Acts 6:1-7Mark 15:43-16:8 Intro: Giving your life over to the idea of God vs. giving your life over to Jesus Christ. Compare to marriage: love the idea of marriage (or whatever) vs. unity with love through a relationship Judas loved the idea of the Messiah The myrrhbearers loved Jesus Christ the Messiah; through that personal […]
ON THE FIRST SUNDAY of the Great Fast our Church celebrates the triumph of Orthodoxy, the victory of true Christian teaching over all perversions and distortions thereof—heresies and false teachings. On the second Sunday of the Great Fast it is as though this triumph of Orthodoxy is repeated and deepened in connection with the celebration of the memory of one of the greatest pillars of Orthodoxy, the hierarch Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, who by his grace-bearing eloquence and the example of his highly ascetic private life put to shame the teachers of falsehood who dared reject the very essence of.Orthodoxy, the podvig of prayer and fasting, which enlightens the human mind with the light of grace and makes it a communicant of the divine glory.
The Illiberal Demand for Kosher and Halal Bacon
April 2, 2015 By
The Joy of BaconWith just a few days left before Pascha, the dominant logismoi distracting me from proper prayer (and analysis) is … bacon. I love it. I especially love the really fatty kind that just melts in your mouth. The best of the best is fried salo, a sort of bacon cut so that it […]
Problems with Talking to the Rider
March 24, 2015 By
In a previous post, I shared the strong finding from psychology that many of our moral decisions are made pre-cognitively (i.e. by the elephant), with the active mind (i.e. the rider) pretending to play the role of objective and pious investigator but actually playing the role of marketing guy for the decision the gut had […]
Becoming a Peacemaker
March 23, 2015 By
How can I become a Peacemaker? Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.What man is he that desireth life, that loveth to see good days?Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. (Psalm […]
Homily on St. John of the Ladder
March 22, 2015 By
Every Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to person or event, with the sequence of these commemorations designed to prepare us for a deeper participation in Christ’s passion and resurrection. This Sunday is dedicated to the life and work of St. John of the Ladder. Saint John was an ascetic, a spiritual athlete, and a […]
A Plea for Pastoral Gentleness
March 17, 2015 By
Thoughts on the calling of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew Matthew was a tax collector. When Jesus gave him the invitation to “follow me”, he responded with hospitality. He opened his house to the Lord, his disciples, fellow tax collectors, and unspecified sinners. Just to make sure everyone had a good time, this was […]
Homily on the Cross (notes)
March 15, 2015 By
St. Mark 8:34-9:1 Context: Christ has told his disciples about his coming passion. Peter rejected it; and Christ widened the coming persecution to include Himself. He had done this in his greatest homily saying “Blessed are you, when people revile you, and persecute you, and shall say terrible things about you falsely, for my sake.” […]
Homily on St. Gregory Palamas (notes)
March 8, 2015 By
What God do you meet in those moments of transcendence? Humans are built with the ability to enjoy and bask in the glory of God (brief warmth of sun after a long winter) Was meant to be a permanent reality; but we chose another way But we still have moments when we feel a special […]
The Triumph of True-Worship and Defeat of Iconoclasm (and why it matters)
March 1, 2015 By
The Triumph of True-Worship and Defeat of Iconoclasm (and why it matters)A Homily on the First Sunday of Lent: the Triumph of Orthodoxy Note about length of services. This is traditionally a time of catechetical instruction, so sermons may be longer than usual. Your priest will do what he can to ensure that this is not […]
What is a “Peacemaker”? A Reflection
March 1, 2015 By
Then Jesus Christ said; “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” (St. Matthew 5:9) We sing this every Sunday as part of the Beatitudes (sung during the Little Entrance, when the clergy process to the Holy Doors with the Gospel), but what does it mean? Let’s start with the […]
