Here’s my new book…
Available both in paper and as an e-book.
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To follow Christ, I need to root out from my tendency to cling to “Peter and John”– to see the means of salvation as if they were the goal of life in Christ.
Continue Reading...Jesus’ actions in the Gospel aren’t a blanket condemnation of business–of buy, selling and making a profit. Nor are they a blanket endorsement of the use of force in response to wrongdoing. As with all things, virtue is found not in the extremes but in balance.
Continue Reading...To be born from above, to be made new, means to become a part of this great work of the Holy Spirit across generations. What He said to those who have gone before us, the Spirit says to us. Anything that deviates or denies what the Holy Spirit has said before, is simply not from God but from the flesh.
Continue Reading...When we exchange the Paschal greeting–Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!–we need to remember that these words not only tell us what we believe, they remind us of who we are: Disciples and apostles called by God to proclaim freedom in Christ!
Continue Reading...Often in the spiritual life, we confuse curiosity–a desire to know or understand–with faith. But curiosity begins in ignorance, in a felt deficient in one’s self. Faith, however, begins not in my poverty but awe at God’s fullness.
Continue Reading...Both Augustine and Chrysostom take pains to remind us of both Jesus’ divinity and humanity. They both likewise are concerned that our awe at His divinity does not overwhelm the intimacy we have with Jesus in His humanity. If we are to be saved, both of Christ’s natures are needed. Necessary as well are our two responses to God becoming flesh and dwelling among us–awe and friendship.
Continue Reading...Sunday, April 2, 2017: Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt; Titus the Wonderworker, Theodora the Virgin-martyr of Palestine, Amphianos & Aedesios the Martyrs of Lycia Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-14 Gospel: Mark 10:32-45 James and John make a mistake common to many of us who are disciples of Christ. With best of wills, they allow the world to frame their understanding of …
Continue Reading...Purgation, iIllumination, and theosis are all given to us, as they were to the disciples, at once. And this why, to return to today’s epistle, we are able to look to Jesus Christ as an “anchor … sure and steadfast.”
Continue Reading...… the ascetical life helps us overcome the myriad distractions in our lives that come between us and God. How frequently, to speak only for myself, I become fascinated with some idea I have about God. That this idea is true is, from the point of view of our communion with God, is secondary. The spiritual life isn’t a collection of true ideas or wholesome feelings about God any more than it is about living a morally good life. To be sure, these all have their place but in service of pointing us beyond themselves to God.
Continue Reading...Just as Philip does with Nathanael, we need to invite each other to enter a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. We do this by being willing to talk with each other about our own spiritual lives, our own struggles, and successes, as Orthodox Christian followers of Jesus Christ.
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