Do You Pray for Your Church?

People gathered in ornate church interior.

One of the basic “to do items” on our list as Orthodox Christians is to say our daily prayers. Depending upon the prayer rule given to us by our Spiritual Father, we all spend time in prayer, no matter how long. The question I have for you today is, “Do you pray for your Church?”…

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Temporary Holders of Tradition

Close-up of the word 'tradition' painted in black on a textured white surface.

We all have traditions we hold important. Some traditions are from our families, some from our society, and some from our faith. Not all traditions are equal, but all traditions come from before us and are handed down after us. We are just temporary holders of tradition. Timothy, my son, be strong in the grace…

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Pleasing to God

Hands reaching towards a cross at sunset.

It can be difficult going through life always trying to please other people. Most of our time is spent trying to please those in authority. Our boss at work, our teacher in school, even our spouse, are all the object of our devotion to please them. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t good either. At…

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Bind Sin to Destroy Sin

Hands tied with rope against brick background.

A Christian’s duty is to love God more than anything else in creation, but especially more than we love ourselves. When we sin, we turn away from God and toward ourselves. When we sin, we serve something other than God, but we must destroy sin. By ‘definition’, sin means to do something (anything really) that…

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Pray for the People

A torn piece of paper that says Prayer

After tragedies like the recent floods in Texas which caused many deaths, it is common to hear people talk about ‘thoughts and prayers’ for those who are suffering. Other times, on just a normal day someone might approach you and ask you to pray for them. Do you pray? One of the reasons clergy dress…

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Spiritual Burnout

Person overwhelmed, holding "Help" sign at desk.

It’s more common than you might think. You read a ‘few compelling’ articles online and you’re convinced you must become Orthodox. Next thing you know, you purchased a few dozen icons, three fasting cookbooks, and were baptized. Fast forward to today, and you lost your passion. Your pray but can’t remain focused. You keep forgetting…

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Not Enough Time

Clock face showing Roman numerals and hands.

I hear it all the time. You want to become a ‘better’ Christian, but you don’t know where to start. Everything the Church asks you to do requires time you ‘just don’t have’ to spare. Between your job, your family, and whatever ‘spare time’ you might enjoy, there isn’t any time left for Church. Honestly,…

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