By now you know that we are firmly in the Pre-Lenten period. We are only two short weeks away from the start of the awesome and wondrous struggle that we call Great and Holy Lent. Here during this time before the great fast, the Church gives us of her milk in order to prepare us
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How Zacchaeus Reclaimed Paradise and How You Can Too
Many people say that they want to know God. Sometimes people are more specific and they say that they want to know Jesus Christ. This is really the correct way to think about it. We know the Father only through the Son. The Lord Himself says “He who has seen me, has seen the Father
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MIRACLE ON ATHOS: INCORRUPT BODY OF ASCETIC FOUND
A miracle has occurred on Mt. Athos—the body of a deceased monk has been found to be without any signs of corruption and not emitting any foul smell, a month and a half after his repose. The deceased monk Fr. Stephen labored in the skete of Kavsokalyvia for forty years. Fr. Stephen led an
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IMPULSIVITY AND THE PROBLEM OF SELF-CONTROL
It is hard not to admire someone with self-control. It’s a virtue that emboldens the brave to face any foe and often prevail. The ancient Greek historian Thucydides recounting the exploits of the legendary heroes in the Peloponnesian war once remarked, “self-control is the chief element in self-respect and self-respect is the chief element in
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CREATING CHASMS AND BUILDING BRIDGES
The Lord told this parable: “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.
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THEOSIS – THE TRUE PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE – Part 10 of 10 – Consequences of Guidance for Theosis
Consequences of Guidance for Theosis The guidance that our Orthodox Church offers, with the Holy Services, Patristic theology, Monasticism, is theanthropocentric guidance. Its centre is the God-Man Christ, and it leads to Theosis. This brings great joy into our life when we know what a great destiny we have, and what blessedness awaits us. To
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Who is Really Poor? Who is Really Rich?
In the Gospel lesson of Luke 16:19-31, we are challenged by Christ to think about of what true wealth consists and what human poverty is. There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purpleand fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who
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Spiritual Counsels of St. Nikon of Optina
We honor the memory of the Optina Monastery holy confessor Nikon. St. Nikon (in the world, Nicholai Mitrofanovich Belyaev) was a great example of patience and obedience—from his youth to the end of his life, he good-heartedly endured everything sent to him by God. Even in his childhood, there were events that were like signs
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THE THIRD INSTRUCTION – ON THE CONSCIENCE – ABBA DOROTHEOS
When God created man He sowed in him something divine, a certain thought which has in itself, like a spark, both light and warmth; a thought which enlightens the mind and indicates to it what is good and what is evil—this is called conscience, and it is a natural law. This is that well
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OUR SPIRITUAL STATE DETERMINES OUR LIVES
Giving charity What more can be said about this other than what Christ Himself said? Do not sound a trumpet before thee (Matt. 6:2). There was a custom that the Pharisees especially loved to follow: to stand on the crossroads and sound a trumpet, to give a signal that the needy should run to them,
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