“Do not pray for the fulfillment of your wishes, for they may not accord with the will of God. But pray as you have been taught, saying: Thy will be done in me. Always entreat Him in this way – that His will be done. For He desires what is good and profitable for you, [...]
If You Have Friends . . .
October 16, 2012 by 2 Comments
“If you have friends, avoid constant meetings with them. For if you meet only on rare occasions, you will be of more help to them. And if you find that harm comes through meeting them, do not see them at all. The friends that you do have should be of benefit to you and contribute [...]
To Enter Into His Glory
July 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
It’s Sunday afternoon. Two disciples of Jesus are walking to Emmaus, a few miles away from Jerusalem. As they walk, they discuss the bizarre events of the previous days. Their leader – a man named Jesus whom they had followed as he cast out demons, healed the sick, and raised the dead – had been [...]
Signs and Wonders of Repentance
March 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
[The following was presented at the House of St Michael the Archangel Devotional Conference in January of 2012] Jesus acts in and through the Church which acts in his Name. In the book of Acts, Luke tells us about the signs and wonders which characterized the life of the early Church – signs and wonders [...]
Hands
October 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
” . . . I move my hand and my hand is Christ entire.” -St. Symeon the New Theologian, Hymn 15, line 144. Skin, dirt, blood, grass. Oil, ink, paint, metal. Handshake, caress, slap, punch. Look at our hands. Think of the mundane everyday grime we get on our hands and casually wash off. Think [...]
To Scorn All Vanities
April 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
“For if with God’s help we make progress daily by means of our watchfulness, we should not behave indiscriminately and damage ourselves through a host of random meetings and conversations. On the contrary, we should scorn all vanities for the sake of the beauty and blessings of holiness.” – St. Hesychios the Priest, On Watchfulness [...]
The Baptism of the Lord
January 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Grace has been given mystically to those who have been baptized into Christ; and it becomes active within them to the extend that they actively observe the commandments. – St. Mark the Ascetic, #61 of No Righteousness by Works Everyone baptized in the orthodox manner has received mystically the fulness of grace; but he becomes [...]
On Dejection and Solitude
September 22, 2010 by 1 Comment
“The soul’s health is achieved not by a man’s separating himself from his fellows, but by his living the ascetic life in the company of holy men. When we abandon our brothers for some apparently good reason, we do not eradicate the motives for dejection but merely exchange them, since the sickness which lies hidden [...]
Recall the Eternal Fire
July 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment
“Until a man is completely changed by repentance, he will be wise always to remember his sins with sorrow and to recall the eternal fire which they justly deserve.” – Evagrios the Solitary, On Prayer, chapter 144 Eternal fire. Judgment. Hell. Not the most attractive part of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The monks [...]
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