The idea that any Westerner has about fasting is strongly linked with renunciation, with giving-up, with sacrificing something for God. In the Eastern Orthodox Church however, fasting achieves a much richer meaning. Fasting is not only about giving-up, but it is actually more about gaining, about being able to reach things that are possible only [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Apologetics'
Concerning Angels by Metropolitan ISAIAH of Denver
January 26th, 2010 No Comments
Due to a series of unfortunate events I recently watched the super Holywood production “Legion”. Five minutes into the movie I wished I was not there and by the end I concluded that nothing is sacred to the film industry. The movie is an apocaliptical thriller about the destruction of humankind by God that got fed-up [...]
Tags: angels · Archangels · Orders · orthodox · Tradition
The worshipping community
December 14th, 2009 2 Comments
I recently stumbled upon an older interview with Bishop Kalistos Ware, one of the most known Orthodox converts, and, with great pleasure I’ve rediscovered a passage that always struck a delicate chord in my heart. Here it is.:
“I first came to know the Orthodox Church when I was seventeen years old, just before I was [...]
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“To be” or “to know”, that is the question
September 24th, 2009 No Comments
Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, from William Shakespeare’s synonymous play, starting with the memorable phrase “To be or not to be, that is the question”, is a reflection that profoundly resonates with the Eastern Orthodox theology. Let me explain this.
Tags: God · hesychasm · knowledge · orthodox · prayer · reason
Why would we? – Not accepting sin as normality
September 17th, 2009 No Comments
Anyone that drives on some of the major highways in DFW can see a number of bilboards carrying the logo: “Would Jesus discriminate?/Why would we”. The astonishing thing however, that almost made me loose control of the vehicle, is the big picture of Christ along with the words “Jesus affirmed a gay couple”
Tags: billboard · homosexuality · orthodox · sin
Silence of the minds
September 11th, 2009 No Comments
I always liked this dialogue from the movie Pulp Fiction (slightly adapted for language):
“Don’t you hate that?”
“Hate what?”
“Uncomfortable silences. Why do we feel it’s necessary to yak about nonsense? In order to be comfortable?”
“I don’t know. That’s a good question.”
“That’s when you know you found somebody really special, when you can just shut […] up for a minute. Comfortably share silence.”
Tags: heart · mind · nous · prayer · silence · uncomfortable
The struggle of prayer – a short practical guide
August 10th, 2009 2 Comments
If you ask anyone in church about prayer they will most likely us a descriptor like: a pleasant experience, a conversation with God, a link with the absolute or other general terms, all positive in nature. Things are different however when, during Confession, a Father Confessor asks the same question. He will most likely hear more about lack of time, loss of focus, procrastination and struggle in general. The truth is that prayer is easier said than done.
Tags: desert fathers · orthodox · prayer · struggle
The case for early marriage
August 5th, 2009 No Comments
A very interesting article by Mark Regnerus making the case for early marriage as a a way to deal with pre-marital sexuality, divorce rates and economical crisis. You can read the article here.
One of the most interesting statements of the article in my opinion is this: “Most young Americans no longer think of marriage as a formative institution, but rather as the institution they enter once they think they are fully formed.”
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Who’s affraid of the Theotokos?
August 4th, 2009 No Comments
I recently posted a status on Facebook referring to the fast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. A few minutes later I got a reply from a non-denominational protestant friend: “I did not know that God had a mother”. This is a very typical response from this audience since they do not have any particular place for the Virgin Mary in their theology or worship.
