Christ is the Source and Origin for Forgiveness and Entry into Paradise
Someone once went to Elder Iosif the Cave-Dweller- may we have his blessing- a man who came from his home town. When he got there, the Elder asked him about all the old people there. You know, the way you do if somebody comes from home. How’s so-and so? How’s...
On Forgiveness and School Shooters
“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.” (Matthew 2:18 quoting the Prophet Jeremiah) The anger and tears are real. The one word on the lips of so many is “Why?” Greek Orthodox...
Meeting Christ: An Encounter She Would Never Forget
Continuing the post-Paschal themes of healing, transformation and belief in the risen Christ, this Sunday we visit John 4:5-42, wherein we hear of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman (St. Photini) at the well. In this passage, Jesus talks more to this one woman than in any other individual conversation...
Great Lent: Spiritual Reform School
I still hear, from time to time (though less frequently), “What are you giving up for Lent”? I’m glad that it is still ‘out there’—the idea that there is a season during which someone might actually abstain from something. Abstinence of any sort is usually trampled upon in our day....
Sunday of Cheese-fare: Forgiving and Fasting’
Protopresbyter Nikolaos Patsalos The time of preparation for the Fast ends with the Sunday of Cheese-fare and so we pass into great and blessed Lent, which is full of mixed experiences and feelings transmitted to us in a mystical way by its penitential services. Today’s Gospel reading brings us...
The Hardest Forgiveness to Give
Sunday is the Sunday of Forgiveness, the last day before Great Lent begins. Forgiveness is not a difficult concept to understand—we offend another, we ask for forgiveness, someone offends or hurts us, we are called by Jesus to forgive. Forgiveness is dialogical, involving two persons, as the theologian Martin Buber...
Musings from a Grateful Convert: A Priest’s Impression of Prison
Recently, I had the privilege to interview Father Nikitas Theodosion, a Priest who visited a prison inmate in August of 2017. The following is the transcript of an excerpt from that interview. Grateful Convert: Today we welcome Father Nikitas Theodosion, who has served for eight years as parish Priest at...
Fasting and Prayer
The Great Canon of St. Andrew says, “When the Lord had fasted for forty days in the wilderness, He at last became hungry, showing His human nature. Do not be despondent, my soul, if the enemy attacks you, but let him be beaten off by prayer and fasting.” [Matthew 4:1-11;...
Should Orthodox Churches Have Armed Guards?
Our family discussed this question after attending liturgy one Sunday. The reason? The parish leadership chose to hire an armed security detail in response to the threats of a mentally ill person. A tense feeling was evident as uniformed guards patrolled the church property openly carrying their guns while a...
When People Don’t Forgive
Abbot Tryphon There are people who insist on holding on to resentment, often inventing situations in their minds that never happened, justifying their bad behavior, and putting the blame on others. They see themselves as the abused party, always quick to take offense. Rarely are they able to have healthy...
