Posts Tagged ‘Gospel of Matthew’
When Light Shines
Since we were children, we have understood the power of light to reveal the truth. A glimmer of light was enough to send monsters into hiding, and a mere night light was sufficient to keep them away. There is nothing hidden when the light shines. Today the Church commemorates the appearance of the Cross as…
Read MoreI was hungry and you gave me a dollar
Many years ago, I was blessed to volunteer at a downtown mission center in Denver, Colorado. The mission center offered clothing and food supplies to the homeless and indigent population surrounding the ‘old church’ in the city. I learned a great deal from the nun who was director. She used to say to me, “God…
Read MoreEpisode 473 – Changing our Heart for God
On the cusp of Great Lent, we are called to three challenges. All three challenges have one thing in common. We are called to forgive, fast and be generous, all to prepare our hearts for God. Great Lent isn’t about food and prostration. Great Lent is about changing our hearts for God. Transcript: My brothers…
Read MoreYou Cannot Make Yourself Great
Try as we might, we cannot change our status in society. We cannot change how others view us. We cannot change if others honor us or slander us. We can only change how we respond to what God has called us. God has called us to greatness, but by His doing, not ours. BRETHREN, since…
Read MoreDo Unmercenaries Still Exist?
The other day I blogged about rewards. The only true reward we receive from God is to live with Him eternally. How do we balance between waiting for God’s rewards and accepting rewards now while we do the work of Christ? Today the Church commemorates two saints known as unmercenaries. Saints Cyrus and John used…
Read MoreUnderstanding is a Gift
Try as we might to understand God, it is ultimately impossible. Jesus Christ is both God and man. The Father is the source of all things. The Son is begotten but has always existed. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father but exists everywhere and fills all things. WHAT!? At that time, a lawyer came…
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 MoreEpisode 464 – The Bittersweet Pill of the Gospel
When we enter the doctor’s office, sometimes we need to be willing to swallow a bit of bitter medicine, but the pill will heal us when we swallow it. The same is true about the Gospel. When we hear the Gospel, we hear our own mistakes and our own sinfulness. The only way the Gospel…
Read MoreFaithful or Zealous?
The modern Orthodox experience in America is complex with both longstanding members born into the Church coexisting with pious converts who have chosen Orthodoxy as their religion. Neither is more important than the other since both are members of the Body of Christ. Yet there appears to be a battle for the ‘soul’ of the…
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…
Read More