Daily Meditations Archives - Page 250 of 348

Fourth Day of Christmas Advent, Journey to Bethlehem, Part I

11/18/2015

By Father John Parker About seven hundred years ago Andrei Rublev, or one of his disciples, painted perhaps the most memorable and beautiful icon of the Nativity of Christ. The 14th century icon is warped and cracked, but is in remarkable shape despite its age and history. It tells us, in earthen pigments bound to the gesso plaster, the story of the birth of Jesus, each facet of the good news surrounding the Virgin Mother Mary and

Third Day of Christmas Advent, The Christmas Fast and Prophesies

11/17/2015

By Presbytera Emily Harakas Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year-wonderful, yes, but probably the busiest! There are so many things to do-especially for the homemaker. The special gift(s) to purchase, the house and tree trimming, the cooking, the baking, the Christmas party and entertainment, the Church Pageant and the caroling … etc., all this wonderful preparation for the most “wonderful time of the year!” During the year, our Orthodox Church observes many fast

Second Day of Christmas Advent, Preparing for Birth: The Fast of the Nativity

11/16/2015

By Father Andrew Barakos The fast of the Nativity (November, 15th through December 24th) is first mentioned historically in the 7th Century. The only universal fasting rules (canons) of the Church that exist refer to Great Lent (40 days before Pascha or Easter); which is the most severe fast of the year. The fast of the Nativity on the other hand, varied in duration and degree of severity throughout the Church. The Nativity fast is

The Winter of Beauty (Part II)

11/13/2015

The most striking general characteristic of contemporary art is its rejection of the face; even those who are aware that, after their descent into hell, there might be a resurrection, find the human face virtually impossible to portray; I think of the extraordinary Holy Faces of Manessier, those immense buds of the night which can never open out. There is a parallel in literature, where words are separated from the Word and whirl around like

The Beginning of the Spiritual Life

11/12/2015

The development of this inner sensitivity is the beginning of a spiritual life. It seems that the emphasis on interpersonal sensitivity has at times made us forget to develop the sensitivity that helps us to listen to our own inner voices. Sometimes one wonders if the fact that so many people ask support, advice and counsel from so many other people is not, in large part, due to their having lost contact with their innermost

AWARENESS: SILENCE’S VERY OWN PRACTICE

11/11/2015

The practice of contemplation over many winters into spring often leads to a subtle but fundamental shift in prayer: from using a prayer word as a means of concentration to simple sitting in awareness. Just being. It is much as St. John of the Cross describes it: “Preserve a loving attentiveness to God with no desire to feel or understand any particular thing concerning God.” When inner silence sits in simple repose, its prayer is

REAL PEACE (Part II)

11/10/2015

Fr. Maximos went on to emphasize that the lack of inner peace emanates from our egocentric passions and unbridled desires. Furthermore, he pointed out that all external wars, violence, and social and interpersonal conflicts spring from our inner states of disharmony. For him, therefore, achieving freedom and justice must begin with an arduous effort to attain inner peace. Revolutionaries who fight for justice do not understand that, no matter how noble their cause may be,

Saint Nektarios the Wonderworker, Metropolitan of Pentapolis

11/09/2015

The divine Nektarios of Aegina, is one of the most widely known of Greek Orthodox Saints. He was born on October 1st, 1846 in Silyvria, in Asia Minor (now occupied by Turkey). At Holy Baptism he was given the name Anastasios. His parents were simple pious Christians. They brought him up in a manner pleasing to God, and did what their very limited means allowed for his formal education. Having completed elementary school in his

Do Not Judge: Causes and Types of Criticism (Part II)

11/06/2015

He who is not aware of his own spiritual condition is spurred on by pride and criticizes others, and for this he is condemned by the impartial Lord. On the other hand, he who is aware of his condition is humbled, and with magnanimity towards his fellows, seeks the Lord’s mercy. Concerning a person who has attained self-awareness, one saint says: “He who has a sense of his sins is superior to one who resurrects

Shaping Life Spiritually (Part II)

11/05/2015

Every evening numerous dramas are played out as husbands and wives come home from work, bringing with them a chaotic mass of negative feelings from the office. They are glad to see each other, but they are full of thoughts from work. And thus there is no meeting of minds; people talk past each other and unload problems dragged in from elsewhere. Here it would be a good exercise to take the path home more