"I can pray out in the woods so much better than in a church!" But do you do that? Seriously, I hear so many excuses as a priest from folks who can't seem to make regular church attendance a priority in their lives. And most of those lives are marked by a consistent inattentiveness to…
Every year, after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we get #Giving Tuesday. This is a day to try to pry our souls away from mere consumerism and focus on investing our treasure in Eternal Values.
Today is #Giving Tuesday , the day we here at Faith Encouraged Ministries use to launch our Annual Giving campaign for…
In A.D. 70 the Roman general Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem. The Empire had had enough of rebellions of the Jews and sought to bring to an end to the rebels' take over of the city in A.D. 66. The total destruction of the Jewish Temple during the Roman attack brought to an end…
St. Paisios said, “Sometimes the devil deceives us and makes us unable to be pleased with anything; however, one can celebrate all things in a spiritual manner, with doxology, and secure God’s constant blessing.” The older I get, the more I see the gratitude and the cultivation of gratitude that is the key to spiritual peace.…
Look at this note we recently received:
"Thank you so much, Father Barnabas, for these words which you share every day. Your blog is part of my morning meditation."
And another:
"Fr. Barnabas your blessing, please! This was so powerful and the words cut me! Thank you so much!!! I need to be awake attentive..and mature in…
What do we mean when we use the word "tradition?" To many, especially the millions of American Christians formed and shaped by popular Christianity, it is usually seen as a negative. You know, the "traditions of men" that Jesus warned us to avoid (see Mark 7:8-9). For others, formed by various religious and cultural traditions,…
Is the choice to live a good life a choice between being strict rule-keepers or libertarian pleasure-seekers? The wisdom God has revealed to His creation uncovers the radical Truth that a happy life is a life of Peace and that Peace isn't the absence of conflict. True Peace, God's Peace, is a Person - Jesus…
It seems we humans never tire of talking about Freedom. But what is freedom? During a dark time in human history, slavery of one form or another was the norm in human societies. Our nation, The United States, fought a war with ourselves over this blight on human history.
Sadly, human slavery still exists. The evil…
I remember reading Aesop's Fables and Mother Goose stories to my kids when they were little and actually would sit still while I read to them! These stories contained cultural lessons that have been passed down for generations. Humpty Dumpty, Old Mother Hubbard, The Hare and the Tortoise, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and so…
It has been said that God at His angriest is kinder to us than men at their kindest. What a lovely thought. Be careful; if you don't think this through, I guarantee the consequences of this great kindness won't be what you expected!
So, what are we to do with all those passages in the Bible…