Soviet Dissidents: martyrs and confessors of freedom, truth, and human dignity I chose to major in political science back in the 80’s in large part so that I could study the Soviet Union, the “evil empire” that held a huge swath of the world’s population under the wicked yoke of anti-theistic, totalitarian, communist rule and […]
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.
40 Days of Blogging: Eden
November 21, 2014 By
Today’s topic is “Eden”. Genesis is one of my favorite books of the Bible, and its description of our life in paradise is certainly one of the reasons. Humanity has been plagued since that time by its sense of loss and emptiness and driven by the resulting desire to fill that void and either regain […]
40 Days of Blogging: Bread or Beer? Or Bozhe?!
November 20, 2014 By
Today’s topic is “bread or beer”? I’m writing from Constantinople (Istanbul), a country that was once the heart of a vibrant Christian empire… but is now 99% Mulim. It’s a shock. But I’ve seen it before even in my lifetime: so many Christian youth give up their baptismal garment to pursue demonic idols (“the gods […]
40 Days of Blogging: Immortality
November 19, 2014 By
Today’s topic is immortality. Priests spend a lot of time immersed in the reality of death, and yet we simlutaneously proclaim the truth of Christ’s victory over death. How can a rational mind keep such concepts juxtaposed without compromise or delusion? Three quick thoughts (as I prepare to leave the Holy Land for Constantinople): – […]
40 Days of Blogging: Sunday Best
November 17, 2014 By
(From Jerusalem) At midnight last night, I was blessed to celebrate the Resurrectional Divine Liturgy at the site of the Resurrection, the Holy Sepulcher. The experience was overwhelming in the same direction and way that every Paschal service is overwhelming. When it comes to “Sunday Best”, there are three things from this experience that come […]
40 Days of Blogging: Rules and Vocational Discernment
November 15, 2014 By
I have been the Director of Vocations for the UOC-USA for about a year and a half now. It has been a real blessing to help men and women understand, discern, and live their calling to serve God and His children. There are challenges, though. One of them is that in order to discern and […]
Podcast 20141104: Ukrainian Orthodoxy from the Inside
November 8, 2014 By
Two Ukrainian Orthodox priests share their thoughts on history and current events After a bit of satire on Putin’s war against Ukraine, Fr. Anthony has a long discussion with Fr. Paul Koroluk, a priest of the UOC-KP (the largest, though canonically-unrecognized, Orthodox Church in Ukraine). We share a vision of Ukraine and Ukrainian Orthodoxy that we […]
If Putin were President of Mexico: the Reconquista (update)
November 6, 2014 By
The Background: Before Putin came to Power in MexicoDue to the annexation of large portions of Mexican territory in the 19th century and generations of immigration, a significant portion of the population of US border areas was comprised of Mexican-Americans. At the beginning of the 21st century, there were about six million Mexican-Americans living in […]
From Unchurched to Disciple: the dynamic of discipleship
October 19, 2014 By
The continuum of commitment and membership in the Church looks like this: The Unchurched. According to survey research, “none” is the fastest growing religion in America. We should not be surprised. People who have not truly given their lives to Christ and accepted His salvation have no reason to come to church when society no […]
Podcast: Rapturemania and the Underground Church w/ Fr. John Peck
October 2, 2014 By
20140929 Rapturemania and the Underground Church The rapture: why are people excited about it and what’s it all about? Why is the Church facing hard times and how can/should it respond? Fr. John Peck and I talk about these things, an alternative approach to catechizing and doing missions, and the best Nicolas Cage movies […]
