“O Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth” (Ps. 25/26:8). Deep reverence and concern for the beauty of the Lord's house is characteristic of the servants of God. The Psalmist loves the House of the Lord because it is the place where the Glory of the …
Tag: Orthodox Faith
The Thorns of Apostasy
“And that which fell into the thorns, these are the ones who heard, and while they are going on their way, they being choked by the cares and wealth and pleasures of life, and do not bring forth fruit to perfection” (Lk. 8:14). In another place our Lord says a similar thing, “Where your treasure …
Beauty Worth Dying For
Somewhere decades ago a true story was told. It's interesting how somethings stay with you throughout life. I must have been around nine or ten years of age. My parents took me to yet another Protestant gathering. Another adult speaking as I fidgeted in my chair. A missionary, I think, I mean my mind was …
Frozen Martyrs of the North, an Account from the Life of Elder Nikolai Guryanov
In this post I'm blessed to share with you, the reader, a brief account from the life of Elder Nikolai Guryanov, of blessed memory, which I translated from Russian. If you are unfamiliar with the life of this God-bearing elder, you may do further reading here and here. I believe the following story sheds more …
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The Inverted Commandments
“Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40). The …
Remember Your Death
I'm pleased to share some more of my translation from Russian into English of St. Dimitry of Rostov's works. The following is his teaching on the remembrance of death and the fleeting nature of this earthly existence. Well worth remembering in current situations. Begin translation - Always remember your death, O man, and the ephemeral …
Who of us is Christ’s?
Below is a translation from Russian of a short message from Met. Luke of Zaporozhye. His words remind me of those of Bl. Seraphim Rose, "Orthodoxy is something first of all of the heart, not just the mind, something warm and not abstract and cold, something learned and practiced in life." Begin translation- Who of …
To The Church of Sardis: Living with the Spiritually Dead
“To the angel of the Church of Sardis write: 'These things says the One Who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and are dead” (Rev. 3:1). In his monumental commentary on the book of Revelation, Archimandrite Athanasios makes clear …
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A Kingdom Not of This World
“My Kingdom is not of this world ...” (Jn. 18:36). The “world is the general name for all the passions, when we wish to call the passions by a general name, we call them the world,” teaches St. Issac the Syrian. Thus, the Kingdom of our Lord is not OF this fallen order of sinfulness. …
Who Is Mankind?
Central to the plan of the evil one is the destruction of the true understanding of who humanity essentially is. At current we are once again witnessing a nuanced but also a blatant assault on the nature of humanity. In this post, I will attempt to summarize the God-given revelation regarding the true nature of …
