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

We live in an age when it can be intimidating to speak openly of our faith in Christ God or reveal ourselves to be Orthodox Christians.  Increasingly our faith is seen as out of step with the culture’s ever evolving ‘values.’  The meaning of sin, love, healing, and marriage (just to a few) have all been changed by […]

“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 dispersed […]

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 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 celebrate our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ’s holy Nativity.  […]

The Sunday that falls between December 11-17 is known as the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, the ancestors of Christ according to the flesh who lived before the Law and under the Law, especially the Patriarch Abraham, to whom God said, “In thy seed shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen. […]

Today’s Gospelis 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 of us […]

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, which is what it means to have […]

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, we’re reminded of the importance of giving thanks to God for His work in our lives: healing us, growing us, saving us.  Giving thanks is not something we can afford to do just once a year, of course: thanking God, remembering God as the Giver of all that is good, is […]

Thoughts on Today’s Gospel “…God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”  How do we become ‘rich’ toward God?  Christ God is meant to […]