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Years ago, a neighbor visiting a parishioner’s home noticed our parish bulletin hanging on the fridge. The bulletin cover declared in bold letters, “Sunday of the Last Judgment.” Fascinated and somewhat troubled by the reference, the neighbor asked, “how do you know?”
Our annual liturgical preparation for Great Lent includes the reading of the…
“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” [Hebrews 13:1-2].
It wasn’t that long ago that American families, gathered for a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner, would leave an empty seat at the dinner table in order to be able to welcome and accommodate an…
Welcome to today’s edition of Bible Trivia. From the episode recorded in Matthew 9 pertaining to the healing of a paralytic brought by four friends to Christ, we have five questions.
In God’s “strategic plan” for the life of the world and its salvation, He decisively intervened, in Person, “trampling down death by death.” In the radiant light of Jesus’ glorious resurrection, darkness is overcome, creation is renewed, disappointment and despair no longer have the final word, sorrow is turned to joy and death has lost its sting.…
On the first Sunday of Great Lent, we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy in the historic restoration of holy icons. And as the Church has done since 843 AD, we boldly proclaim to the world, “This is the Apostolic Faith.” Is this a statement of fact or a question?
There’s a simple test to measure this: to what extent do we imitate the apostles in…
“Think not it is of small things you art hearing when you hear of this birth, but rouse up your mind and straightway tremble, being told that God has come upon earth” [Saint John Chrysostom].
Since October, we’ve been incited, with considerable help from corporate America, to think about Christmas. Store aisles of decorations appeared overnight,…
The famous parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a man being mugged and left half dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. The first to come upon him were a priest and a Levite, but they passed by. We’re not told the reasons they passed by, but can speculate. The levite, a “religious professional,” was likely enroute to or from “work.” The…
One of the best ways to accomplish virtually anything is to enlist the support of others. This holds true for any worthy endeavor, from the simplest to the greatest. It should therefore come as no great surprise to us to read and understand Luke 5. Our Lord, desiring to save the world—the highest of all endeavors!—enlists the support of His first…
“With what garlands of praise shall we crown Peter and Paul, the greatest among the heralds of the word of God, distinct in their person but one in spirit. The one, the chief ruler of the Apostles; the other who labored more than the rest. Christ our God fittingly crowned them with immortal glory, for He alone possesses great mercy” [Vespers, the…
Here’s a widely-reported and very troubling “breaking news” story from today’s headlines. It’s about a 27-year-old woman in Sudan, Meriam Ibrahim. She was born to a Muslim father and an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian mother. Her father abandoned the home when she was a young child. Nevertheless, in Sudan, children are expected to follow the religion…
Cable TV offers us a wide variety of channels—filled with “nothing to watch!” I often revert to the station that has the only news we can really use: The Weather Channel. In addition to the local forecast, it features reports from folks they call “stormchasers.” The channel execs dispatch these fearless (?) employees into the heart of every storm,…
Having had the opportunity to sing an operetta with the local symphony orchestra, it’s remarkable to me how wonderfully our Orthodox liturgical progression from Pre-Lent to Lent to Holy Week to Pascha not only presents “the greatest story ever told,” but also resembles the performance of a musical masterpiece.
I recall how at one rehearsal the…
Whenever we approach the Holy Sacraments of the Church, we are individually addressed and identified as “the servant of God.” Perhaps seldom, however, do we seriously consider and reflect upon the nature and essence of our “service” to God that justifies such an esteemed appellation!
The primary definition of service, from the Latin servitium,…
When Joseph first saw the mighty wonder, he thought he saw only a human child wrapped in swaddling clothes. But from all that came to pass, he discovered the Child to be the True God Who grants the world great mercy! [Vespers of the Prefeast of the Nativity]
Christmas tells the same wonderful story every year, the marvelous fulfillment of John…
Preparations for the “holiday season” are already in full swing. And some of the colorful newspaper inserts suggest that, even though Thanksgiving is a few weeks away, the holiday gift-giving pressure’s on!
A study from ten years ago reported that the average person maintains some 200 relationships. That’s a substantial number including various…
In the course of our daily lives, we’re often faced with circumstances that require us to determine particular courses of action to solve problems. When such decisions are not obvious, we usually seek the counsel of others who, we believe, have the knowledge and experience to help us make good and right decisions.
We seldom realize how often we…
If you look up the word “orthodox” in the dictionary, it says, “conforming to doctrines or practices that are held to be right or true by an authority, standard or tradition.” (Orthodox with a capital “O” specifically refers to our Church.) It’s good to occasionally remind ourselves of this meaning.
Now, one need not have a Ph.D. to realize that…
Lately I noticed an abundance of bird droppings on my Honda, not on the hood or roof but strangely on the side door panels. Finally one day, I caught the culprit in the act: a bright red cardinal that frequents a tree by my office. I observed him perching on the side-door window ledge and, seeing his reflection in the rear-view mirror, proceeded to…
It was the most memorable Passover ever! Invariably, each soul that had been touched in some way by the profound events of historic importance resumed “normal” life. The Gospels certainly relate the most important part of the story. Perhaps, we can speculate a bit on the rest as we consider the aftermath.
In and around the Jerusalem Temple, the…
“The inspired Prophet Habakkuk now stands with us in Holy Vigil. He is like a shining angel, crying out with a piercing voice: ‘Today salvation has come to the world, for Christ is risen as All-Powerful!’” [Fourth Ode of the Paschal Kanon]
Just when our lenten efforts are beginning to bear some fruit, something always seems to happen that derails…