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Homily on the Feast of the Annunciation, by Saint Theodore the Studite

03/25/2013

It was spoken on the day of the Annunciation. Brethren and fathers, the Annunciation is here and it is the first of the Feasts of the Lord, and we should not simply celebrate as most do, but with understanding and with reverence for the mystery. What is the mystery? That the Son of God becomes son of man, using the holy Virgin as the means, dwelling in her and from her fashioning for Himself a

“. . . BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING” (Part II)

03/22/2013

What then is fasting for us Christians? It is our entrance and participation in that experience of Christ Himself by which He liberates us from the total dependence on food, matter, and the world. By no means is our liberation a full one. Living still in the fallen world, in the world of the Old Adam, being part of it, we still depend on food. But just as our death—through which we still must pass—has

“. . . BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING” (Part I)

03/21/2013

In the Orthodox teaching, sin is not only the transgression of a rule leading to punishment; it is always a mutilation of life given to us by God. It is for this reason that the story of the original sin is presented to us as an act of eating. For food is means of life; it is that which keeps us alive. But here lies the whole question: what does it mean to be alive

FASTING & PARTICIPATION IN LENTEN SERVICES

03/20/2013

[Not everyone] can attend the entire cycle of lenten worship. Everyone can attend some of it. There is simply no excuse for not making Lent first of all the time for an increased attendance of and participation in the liturgy of the Church. Here again, personal conditions, individual possibilities and impossibilities can vary and result in different decisions, but there must be a decision, there must be an effort, and there must be a “follow-up.”

LENT IN OUR LIFE: “TAKING IT SERIOUSLY” (Part II)

03/19/2013

In regard to Lent, instead of asking fundamental questions—”What is fasting?” or “What is Lent?”—we satisfy ourselves with Lenten symbolism. In church magazines and bulletins appear recipes for “delicious lenten dishes,” and a parish might even raise some additional money by means of a well-advertized “tasty lenten dinner.” So much in our churches is explained symbolically as interesting, colorful, and amusing customs and traditions, as something which connects us not so much with God and

LENT IN OUR LIFE: “TAKING IT SERIOUSLY” (Part I)

03/18/2013

Now these questions must be asked: How can we apply [Lent] to our lives? What could be not only a nominal but a real impact of Lent on our existence? This existence (do we need to recall it) is very different from the one people led when all these services, hymns, canons, and prescriptions were composed and established. One lived then in a relatively small, mainly rural community within one organically Orthodox world; the very

Empowered to…

03/15/2013

Empowered to Speak The Spirit that Jesus gives us empowers us to speak. Often when we are expected to speak in front of people who intimidate us, we are nervous and self-conscious. But if we live in the Spirit, we don’t have to worry about what to say. We will find ourselves ready to speak when the need is there. “When they take you before . . . authorities, do not worry about how to

Asceticism (Part I)

03/14/2013

The monks are forever talking about the struggle that life with God demands. Life in the wilderness is a continuous combat with the demons, and it demands constant effort from the monks. Mother Synkletika said: “Those who go to God have at first struggles and many hardships. But afterward the joy is unspeakable. Just as those who wish to light a fire are first bothered by the smoke and have to cry, but in this

Across the Centuries

03/13/2013

Abba Anthony said: “The time is coming when people will be insane, and when they see someone who is not insane, they will attack that person saying: ‘You are insane because you are not like us.’” WE SO OFTEN THINK that those who refuse under any conditions to deny the essential goodness of life are mad. Look at the suffering. Look at the evil. Be real, we say. We are so often inclined to think

Father Maximos on Self-Control

03/12/2013

“How can we start?” Maria asked. “I mean, how can we practice temperance and self-control?” Fr. Maximos ate a piece of stuffed tomato before replying. “The proper way is to start with simple things, like being critical of your thoughts and actions. Let us say that a thought tells you you should do a certain thing, say buy a new television set. Examine it. Ask yourself, ‘Do I really need it?’ If you think you

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Homily on the Feast of the Annunciation, by Saint Theodore the Studite

“. . . BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING” (Part II)

“. . . BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING” (Part I)

FASTING & PARTICIPATION IN LENTEN SERVICES

LENT IN OUR LIFE: “TAKING IT SERIOUSLY” (Part II)

LENT IN OUR LIFE: “TAKING IT SERIOUSLY” (Part I)

Empowered to…

Asceticism (Part I)

Across the Centuries

Father Maximos on Self-Control

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