We all know that the Christian feast of Pentecost is the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. This story is told in the New Testament book of Acts. But, did you know that there’s a
Read moreWe all know that the Christian feast of Pentecost is the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. This story is told in the New Testament book of Acts. But, did you know that there’s a
Read moreHave you ever said something that you wish you could take back? I bet the moment you said it—right away—you knew you shouldn’t have. You could see the shock, hurt, and pain of your words on faces of your loved
Read moreIf you read church news or online blogs, it’s easy to get disillusioned: there’s so much bad news. Combine this with a bad experience with Christians or a church and it’s no wonder that over 50% of Americans no longer
Read moreAs I thought about the theme of one of the Easter Sundays, the Myrrhbearing Women, I wondered: what’s the deeper symbolic meaning that the first witnesses of the resurrection were female? Then, the answer came to me through the movie Shrek.
Read moreThis upcoming Sunday is the Sunday of Joseph the Arimathea and the Myrrh-Bearing Woman. Although the story of the women finding Jesus’s tomb empty is told by several of the evangelists, I want to narrow in on John’s telling of
Read moreThere’s an old saying: knowledge is power. Many of us live by this proverb. We go to college—or send our children to college—so that we can acquire the knowledge we need to get good jobs and live happy lives. While
Read moreIn anticipation of Passover (Πάσχα) this Sunday, when we will celebrate the rising of the Anointed One from dead, here is the Passover homily read at every Orthodox Church around the world in the early hours of the morning. Blessed
Read moreAs you all know, the first services of Holy Week (after Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday) are the Bridegroom Orthros services, which we celebrate in the evenings. But wait a minute, you’re probably saying, isn’t Orthros (a.k.a., Matins) a morning service?
Read moreAs we read the concluding words of Jame’s letter, we hear about sickness and healing, confession of sins, the prayers of the righteous, and bringing people back to the Way. But how should we understand all this? Is anointing related
Read moreI think most of you know that my presvytera was born in a suburb of Minneapolis and that she lived there for a number of years during her childhood. In addition, I spent my undergraduate years at the University of
Read more