest in their business practices, and respectful in the way they treat other people, our own adherence to the commandments of God is made easier. [Read more…]
Lukewarm and Fearful Christians Are the Devil’s Playground
by Jackie Morfesis –
The darkness revels at Christians afraid to shine their light. In fact, a fearful Christian is the devil’s playground.
I was blessed to have a mother, Lucia, memory eternal, who had the boldness to speak scriptural truth to me. She knew exactly what to say that would plant a seed in my heart that took root and would grow for years to come. I vividly remember her looking down at me as a child standing in our kitchen in New Jersey and telling me that God does not want the lukewarm.
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). Powerful words that every single one of us must take to heart. [Read more…]
Christians Must Have Courage in the Face of Deceitful Compromise
by Fr. Zechariah Lynch –
The tribulations of our days will become more intense. The temptations to compromise will become more pronounced.
“Be of good courage and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; for the Lord will do what is good in His sight” (2 Kingdom/Samuel 10:12).
The Lord calls His people to be strong and courageous in Him. St. Paul commands, “Keep on watching, standing fast in the faith, conducting yourselves in a courageous way, and being strong. Let all your things be done with love” (1 Cor. 16:13). This command is dynamic and active. Keep on doing these things. The implication is that we could grow tired and fearful. Therefore it is written elsewhere, “And let us not be losing heart while doing that which is good; for in due time we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9). [Read more…]
Why Does God Put Us Through Trials?
by Vladimir Basenkov –
So that we finally believe in Him.
The unit for measuring faith has not been invented yet, but its value determines the degree and the character of a person’s closeness to God. There are fewer convinced atheists than we think. When asked whether or not they recognize the existence of God, most of your personal respondents will answer in the affirmative, even if they are not Christians or actively practicing representatives of any religion in general.
What kind of God they would bear in their minds and how actively they are growing in the knowledge of Him is another story, which ultimately determines the clarity and depth of faith. [Read more…]
