Posts Tagged ‘family’
Conception is a Gift from God
In every human marriage the joy of conception is celebrated. Not every wife is able to conceive making each conception a blessing from God. In the ancient world it was considered a sign of unrighteousness if a woman could not conceive. Today is a reminder of God’s compassion. Today is the Feast of the Conception…
Read MoreAncestors in the Faith
We know our parents and grandparents. If we’re lucky, we may even know, at least by name, our great-grandparents. Occasionally, someone researches their family tree and traces their ancestors back several generations. But can you trace your ancestors back to God? At that time, Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of…
Read MoreEpisode 485 – God’s Power Through Our Cooperation
When we allow God to use us to be His blessing to others, great things can happen. When the Disciples asked Christ to dismiss the crowd, they were acting selfish and wanted to spend their own time with Christ. Christ said, “You give them something to eat.” We are God’s hands and feet to be…
Read MoreThe Importance of Family
You hear a lot about family these days. The importance of the nuclear family (father, mother and children) has been at the forefront of many political debates in the past generation. As Christians, we can admit not every situation is perfect, but the family is still the goal. Today is the Feast of the Dormition…
Read MoreYou Can’t Outworld the World
It’s prom and graduation season. Before you know it, school will be out for summer and we must ask ourselves if anything has changed this year? Our children might be smarter as they move on whatever next education level they choose, but are the closer to God? As ‘church communities’ we spend countless hours planning…
Read MoreKeep Holy Company
We embark on a new year today while celebrating the Feast of Great Saint of the Church, and also the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Both the readings for today and the life of such a great saint inspire me, and I pray you for the New Year. At…
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 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 MoreFamily Betrayal
In more than thirty years of ministry I have rarely witnessed pain greater than the pain of betrayal. We are often betrayed at work or friends. We can even feel betrayed by total strangers after we had reached out to help them. Nothing is worse than family betrayal. Brethren, you become imitators of the churches…
Read MoreEating or Fasting
As Orthodox Christians living in a secular world, fasting takes on an additional burden. It is easy to fast when we cook for ourselves, but when others are doing the cooking, things get a bit sticky. When the ‘others’ are not Orthodox, fasting sometimes becomes optional. Now, you must understand that I would never characterize…
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