In late August this site ran the second half of a parish brochure I had prepared as a simple introduction to Orthodox history and doctrine. In it I gave a very brief summary of key elements of the Nicene Creed. One sentence...
A few months ago in this space we raised the issue of “Care for Patients in ‘PVS’,” or “persistent vegetative state.” With the continuing storm of controversy surrounding the case of Terri Schiavo, it seems worthwhile to...
Our Lord Jesus Christ was an outstanding communicator, because He spoke to the values and needs of those He encountered. To a merchant He talked of jewels. To the farmer He spoke of sowing and fertile earth. To the fishermen...
We Americans have a special problem with this text: Many of us are on a salt-free diet. But from time immemorial, salt always has had a profound meaning. It was so precious that it was how wages were paid. Payment for...
It seems that the more I age, the more I grow estranged from the society around me. I realize it now, sitting in an airport terminal waiting for my flight connection. Upon touching down from a transoceanic flight, the flight...
Jesus sent the disciples off in their boat. He could deal with the crowd better without them, because they too had imbibed the enthusiasm of the moment. They wanted to make our Lord their king. All the Jews were frustrated...
Hurricane Charley just came barreling through, lickety split, hell-bent on more destruction up the Carolina coast. It already devastated a large swath of Florida, laying waste to the region around Port Charlotte. Several...
It’s not what we know that identifies us as Orthodox Christians, but Whom we love. Our parishes struggle to find ways to educate our children and adults in the true faith. We teach them creeds, prayers, church history,...
Orthodox Christians accept the Bible as the Word of God and the ground of their faith and practice. The Bible, however, took shape within Holy Tradition: the...
All of the Orthodox Church services of worship begin with either the terms “bless,” or “glory.” We continually thank the almighty Lord for the blessings of grace showered upon us, His unworthy servants, and we return those...