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Stillness and Silence: Wonder, Gratitude and Generosity Flow from the Well of Stillness

01/11/2018

One day Abba Arsenius consulted an old Egyptian monk about his own thoughts. Someone noticed this and said to him, “Abba Arsenius, how is it that you, with such a good Latin and Greek education, ask this peasant about your thoughts?” He replied, “I have indeed been taught Latin and Greek, but I do not know even the alphabet of this peasant.”21 Stillness opens the heart of the monk to a sense of wonder. When

Inner Stillness: Stillness Opens Us to Prayer

01/10/2018

IN HIS BOOKLET The Power of the Name, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware writes: When you pray you yourself must be silent.… You must be silent; let the prayer speak. Silence is not merely negative-a pause between words-but highly positive; it is an attitude of attentive alertness, of vigilance, and above all of listening. The person who prays is the one who listens to the voice of prayer in his own heart, and he understands that this

The Goal of Life in Society: Cultivating Love, Assuaging Anger (Part IV)

01/09/2018

All of Abba Joseph’s teachings so far probably make pretty good sense to most readers. As much as we may not live up to the ideal of mutual purity of heart, which defines real love, it is pretty easy to see its value, and it is equally easy to see the direct opposition to this ideal that anger presents within us. Yet, one of the most provocative aspects of Abba Joseph’s teaching on relationships is

Trinity: From Disconnection to Connection

01/08/2018

If my instincts are right, this rediscovery of Trinity can’t come a moment too soon. I’m convinced that beneath the ugly manifestations of our present evils—political corruption, ecological devastation, warring against one another everywhere, hating each other based on race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation—the greatest dis-ease facing humanity right now is our profound and painful sense of disconnection. We feel disconnected from God, certainly, but also from ourselves (our bodies), from each other, and

The Mystery of Christ’s Baptism

01/06/2018

By Stephen Freeman This week, the Church moves from the feast of Christmas to the feast of Theophany – the celebration of the Baptism of Christ. The intent of this feast is not to celebrate a succession of historical events (the Baptism of Christ is at least 30 years later than His birth). Rather this feast takes us into the depths of the mystery of Christ and His salvation of the world. Many Christians, reading the gospel accounts of

The Twelfth Day of Christmas. The Theophany and Healing (Part II)

01/05/2018

By Fr. George Morelli [1] The promise of the King of the Gentiles and the desired of all The conversion of pagans is mentioned in the psalms. King David as the obvious prefigure of Christ has the Lord God say to him: “You are my son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” (Ps 2: 7-8) And again

The Eleventh Day of Christmas. The Theophany and Healing (Part I)

01/04/2018

By Fr. George Morelli [1] “And the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the truthfulness of His word. O Christ our God, who hast revealed Thyself and hast enlightened the world, glory to Thee!” “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. (Mt 9:12) The Feast of the Theophany of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ brings greater understanding of God’s encounter with His Chosen

The Tenth Day of Christmas. The Last Christmas – Ever

01/03/2018

By Father Stephen Freeman This Christmas was the last Christmas – ever. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Wherever He is, there is the beginning and the end of all things. If Christ was truly present in this year’s Christmas, then it was the last Christmas – and the first Christmas. And if statements like this make your hair hurt – then read on. Our common way of thinking about the world is marked

The Ninth Day of Christmas. The Tradition of the Vasilopita (with Recipe)

01/02/2018

From the DOWAMA St. Raphael Clergy Brotherhood The tradition of baking and cutting a special “pita” (which can mean a loaf of bread, a cake, or even a pie) each year on January 1st is observed in honor of our holy father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappodocia– hence its name “Vasilopita” meaning “St. Basil’s Bread.” This tradition is observed in both parish churches and in the homes of the faithful. What is

The Eighth Day of Christmas. Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia

01/01/2018

Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, “belongs not to the Church of Caesarea alone, nor merely to his own time, nor was he of benefit only to his own kinsmen, but rather to all lands and cities worldwide, and to all people he brought and still brings benefit, and for Christians he always was and will be a most salvific teacher.” Thus spoke Saint Basil’s contemporary, Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium. Saint

Blog

Stillness and Silence: Wonder, Gratitude and Generosity Flow from the Well of Stillness

Inner Stillness: Stillness Opens Us to Prayer

The Goal of Life in Society: Cultivating Love, Assuaging Anger (Part IV)

Trinity: From Disconnection to Connection

The Mystery of Christ’s Baptism

The Twelfth Day of Christmas. The Theophany and Healing (Part II)

The Eleventh Day of Christmas. The Theophany and Healing (Part I)

The Tenth Day of Christmas. The Last Christmas – Ever

The Ninth Day of Christmas. The Tradition of the Vasilopita (with Recipe)

The Eighth Day of Christmas. Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia

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