Posts Tagged ‘suffering’
Thanks for What?
We are told as Christians to be thankful. Even the act of communing with God is called Divine Thanksgiving, or Holy Eucharist. We know that God has come to save us, but our lives on earth are filled with temptations and struggles. What exactly are we supposed to be thankful for? Brethren, whatever you do,…
Read MoreWhy Do Christians Suffer?
Have you ever asked yourself why Christians must suffer? Why does God expect us to lose everything ‘just’ for Him? If God loved us as He claims, why not allow us to be honored and comforted now? What if I told you Christians don’t suffer? Would you want to be Christian? Brethren, rejoice in the…
Read MoreThings Will Be Better
There is a malaise over the town after our doubleheader hurricane. Many are still digging out after record floods. Others are ‘back to normal’ on the outside but shouting on the inside. How much worse can it get? What’s next? These are natural questions after disaster. Brethren, to me, though I am the very least…
Read MoreEpisode 434 – Everything is Going to be OK
When we are faced with struggles we wonder sometimes where is God? This is especially difficult in times of disaster or tragedy. The Gospel tells the story of the burial of the only son of a widow from Nain. She was not alone. God had compassion on her. We are never alone. God is always…
Read MoreEternal Union
It is easy to talk about forgiveness when it doesn’t matter. Too often I hear, “Sure I forgive them. God will take get them. I don’t have to.” I’m sorry to tell you, this is not forgiveness. This is vengeance. The problem isn’t now. The problem comes later when we are eternally together. There are…
Read MoreYou Have Value
Our society assesses value to everything and everyone. Tangible and intangible items alike all have a value we assign. What is valuable to one person may not be valuable to another. Certain rare items have such a high value that we compete to attain them. We may even battle for them. The Lord said to…
Read MoreLook in the Mirror
Just take a glance around the room when you are in a public place. Ask yourself what struggles each person you see might be experiencing right now. Fight the temptation to see their smiles and laughter as joy. For all you know, they are suffering on the inside. The truth is. You don’t know. The…
Read MoreHalf-Way Evaluation
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…
Read MoreDependence on God
There was an expression I heard often when I was young. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I don’t hear that much anymore, but it still rings true in the life of the Church. When life gets difficult, people of faith get going to Church and God, and blessings flow. Today the…
Read MoreThe Promise of Salvation
When a young child reaches for a hot stove, a loving parent slaps the child’s hand away from the stove. The child feels the pain of the action and likely feels punished. What really happened was that the parent saved the child from serious injury. Sometimes being saved feels like pain. The man gave names…
Read More