Pridedoesn’t just manifest itself in arrogance, but often—maybe even more often—in over-sensitivity and feelings of inferiority.  The common denominator is self-focus rather than Christ-focus.  Where ego and reliance on self is concerned, whether in regard to appearance, identity, or abilities, or one’s purpose in life, pride won’t be far behind.  It will haunt us, belittle […]

Faith is one of those things that the modern rational mind has such a hard time contemplating. In a society where humanists believe that the scientific method is the end all and be all of what we can ‘know’, of what is ‘true’, faith seems almost quaint, if not irrelevant to many who prefer the calculations […]

Today we reflect on Christ’s miraculous healing of the blind man, who repeatedly and undauntedly calls after Christ God for His mercy, using the messianic title, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Undeterred by those who would silence him, the man catches Christ’s attention who rewards him for his faith in the living […]

“Today the waters of the Jordan are transformed into healing by the coming of the Lord.  Today the transgressions of men are washed away by the waters of the Jordan…  Today we have been delivered from darkness and illuminated with the light of the knowledge of God.  Today the blinding mist of the world is […]

“Today the waters of the Jordan are transformed into healing by the coming of the Lord.  Today the transgressions of men are washed away by the waters of the Jordan…  Today we have been delivered from darkness and illuminated with the light of the knowledge of God.  Today the blinding mist of the world is […]

Blessed Nativity in Continuation, Many Years!  “The angels offer Thee a hymn; the heavens, a star; the Magi, gifts; the shepherds, their wonder; the earth, its cave; the wilderness, a manger; and we offer Thee a Virgin Mother.” (Stichera, Vespers of Nativity).  The Lord grant all of you great joy as we continue to celebrate our […]

The righteous ancestors of Christ, the genealogy of which we hear read in today’s Gospel, pre-figure and point us to Him, the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior of the world; they ready us for His coming just a few days from now. Throughout the Old Testament, their stories of faith are also stories of redemption, of […]

Today’s Gospel is another reminder of the importance of giving thanks to God for His work in our lives: healing us, growing us, saving us.  Of the ten lepers healed, only ONE came back to prostrate himself before God and offer his humble thanks.  We too can take God’s work in our lives for granted.  All […]

Thoughts on Today’s Gospel:  Christ God shatters the myth that being ‘good’ is ‘good enough’.  Inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven is not just about following God’s commandments, as important as they are, but doing so because of love for God, a desire to be made compatible to be in His near presence: what it means to have […]

The Great Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos in the Temple, which we commemorated this past Thursday, is one of those holy days that ties together both Old Covenant and New: We see here the beginning of the unfolding of mankind’s salvation, the inauguration of the fulfillment of all the prototypes that God in His […]