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Some 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…
Tags: calendar, Feasts, Great Lent, patience
April 23, 2024
Plans 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…
Tags: Fasting, genesis, Great Lent, prayer, relationships
April 22, 2024
Episode 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…
Tags: Great Lent, humility, relationships
April 21, 2024
Get 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…
Tags: charity, Fasting, Gospel of Mark, Great Lent, humility, prayer
Are You Praying for Your City?
Last night throughout the entire Orthodox Christian world, Churches were filled with faithful. It wasn’t liturgy, but it was just as important. Tens of thousands of Orthodox Christians sang the Akathist to the Theotokos according to our custom. It is a service which commemorates a time when our faithful ancestors prayed to the Theotokos to…
Tags: Church History, prayer
April 20, 2024
Questioning 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…
Tags: genesis, Great Lent, Isaiah, Romans
April 18, 2024
Negotiating 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…
Tags: genesis, Great Lent, prayer
Bible Study on 1st Corinthians Session 39
Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians A Bible Study Based upon the Homilies of St John Chrysostom (SJC) Study Guide – April 23, 2024 – 1st Corinthians 15.1-10 Session 39 – Homily 38 Prayer before reading of the Holy Scriptures: Shine within our hearts, loving Master, the pure light of Your divine knowledge, and…
April 17, 2024
The 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…
Tags: Church History, genesis, gospel of john, Great Lent, Isaiah
Do You Serve That Which is Made by Hands?
We all serve someone. Employees serve their managers, and managers serve the company owners. Those in love serve their lovers. Some even serve wealth and power. All these things pass away. All these things are made by human hands. All these are idols. Thus says the LORD: To whom then will you liken God, or…
Tags: Great Lent, Isaiah
April 16, 2024
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