Do Not Envy Evil

Icon of Jesus with crown of thorns.

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…

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Evil is not worth the gain

Icon of Jesus with crown of thorns.

Just look around and you will find those who choose not to live according to God’s desire. People are greedy, hungry for power, oppressive to others, even violent. It seems like ‘they’ are the ones who are rewarded with comfort and advancement in the world but their gains are short-lived. He who is steadfast in…

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Half-Way Evaluation

Icon of Jesus with crown of thorns.

Today is the half-way point of Great Lent. You now realize the days go by quickly when you’re focusing on Christ. You also realize that Pascha will be here ‘before you know it,’ and you still have work to do. It’s time for evaluation. Let’s review what the Church has asked us to focus on…

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The Power of Repentance

Icon of Jesus with crown of thorns.

I keep writing that Great Lent is not about following the rules, but about changing our hearts. Fasting from food is how we learn to control our desires, but it all begins with repentance. When we decide to change, then we put into action life choices that change our hearts. But the LORD of hosts,…

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Avoiding Mortal Sin

Old gravestones in a peaceful cemetery scene.

If you have been reading our daily blog for any length of time, you know we speak a great deal about sin. We speak about avoiding sin. We speak about confessing sin. We speak about forgiving the sins of others and being forgiven by God for our sins. We rarely speak about the ‘type’ of…

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Pride Leads to Sin

Temptation Ahead sign

As Christians none of us wants to sin. We don’t wake up and think of new ways to sin against God. We believe in God. We were baptized. We pray and fast regularly. Sin is the last thing on our mind as Christians. That’s the problem. It should be the first thing on our mind.…

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Episode 419 – Come Back to God

People along with the priest worshiping in the church

The Parable of the Prodigal Son teaches us that we are all called to return to God. He is waiting for us every time we walk away from the Church. Every time we walk out of Church we are faced with temptations of the world. The sooner we return to God and His Church, the…

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Thank God for Another Day

Flight board displaying multiple delayed flights.

As Christians we often think of God’s delay as a penalty. We wonder if God is ever coming back since He has delayed so many centuries. We look forward, sometimes with dread, to the many years ahead during which we will be expected to live without sin. Waiting is like torture in our minds. We…

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You Will Never Fall

Person stumbling on outdoor stone steps.

These are words we all wish to believe. There must be a way to guarantee we never fall to temptation and sin. All my life I’ve heard that I shouldn’t expect to be perfect because only God is perfect. So, how can Saint Peter promise we will never fall? SIMON PETER, a servant and apostle…

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Automatic Christianity

Magnifying glass highlighting "repentance" in dictionary.

I just don’t get it. Why is it I meet so many people that think ‘just because’ they were baptized that means they are Christians and will be saved. It is as if baptism is some sort of magic pill that guarantees entrance to heaven. Others think, “I believe in Jesus. That’s enough.” Then there…

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