Fr. John Breck · August 01, 2002
Last night I read an article by a well-known Anglican theologian that pointed up the radical difference in world-view that separates him, and people who think as he does, from the Orthodoxy that I treasure.
Well crafted and...
Fr. John Breck · July 31, 2002
The previous column in this space arose out of a concern for balance in our preaching and teaching of the Gospel, whether from the ambon of our churches, in Bible study groups, or at our children’s (and grandchildren’s)...
Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky · July 27, 2002
I’m in a foreign land in a store standing in line behind a rangy young lad plucking his purchases from his basket. As he places them on the checkout counter, I notice that though he’s not an American he may as well be one....
Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky · July 20, 2002
Christ is telling us to go into our rooms to pray, which is what we do before bedtime. Does it mean that we should not pray in Church? Of course not! He had just warned us in a sentence before this that we are not to pray...
Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky · July 13, 2002
What can it mean, while He may be found? And, while He is near? Surely God is everywhere present and fills all things, as we remind ourselves several times each day in our daily prayers. How then does the prophet tell us...
Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky · July 06, 2002
In light of the recent pedophile priest scandals one might wonder why the matter of validity has not been raised. In simple terms, can a sinful priest sanctify the Holy Eucharist? Are baptisms and other sacraments he...
Fr. John Breck · July 01, 2002
In a world marked by such things as childhood trauma, terrorist attacks and a collapsing economy, the anxiety level is understandably high.
We have structured our lives in such a way as to shield ourselves as much as...
Fr. John Breck · June 30, 2002
Orthodox Christian life is filled with paradoxes, what the Holy Fathers referred to as antinomies: conflicts between two principles, laws or truths that seem equally valid. An example would be “bondage to sin” and “freedom...
Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky · June 29, 2002
I’ve been a priest for forty-two years. It hasn’t seemed long at all—unless, that is, I compare the development, if it can be called that, through the decades. Contrast would be a better term. One thinks of priests as...
Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky · June 22, 2002
Who of the Orthodox children of God hasn’t heard that slow droning plaint at a funeral or requiem? It contains the glorious contradiction: Even in death there is not the loss of the Lord. The paradox of spirituality must...