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Suffering: Wounded Healers

02/16/2021

Only people who have suffered in some way can usually save anybody else—exactly as the Twelve-Step program illustrates. They alone have the space and the capacity for the other. Deep communion and compassion are formed much more by shared pain than by shared pleasure. Jesus told Peter, “You must be ground like wheat, and once you have recovered, then you can turn and help the brothers” (see Luke 22:31-32). In general, you can lead people

Bob, His Doctor, and Your Moral Life

02/15/2021

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, November 15, 2015 Bob woke up one morning and felt terrible. He had no energy and his head hurt. After a while, he decided to go to see his doctor. When he got there the doctor had a number of questions for him: “Are you eating good meals? A balanced diet?” Bob replied, “Yes.” “Are you getting enough exercise?” the doctor continued. “Yes,” Bob said. “Do you smoke?” “No.” “Then, I

Unavoidable Suffering and Salvation – The Way of Shame

02/12/2021

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, November 13, 2015 At the heart of the modern narrative is a concern to alleviate and even eliminate suffering. This understanding is rooted in the Christian virtue of compassion. In many ways, however, modern compassion has been detached from its original context and become a thing-in-itself. Modernity is an arena where compassion has run amok, and, ironically, promises to create new and unique miseries in its wake. The Christian gospel is

Bashing Heads

02/11/2021

Troublesome passages of the Old Testament By Abbot Tryphon, November 17, 2019 It is important when reading the Old Testament, to remember that it was written as an account of a peoples’ journey to God. As the Israelites journey continued, they came to know God, little by little, through God’s self-revelation to their prophets, and their understanding of God expanded. Christ, as the Logos (the Word of God), was from the very beginning, and identified

Hieromartyr Charalambos

02/10/2021

IMPORTANT NOTE: In Greek hagiography and iconography St Charalambos is regarded as a priest, while Russian sources seem to regard as a bishop. St Charalambos, Bishop of Magnesia (Asia Minor), successfully spread faith in Christ the Savior, guiding people on the way to salvation. News of his preaching reached Lucian, the governor of the district, and the military commander Lucius. The saint was arrested and brought to trial, where he confessed his faith in Christ

Living in Truth

02/09/2021

SSCORRE! Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification Topic of the Week – Living in Truth In the 1940’s and later, Father Kolakovic warned Catholic Slovaks about the impending spiritual trials awaiting believers under the yoke of communist oppression which included censorship, physical tortures and even death. He saw what was coming and was able to educate Christians to prepare for their persecution. He encouraged his faithful to “See, Judge, Act. See meant to be awake to realities

About Fairy Tales

02/09/2021

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, October 28, 2015 If you want to teach a child not to do something, then clear directions and consistent discipline will generally do the trick. However, if you want to teach a child not to do a certain kind of thing, something completely different is called for. Most likely, you will have to resort to stories. Stories tell us about characters. Characters in good stories (particularly good children’s stories) are more than simple individuals with

Greatmartyr Theodore Stratelates “the General”

02/08/2021

The Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates came from the city of Euchaita in Asia Minor. He was endowed with many talents, and was handsome in appearance. For his charity God enlightened him with the knowledge of Christian truth. The bravery of the saintly soldier was revealed after he, with the help of God, killed a giant serpent living on a precipice in the outskirts of Euchaita. The serpent had devoured many people and animals, terrorizing the

God by The Numbers

02/05/2021

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, November 11, 2015 Math is very strange stuff. A serious question within the community of science and math is whether math is an invention or a discovery. Is it something that we have just made up out of our head, or is it something we observed and discovered (because it is already there)? This might sound like a silly thing to wonder about, but it is indeed most serious. The ancients

May God Give Us a Good Beginning So That We Might Find a Good End!

02/04/2021

SSCORRE! Saint Sophia Cathedral Online Resources for our Religious Edification Topic of the Week – May God Give Us a Good Beginning So That We Might Find a Good End! How much better things turn out for us when we prepare ourselves and make plans ahead of time! While Great Lent, our time period of preparation for Pascha, begins in 6 weeks on March 15th which seems like a long time away, the Triodion (the

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Suffering: Wounded Healers

Bob, His Doctor, and Your Moral Life

Unavoidable Suffering and Salvation – The Way of Shame

Bashing Heads

Hieromartyr Charalambos

Living in Truth

About Fairy Tales

Greatmartyr Theodore Stratelates “the General”

God by The Numbers

May God Give Us a Good Beginning So That We Might Find a Good End!

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