Posts Tagged ‘spiritual father’
An End Brings a New Beginning
As we wrap up the Triodion Period this week, our annual Lectionary is coming to an end. Beginning next week, we will read from the New Testament only on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekdays are reserved for Old Testament readings during the Great Fast. There are just a few more days to inspire us to…
Read MoreYou Will Never Fall
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…
Read MoreAny Day Now
Deadlines help us keep our focus. Whether it is a strategic plan at work or a new healthy lifestyle, changes come a little easier knowing there is an end goal in sight. There are end goals and there are intermediate goals. If the end goal is too far in the future, we risk losing focus,…
Read MoreChained Down by Sin
The Devil made me do it. I couldn’t help myself. You have no idea how strong the temptation was that made me sin. These are all common excuses for sin. We have all used them because we have all been weak. We have all sinned, but there is a better way. About that time, Herod…
Read MoreEvery Question has a Motive
We live in a society that seems to feed on negativity. Turn on any cable news program and reporters and panels are constantly trying to trap people into making statements they will later regret. It is done mostly with politicians, but I have noticed lately that nobody is immune to this treatment. Even young athletes…
Read MoreHow to Pray
The Church tells us we must pray. Our friends tell us we must pray. The saints and the Scriptures tell us we must pray. Every believer wants to pray. We just don’t always know how to pray. Don’t feel bad. Some of the earliest followers of Christ had the same problem. At that time, Jesus…
Read MoreSpeak with a Little Salt
I like to cook, so I find myself watching a lot of cooking shows. I used to use cookbooks, but now after so many years I have learned how different spices work together to bring a delicious flavor to food. I have never used or seen a recipe that does not include salt. Even baking…
Read MoreGreat Expectations
We all wonder what God expects of us. We also wonder if we can ever meet His expectations. As Orthodox Christians we struggle to live a life that we believe God desires, or at least that He expects. To eliminate any doubt, He has proven to us that He doesn’t expect anything more than He…
Read MoreEpisode 405 – Having a Spiritual Father
We are all at different stages of our spiritual journey. The Orthodox way of life can be complex and difficult to determine just is the best way to practice our Orthodox Life. We cannot just ‘pick and choose’ like a cafeteria. The Tradition of our Church is to have a spiritual father who is guiding…
Read MoreWatch Your Roots
Whether we are ‘born’ into the Church or come to the Church later in life, one thing remains constant. We must have faith deep enough to hold us up against the battles with Satan and his angels. Our lives are spent on Earth, faced daily with temptations and burdens. Shallow faith is not enough to…
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