Of great relevance to contemporary issues is the following incident from the life of Archbishop Theophan of Poltava of blessed memory. Such an incident gives guidance to lovers of truth in the midst of certain unstable situations. An evident example is the current situation in Ukraine (which affects America too) and the establishment of a …
Category: Living the Faith
With Whom to Stand?
There is, generally speaking, in the Western world a sad silence that reigns with regard to topics like the persecution of Christians. One such example in recent decades has been the mass persecution and destruction of Christian populations in the Middle East. A number of years ago I gave a small talk in which I …
Cruising on Broad Way
“Have I surrendered to the will of God, or am I still acting like the boss? Bob Dylan, Are you Ready. An epidemic of the modern disposition is the search for spirituality without sacrifice. This is reflected in modernity's disdain for absolutes (even though secularism, a fundamental of modernity, is ultimately absolutist in its expression) …
What Will You Choose?
I was rereading this article by Archbp. Averky (of Jordanville) of blessed memory and could not help being struck by its extreme pertinence to our times. I believe it most worthy of sharing, it is a sober but stirring message (the above title is the one which I have given to this post) - Few …
New Martyrs of Russia: An All American Feast Day
“Christianity must remain eternally unchanging, in no way being dependent on or guided by the spirit of each age. Instead, Christianity is meant to govern and direct the spirit of the age for anyone who obeys its teachings.” St Theophan the Recluse Millions upon millions of martyrs; a concrete number is hard to ascertain. Indeed, …
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Moral Heresy
In true Christianity, Orthodoxy, right faith and living go hand in hand. For instance, a person cannot confess that Jesus Christ is not God and be an Orthodox Christian, in confessing something contrary to the revelation of God in His Church such a one is setting himself at odds with that revelation. Of course, one …
Sweet Kisses of Betrayal
“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What will you give me if I deliver Him up to you?' And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.” Matthew 26:14-15. Whatever the means by which Judas came to the point where his heart was ripe to …
A Conflict of Wills
“They stumble at the word, being disobedient, in regard to that which they were appointed.” 1 Peter 2:8. Humanity is appointed to know God and, by grace, have fellowship with Him. Humanity was created for communion with God, this is its natural state. This state was corrupted by sin, which entered through the free choice …
Neo-Babel Ecumenism
“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, whose top will reach to heaven; and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the earth” (Gen. 11: 4). The goal of modern Ecumenism is global religious pseudo-unity; it is Anti-Church (Ecclesia), that is, it seeks …
Are We Christians?
They went out from us, but were not of us” 1 John 2:19. Every serious Orthodox Christian should be concerned about the current situation revolving around the Church in Ukraine. As I have eluded to elsewhere there are inevitable canonical consequences, yet the canons of the Church are in place to safeguard the Spirit of …
The Inkless Pen 