Posts Tagged ‘Great Lent’
The Next Chapter
I often write about the seasons of the Church. Today is the last day of a season, but not the last chapter of the story. During Great Lent we read three books from the Old Testament. All three books have come to an end today, but the story is not over. Next week begins a…
Read MoreDo Not Envy Evil
It is totally natural. We look around and see ‘everyone but us’ enjoying life. We are struggling to keep the fast of Great Lent and attend extra church services while our friends are going to parties and living it up. We feel like oddballs among our friends, and sometimes even family. Great Lent will be…
Read MoreEvil is not the End
Since evil entered humanity in the Garden, it has been at war with God. We remember from the first week of Great Lent that God promised evil would not prevail. He promised that it would eventually be destroyed. Our Great Lenten Journey is about the war. It is about victory over evil. When Joseph came…
Read MoreSome Things Can Wait
One of my favorite lessons to learn during Great Lent has to do with feast days. As you know, during Great Lent the Church does not encourage large celebrations. In fact, even the Divine Liturgy is limited during Great Lent because it is ‘too festive’ for the normal character of Lent. Today is the Feast…
Read MorePlans Change
The saying, “The best laid plans of mice and men,” struck me today. No matter how much we plan, we cannot control other people. We can only control ourselves. Sometimes even our family will betray us along the way. That’s ok because God is on our side. When Isaac was old and his eyes were…
Read MoreEpisode 423 – Wanting More for Others than for Ourselves
When we think about our relationship with God in heaven, it can be easy to focus on ourselves. We tend to want the best seats and the best treatment in heaven. We forget that Christ teaches us to want more for others than for ourselves. The message of the Gospel, and the ultimate goal of…
Read MoreGet Past Your Ego
We all struggle with our ego. We think we are better than others when we are not. We think we are worse than others when we are not. Good or bad, we often think of ourselves before others. Even the Disciples had difficulties with their ego. What makes us think we are so different? At…
Read MoreQuestioning God
I hear it often, too often really. “I can’t believe in a god who would do that.” It doesn’t even matter what ‘that’ is. The very idea that God doesn’t have the right to do and act as He please shocks me. He is either God or He is not. Thus says the LORD, the…
Read MoreNegotiating with God
We all do it. We try to broker a deal with God. We promise the moon and deliver a dim candle. Then we still expect God to ‘do for us’ what we wanted in the first place. We forget that God is all knowing. We forget that He already knows we will fall short. Yet…
Read MoreThe Promised Land
It seems there is perpetual war in the Middle East. Although history reveals certain periods of peace, the reality that people have been fighting over a sliver of land for centuries should make us ponder. Where is the promised land that God offered to Abraham? When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to…
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