“Now is the Acceptable Time”—Lent as “Beginning”
A “good beginning” to Great Lent can go a long way toward a “good ending.” Today, on “Pure Monday,” it certainly may seem premature…
Reflections in Christ
Bright Sadness
The American poet and Orthodox convert, Scott Cairns, writes in a chapter of God For Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter...
A Lenten Reading List
I thought to compile a list of more-or-less Orthodox “lenten classics” upon which you may want to draw as Great Lent…
What’s Wrong with Suicide?
Eventually every pastor will be faced with the question of what to do about the theological issue of suicide, either because…
The Gospels: Encountering Christ
On Sunday, January 29, the Sunday of Zacchaeus, we heard the first “signal” that Great Lent is just around the corner…
A Celebration of the Elderly
The Great Feast of the Meeting of Christ in the Temple, which we recently celebrated, is a feast of the elderly. When…
Inexcusable Excuse-Making
In the Parable of the Great Supper—Luke 14:16-24—we find a revealing glimpse into humankind’s inexhaustible propensity…
On the Virtue of Goodness
In his list of virtues which comprise the fruit of Spirit working in one’s life, Saint Paul lists that of…
Beyond the Plateau: Leading the Church through Needed Change
We all know the story, or have heard versions of it. A new priest is assigned to a parish. Upon his arrival there, the priest…
A Papal Calendar?
Christmas Day and the post-Christmas season usually bring with them a number of things not overwhelming…