Yesterday we celebrated a birthday! 1. Miracle. Joachim and Anna. We forget how great a miracle all conceptions and births are. 2. Her life (segue – her age!) We rejoice with the angels at the life of Mary. Chaste. Pure. Devoted. 3. Through her salvation has come into the world. Miracle. Chastity. Life given to […]
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.
RIOCF: Statement on Same-Sex Marriage
September 21, 2013 By
Rhode Island Orthodox Clergy FellowshipStatement on Same-Sex Marriage We, the clergy of the Orthodox Churches of Rhode Island, express our disappointment over recent developments concerning the status of marriage in our country and in our state. Specifically, we disapprove our state legislature’s vote in favor of and signing into law the practice of same-sex marriage. […]
Class. The ABC’s of Salvation through Christ and His Orthodox Church (why do we have all this stuff?)
September 19, 2013 By
Our Faith: Orthodox Christianity at St. Michael’sWoonsocket, Rhode Island Opening Prayer: O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who is everywhere present and fills all things; come and abide in us, cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.. Opening Scripture: Psalm 8; Ephesians 2: 1-10 Summary of Scripture: The Glory, […]
Homily: Threading the Needle
September 15, 2013 By
Homily on St. Matthew 19:16-2615 September 2013 And that thou mightest learn, that not by addition but by taking away this evil is stayed; if thou hadst ever had an absurd desire to fly and to be borne through the air, how wouldest thou extinguish this unreasonable desire? By fashioning wings, and preparing other instruments, […]
Some thoughts on the priestly vocation (impediments and advice)
September 10, 2013 By
The following represents my own personal reflections and are not necessarily representative of anyone else’s opinions. I focus on the UOC-USA because it is the Church I serve and the example I know best. With some minor modifications, these probably work for other Churches and dioceses, as well. I look forward to your comments. Requirements […]
Homily: On (not) Giving Clergy their Due
September 8, 2013 By
Homily on 1 Corinthians 9:2-12 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? (Excerpt) Pani and I went on vacation this past weekend. I spent part of that […]
My notes for the talk on Moral Psychology
August 8, 2013 By
I had hoped to find time to write these up properly – but two moths later I haven’t! So here it is, mis-spellings, poor grammar, and all! Notes for a talk on Orthodoxy, Ritual and Moral Psychology Warning: I use the words “conservative” and “liberal” throughout this talk. I am not talking about Republicans and […]
Podcast: 20130807 Being a Hero and Moral Psychology
August 8, 2013 By
This podcasts begins with advice for young people to become heroes. The rest is devoted to introducing listeners to some findings in moral psychology and their relevance to Orthodoxy (hint- it’s about ritual/Orthopraxis). Lord willing, I’ll be devoting more podcasts to devloping these themes. Here are the notes for the moral psychology talk (alas it […]
“Children are not our future – they are our present!”
June 30, 2013 By
Homily in Celebration of our Children and Youth (All Saints Day, 2013) “Children are not our future – they are our present!” These words of our beloved Metropolitan Constantine of blessed memory are not a call to put our children and youth on some kind of throne, but to expect and allow them to join […]
Moral Psychology, Orthodoxy, and Ritual (video)
June 23, 2013 By
Here is a link to the YouTube Video of the talk. YouTube Blurb: Sometimes it seems like religious conservatives and liberals are speaking a different language when it comes to morality. Framing plays an issue as both groups try to establish which moral category best fits the given issue, but this doesn’t really explain the […]
