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The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary (II)

The circumstances of the Dormition of the Mother of God were known in the Orthodox Church from apostolic times. Already in the first century, the Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite wrote about Her “Falling-Asleep.” In the second century, the account of the bodily ascent of the Most Holy Virgin Mary to Heaven is found in the works of Meliton, Bishop of Sardis. In the fourth century, Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus refers to the tradition about the

Friday of the Third Week of Lent. By THIS All Men Will Know That You Are My Disciples

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 (From the First Gospel on Holy Thursday Evening) Everyone lives busy lives. We even call our lives “crazy busy” at times. Christ knows that our lives are busy. If you envision

The Twelfth Day of Christmas. Live Right!

For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions and to live sober, upright and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. -Titus 2: 11-13 (Epistle from Liturgy of Epiphany) No one likes to be told to wait. We tend to want things, as one restaurant ad puts

The Thirty-Second Day of Christmas Advent. Be Not Afraid

And they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ”Be not afraid.” -Luke 2:9-10 Think about when you are most afraid. It’s when you don’t know the outcome of something. People feel fear before they take a test, particularly medical tests, because they don’t know what the outcome is going to be. People are afraid of the unknown, because they don’t have mastery of it and can’t control the results. People get

The Twenty-Fifth Day of Christmas Advent. Watching Your Flock Isn’t Always Glamorous

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night. -Luke2:8 Being a shepherd was certainly not a glamorous job. It involved herding a large number of sheep to go into a specific direction. Of course, the sheep don’t have the power of persuasion and reason that human beings have, so this was a tough task. Oftentimes the ratio of sheep could be 100 sheep to one

The Twenty-Fourth Day of Christmas Advent. Bethlehem Was Too Busy to Notice

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night. -Luke2:8 We’ve all experienced the stress of the mall at Christmas. Fighting over parking places, waiting in traffic, and long lines in the stores, and now added to that everyone looking at their phone, WHILE fighting for parking, sitting in traffic and waiting in line. I remember once thinking, with all of this stress at the mall, would

The Twenty-Third Day of Christmas Advent. The Message Is for Everyone

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night. -Luke2:8 I’m sure during the period of the census in Bethlehem, there were people from all walks of life, all economic classes. There were well-to-do people who got the most expensive rooms in the most expensive inns, who rode the best donkeys and camels. With so many people descending on Bethlehem for the census, there were undoubtedly

The Eighteenth Day of Christmas Advent. Is There Room in Your Inn?

And she gave birth to her first born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn. -Luke 2:7 In the Mexican culture, there is a Christmas-time tradition called Las Posadas. In this tradition, a couple dressed up as Mary and Joseph go from home to home, asking if there is any room at “the inn.” Each home takes on the

The Fifteenth Day of Christmas Advent. We All Come from Somewhere

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled

The Seventh Day of Christmas Advent. It Was a Cave, Not a Barn!

And she gave birth to her first born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn. -Luke2:7 Every Nativity play I have ever watched has a scene where Mary and Joseph go to an inn and are told that there are no rooms available. They are, however, told that there is a stable out back and are shown to a