by Fr. Ted Women Disciples of the Lord “The character of our earthly life is constant expectation of God’s call from this life to the other. We are not our own; we are the servants of God, as the Church so rightly calls us; and servants ought to hourly await their Lord’s call. He will [...]
I was looking in the eyes of a violent man this week. He had just been attacked and he responded in kind, and in the aftermath as he was shouting his curses upon everyone and everything and shoving away those whose job it is to officially Calm Things Down and then record Paperwork about it, [...]
What happened in the parable Jesus taught about the king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants? This story is found in Matthew 18:21-35. It is a powerful story about the necessity of forgiveness. It clearly tells us that forgiveness is not an option if we want to be included in His kingdom. The [...]
by Christina StolaasShe’s always there. Sometimes in the background, sometimes with a welcoming smile up front, sometimes noticed and appreciated, sometimes being silently judged. Your pastor’s wife; the powerful force behind most church leaders often perceived as a mystery by the rest of the church. It doesn’t have to be that way. What if we just [...]
On the Issue of the Orthodox "Diaspora" Introduction It seems, during the course of work on the Great Orthodox Council, that the issue of the "diaspora" will be the most important, in the sense that there is no issue more important than it. Due to serious disagreements that currently exist between the Orthodox Churches, mostly [...]
Ecclesiastical New Year September 1 Reading: For the maintenance of their armed forces, the Roman emperors decreed that their subjects in every district should be taxed every year. This same decree was reissued every fifteen years, since the Roman soldiers were obliged to serve for fifteen years. At the end of each fifteen-year period, an [...]
استعداداً لمجيء المسيحالمسيح عطاء الآب للبشرية: صنع الروح القدس من مريم «عجينة البشرية»، بعد أن قدَّسها، ثم اقتطع منها قُرباناً جعله الابنُ خاصاً له ووحَّده بلاهوته، وسلَّمه لبني الخطاة ليرفعوه قرباناً عنهم ورغماً منهم على الصليب. الحكيمة مريم احتفظت بسر القربان إلى أن حان وقت تقديمه، وقبل الساعة المعيَّنة بقليل كانت وكأنها تقول للمسيح: «أظهِرْ [...]
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كُلِّفتُ أنْ أُحدِّثََكم في نظرةٍ لاهوتيةٍ عنِ الموتِ بما هو معضلة. لا يَهُمُّ العُنوانُ المُقترَح. يبقى أنَّ الموتَ مسألةٌ عندَ كلٍّ البشرِ بسببٍ من تمسّكِهِم بهذه الحياةِ الدنيا التي بها سيتمتّعون، ولا سيما أنّ أكثرَهم يقولون إنَّ الموتَ حقٌّ، ولعلّهم يريدون بذلك أنّه حقُّ الله على الناس. ولكنّه في بَدءِ سِفرِ التكوينِ هو عقاب، هو [...]
The Angels By Nabil Semaan* FEAST OF ARCHANGELS On the 8th of November, the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of synaxis of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and the rest of the archangels. The word synaxismeans the gathering of believers to celebrate a feast, or to make a remembrance of a saint. This feast also has a special meaning; [...]