Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’
The Twelfth Day of Christmas We Fast
Forget about calling birds, French hens and goose eggs! Today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas, but instead of partying we are fasting. Today is a strict fast in preparation for the Feast of Holy Theophany, also known as Epiphany. For nearly two weeks the Church feasted. If you didn’t fast before Christmas, the past…
Read MoreOne Door Closes and Another Door Opens
Transitions can be difficult. We transition from childhood to adulthood, from single life to married life, from job to job, and eventually from life to death. With each transition, a new existence begins. Even in death, we begin our eternal life with God in heaven. That’s how I feel every year on New Year’s Eve.…
Read MoreRepetition Leads to Faith
We should take notice when the Church repeats something. In the Liturgy, we repeat ‘Lord have mercy’ many times, along with other prayers. In the Scriptures, even the Holy Authors repeat stories within the text. So, when the Church repeats the same story over and over, we notice. Today is the Fifth Day of Christmas…
Read MoreChristmas Isn’t Over Just Yet
Christ is Born; Glorify Him! These words rang out across the Orthodox world yesterday. Bells rang. Christmas carols echoed through the towns. Families gathered to exchange love and gifts. Today is a different story if you pay attention. The ‘world’ has already moved on. We have not. For centuries Christians waited for Christmas to begin…
Read MoreEpisode 468 – God Gives us What we Need to Find Him
The first Christmas reminds us that everyone is invited to find God. Hearing in the Gospel that foreigners were the first who worshipped God at His birth, reminds us that God gives everyone exactly what they need to find Him. He gave the Magi a Star. He gave us the Church. Now, He has given…
Read MoreFinal Checklist for Christmas
ONLY THREE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS and right about now you are beginning to panic you may not finish all the things you have to accomplish before Christmas. There are only 24 hours in a day, so I decided to help you narrow down your final checklist for Christmas. Prayer, fasting, charity, and worship are the…
Read MoreNo Shame about Christmas
When everyone around you seems to have forgotten why Christmas is important, it can be awkward keeping focus. We are fasting. ‘They’ are feasting. We are praying. They are shopping. We are serving others. They are demanding special treatment at the checkout lane. Being a Christian is hard enough in modern America. Being an Orthodox…
Read MoreContentment and Godliness
I was encouraged as a young man to never shop for myself this time of year. Not only was it possible someone ‘might’ give me what I was buying, it also encouraged me to be content with what I already have. Being content and not shopping for myself is not easy during the holidays. In…
Read MoreFamily Responsibilities
This time of year, our hearts and minds are on our families. We call them and visit them for the holidays. We plan to honor them with Christmas presents. We are devoted to family, but what happens when families fall apart? What happens when families are left to fend for themselves? This time of year,…
Read MoreDon’t Let Christmas Carols Teach You about God
If you see me driving around town, you are bound to hear Christmas carols coming from my car. I LOVE Christmas carols and listen to them every chance I get this time of year. OK, I’ll be honest with you. I even listen to them at other times of year. There is something about the…
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