This famous conversation between St. Seraphim of Sarov and a young, Russian nobleman is a true treasure for us today:
Movilof asked: "What does it mean, acquiring the Holy Spirit?" Abba Seraphim replied: "When you acquire something you own it, like owning money. The Holy Spirit is your heavenly capital. Let us pray to be filled…
There are real and debilitating consequences to living life asleep. Wow, what a way to begin a devotional!
But seriously, the ancient saying "the unexamined life is not worth living" hits home precisely because most of my troubles in my life are self-inflicted AND result from not taking the time and not developing the insight necessary…
“They have to keep the rules, just like us!” Yeah, that’s true. We should all be held to the same standard. But wait a tick, have you kept the “rules” you expect others to keep? I know it’s hard to get your mind to shift from “what should be” to “what is,” but that’s what…
Today is the Feast of the Ascension, and this Feast begs the question: What is this whole ascending from the Mount of olives all about? Why didn’t Jesus just “POOF” disappear and go to the Father’s side? Why all this theatrics?
It is almost axiomatic that any truth or tradition sufficiently removed from its Source or…
Christ is risen!
What does it mean to "believe in" something? I confess most of my life I've just taken for granted that I knew, and everyone around me knew, what that meant. I was wrong.
The word "believe" means so much more than just agreeing that certain ideas are correct. The Greek word used in the…
Christ is risen!
In World War 1 the two opposing armies would dig in and conduct what was then called "trench warfare." The land between the two armies entrenched for the fight was called "no man's land" because anybody who tried to attack would be shot by the other side!
Not a pleasant place to be.
But recently…
Christ is risen!
"You just don't know what you're talking about!" He was pretty upset over what I had to tell him. But sometimes, for a person's own good, you have to say plain things plainly so that there will be no misunderstanding. And, in spite of my attempts to soften the blow of these plain…
Christ is risen!
The great American author Lewis B. Smedes once said "Seeing reality for what it is is what we call discernment. The work of discernment is very hard." And the Orthodox Fathers would agree. In fact, it is the gift of discernment that we are constantly called to develop and embrace in the writings…
Christ is Risen!
This thought haunts me. All I've preached, all I've taught' all I've said, will one day be used as a comparison with the way I've lived, the choices I've made, and the priorities I've set. No wonder the Church teaches me to say over and over again "Lord, have mercy!"
But I won't seriously…
Christ is risen!
Alexander the Great is reported to have said "Nothing is impossible to him who will try." Yeah, try telling that to a group of people who refuse to try. I remember having a conversation with a man about building a new church building on our property and he told me to my face…