August 02, 2020
That God was with Elias is obvious, but how did Elias live; how did he live so as not to drive God away from him, to live as one who pleased God and in whom God was pleased to dwell? In answering this question, we will understand why he is a model for Christians and especially a model for ascetics and monastics.
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August 02, 2020
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Look at the life of the saint that we commemorate today, St. Seraphim of Sarov. In spite of the fallen world that he lived in, he achieved perfect peace and union with God and all mankind. How could such peace and unity happen in this fallen world? Because through a life of prayer and asceticism he achieved union with Christ in this life. He transcended this life. You might say that he connected heaven and earth in his own person.
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July 19, 2020
“Bless and curse not!” says St. Paul in today’s Epistle. We see both the fulfillment of, and the disobedience to, this command in today’s Gospel.
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June 28, 2020
Even though Orthodoxy does not penetrate America’s national identity, even though from the historian’s point of view, it is of marginal significance, we should not think that we have little to celebrate and give thanks for on this present day.
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June 21, 2020
Today, those who can, have gathered here to honor all the Saints of Russia. It is a land whose embrace of the Orthodox faith was paired with monasticism from its beginnings in the ancient Lavra of Kiev, and has influenced the world ever since. Although a godless and persecuting regime ruled over that land in the past century, the Christian faith was preserved, the blood of the martyrs watered the meadows of Rus’, and Christian life continues to flourish.
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June 07, 2020
We are called Christians because we are chrismated with this Chrism, gifted with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit Himself. This is the purpose of all Christ’s work!
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May 31, 2020
We must bear in mind the essential connection between the Nicene Faith that we hold so dear, and love—true love, love which is according to God. For such love is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ—true faith, right faith, faith in Christ as he is and as he revealed himself, and not faith in a false Christ, an antichrist.
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May 24, 2020
In this narration, we have the juxtaposition of the physical blindness of this man with the spiritual blindness of the teachers of the Law, the Pharisees, who are continually seeking to condemn Christ. On this occasion, Christ reveals himself as the Creator and Messiah.
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May 17, 2020
Let us ask ourselves, am I seeking the love of God with my whole heart? Do I thirst for salvation? Or do I thirst for worldly things, for repose, for something that is fleeting? This is a very simple question. But we do not take it seriously. We would like to find something more interesting to do, and to occupy our mind with. But this is the most salvific.
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