Job’s Suffering as Consolation
On both sides, beloved, reap the utmost gain, and avoid the imitation of Adam knowing how many ills are begotten of laziness and imitate the piety of Job, learning how many glorious things spring from earnestness. Consider him, the conqueror throughout, and you shall have much consolation in all pain and peril. For as it were in the common theatre of the world that blessed and noble man stands forth, and by means of the …
Treasures of the Fathers: Prophecies of Tuesday of the First Week of the Great Fast
In this series, we will read the Holy Scripture with the Church through the lens of the Holy Fathers who lived the Scripture and bequeathed their inspired interpretations to later generations for their edification and spiritual growth. Isaiah 1:19–2:3 And if ye be willing, and hearken unto me, ye shall eat the good things of the land: 20 But if ye be not willing, neither hearken unto me, a sword shall devour you; for the …
The Women in the Genealogy of Christ
Let us examine a unique aspect of the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel according to St. Matthew: the inclusion of several women. The historical reality is that, in Biblical genealogies, women are not typically included. A person’s lineage was defined primarily by his or her male ancestors. But in Christ’s genealogy, we have several interesting women listed: Tamar is mentioned in v. 3, as are Rahab and Ruth in v. 5, …
On the Remembrance of Death
Tonight, brothers and sisters in Christ, we offer our hearts and prayers in this Evening Raising of Incense service on the eve of the Fourth Sunday of the blessed Coptic month of Paope. Every day, our loving Mother, the Holy Church, nourishes us with different spiritual teachings through the Katamerous, or the daily readings, which are quite accessible these days. I wholeheartedly encourage you to search out these readings every day, whether we have services …
Christ Calms the Raging Sea
Tonight, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we offer our prayers through the raising of incense on the eve of the Third Sunday of the blessed Coptic month of Paope. Our Mother, the Holy Church, nourished us with a passage from the Gospel according to St. Mark 4:35-41, which described how our Lord Jesus Christ calmed a fearful storm by the power of His word. In this beautiful story, which is also found in Matthew …
Christ Above the Temple Tax
Christ our Lord was in Capernaum, the city that hosted Him during much of His earthly ministry, residing in one of the houses along with His disciples. St. Peter, however, was outside this house when certain tax collectors came and asked him whether our Lord paid something called the “temple tax.” Peter responded, “Yes,” and entered the house where our Lord was staying, but before he could say anything, our Lord, Who knows all things, …
A Prophecy of Abba Pambo
“And I’ll tell you this, my child, that the days will come when the Christians will add to and will take away from, and will alter the books of the Holy Evangelists, and of the Holy Apostles, and of the Divine Prophets, and of the Holy Fathers. They will tone down the Holy Scriptures and will compose troparia, hymns, and writings technologically. Their nous (souls) will be spilled out among them, and will become alienated …
If You Love Me, Speak Up
Recently, I had the blessing of attending a college youth meeting in which they were discussing the sanctity of marriage in Church and society. Not surprisingly, the issue of same-sex marriage came up and the servant asked the youth, “If you were invited to the same-sex wedding of a close friend, would you attend?” Quite surprisingly (at least to me), a couple of Orthodox Christian youth indicated that they would indeed attend out of a sense …
Advice to Women from St. Gregory the Theologian
In 384 A.D., our father among the saints, the Holy Gregory the Theologian (Nazianzus) composed the following 111-line poem to Olympiatha, a young bride, on the occasion of her crowning and marriage to Nevrithios, an illustrious youth and official of the imperial city. Although the saint wrote this poem as advice to a young bride, it can be received as advice for all faithful women. My daughter, For your wedding, I, your spiritual father Gregory, …
Why all the Acronyms (WATA)?
Are you going to SMSP or SASC tomorrow? This question likely makes no sense to you, dear reader, but to a fictional youth deciding between two fictional parishes, St. Mark and St. Peter Church (SMSP) and St. Athanasius and St. Cyril Church (SASC), the question makes perfect sense, because each parish, of course, has an acronym. Wait… acronyms? For parish names? Why? Let me suggest with all love, respect, and sincerity, that this notion of …