St. Paul Archives - Page 20 of 25

The Twenty-Fourth Day of Christmas Advent. The Morality of Christmas

12/08/2017

By Father Stephen Freeman Morality is tricky business in what is an extremely moral society. I pray my readers to be patient with me as I explain what I think is the problem. First, I will note that morality is all that is left when the most fundamental grounds of a culture have been destroyed. We indeed live in just such a time, hence the rise of a vehemence in the moral life. Second, I will suggest

The Tradition of Being Human

09/07/2017

By Father Stephen Freeman Being human is a cultural event. No one is human by themselves and no one becomes human without the help of those around them. This is so obvious it should not need to be stated, but contemporary man often imagines himself to be his own creation. The exercise of individual freedom is exalted as the defining characteristic of our existence: “I am what I choose to be.” To suggest that most of who

The World as Sacrament: The Theological and Spiritual Vision of Creation: His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Part II)

09/01/2017

Creation and the Virtue of Compassion On the sixth day of creation, God created man and woman in His divine image and likeness. Yet, what most people overlook is that the sixth day is not dedicated to the formation of Adam alone. That sixth day was shared with “living creatures of every kind; cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth.” (Gen. 1.24) This close connection between humanity and the rest of creation

Saintless Christianity

08/29/2017

By Father Stephen Freeman What would Christianity mean if there were no saints? To rephrase the question: What would be the meaning of the Christian gospel if there were no wonderworkers, no people who had been transfigured with the Divine Light, no clairvoyant prophets, no healers, no people who had raised the dead, no ascetics living alone in the deserts for years on end, no beacons of radical, all-forgiving love? What would be the meaning

The Earth Stood Still. The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

08/15/2017

By Father Stephen Freeman Orthodox Christians commemorate the death (Dormition) of the Virgin Mary during the month of August (New Calendar, the 15th, Old Calendar, the 28th). For those for whom such feasts are foreign, it is easy to misunderstand what the Orthodox are about – and to assume that this is simply a feast to Mary because we like that sort of thing. Flippant attitudes fail to perceive the depths of the mystery of our salvation.

THE MYSTERY AND THE GOSPEL OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS CHRIST (Part II)

08/04/2017

A Sermon by Father Peter A. Chamberas The Transfiguration of Christ then reveals not only the divine nature and glory of Jesus, which is always there in His unified person, – though not always observable by all and at all times; it also reveals the spiritual transfiguration of our own human nature as well. Jesus, shining in pristine beauty and unfading glory, reveals in His human nature the natural, the original condition of the human

Patience (Part II): The Biblical Roots of Patience in Desert Asceticism

07/18/2017

The sources of desert wisdom are the sayings of the abbas and ammas and written accounts of incidents from their lives. The wisdom embodied in their actions and teaching was formed through years of meditation and teaching about the Bible and the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The Greek words used for patience in these sources can help us understand the role of patience in the lives of the desert monks. The Greek verb “hypomeno”

Face to Face—Beholding God

07/14/2017

My mind wandered back to these thoughts as I pondered the growing phenomenon of “selfies.” Of course, the “selfie” is the passion-driven distortion of the theology of the face – existence as ego. For the mystery of the face is not to look at myself, but to look at the other. You are God’s “selfie.” Ponder it. Nothing about the human body is as intimate as the face. We generally think of other aspects of

The Purpose and Method of Christian Life (Part II). The Goal and Telos of Christian Life (Part II)

06/29/2017

So, what do the terms “purity of heart” and “kingdom of God” mean? We begin with purity of heart. Abba Moses speaks at quite some length about what it is, as well as what it is not. First, we will look at what Abba Moses says about purity of heart in positive terms-what he says about what it actively is. Abba Moses connects purity of heart to a variety of other terms and concepts that

Thursday after Pentecost. The Purpose of the Church

06/08/2017

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42 Many times, even those who are very involved in the church (this includes priests, Parish Council members, Sunday School teachers and others in church leadership) forget about the true purpose of the church. As we continue to discuss the life of the early church, today’s verse mentions the main activities of the early church, activities

Tags

The Twenty-Fourth Day of Christmas Advent. The Morality of Christmas

The Tradition of Being Human

The World as Sacrament: The Theological and Spiritual Vision of Creation: His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Part II)

Saintless Christianity

The Earth Stood Still. The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

THE MYSTERY AND THE GOSPEL OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS CHRIST (Part II)

Patience (Part II): The Biblical Roots of Patience in Desert Asceticism

Face to Face—Beholding God

The Purpose and Method of Christian Life (Part II). The Goal and Telos of Christian Life (Part II)

Thursday after Pentecost. The Purpose of the Church

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