by Fr. Thomas Hopko –
Thus we come to see that as there is no resurrection without crucifixion, there is also no sanctification without suffering, no glorification without humiliation; no deification without degradation; and no life without death. [Read more…]
Christianity
Nativity of Christ: Sign of God’s Boundless Love and Humility
by Chris Banescu –
The Feast of Christ’s Nativity is not only a cause for celebration that God is with us and true joy has come into the world, but it’s also an eternal reminder of our Lord and Savior’s great humility and boundless love for us. [Read more…]
Man’s Unhappiness and Despair Caused by His Alienation from God
by Fr. Thomas Hopko –
We have abandoned communion with God and have gone off on our own, following our own ideas, enacting our own plans.
And the result? Through our reckless wasting of the gifts given us by God, we have stripped ourselves of our original and fundamental dignity, glory, wisdom, beauty and strength: we have lost our legacy as God’s children. And the whole cosmos suffers with us in our affliction.
People feel unhappy and they don’t know why. They feel that something is wrong, but they can’t put their finger on what. They feel uneasy, confused, frustrated, alienated and estranged – and they can’t explain it. [Read more…]
Do the Best That You Can Today, Leave the Rest to God
by Chris Banescu –
Do the best that you can today, where you are, in whatever capacity you’re able. Leave the rest to God. [Read more…]
Living Normal Lives in Troubled Times
by Chris Banescu –
After enduring two years of coronavirus disruptions and madness, we all hoped our lives would return to some semblance of normality. But thanks to Vladimir Putin’s terrible decision to invade Ukraine, the world may be at the brink of World War III. We just reached the end of one global life-changing crisis, only to face an even more ominous, potentially world-destroying, calamity.
How can we live normal lives when insanity spreads all around us? How should we conduct ourselves with potential Armageddon hanging over our heads? How do we preserve our humanity while the world descends into chaos and madness?
Similar questions were asked decades ago, when the arrival of atomic bombs changed the nature of war and forever altered the course of history. [Read more…]
God Desires Heart of a Child and Mind of an Adult
by Chris Banescu –
God desires that we should have the innocence and wonder of a child, and the courage and wisdom of an adult. [Read more…]
Simplify Your Life to Find Serenity and Get Closer to God
by St. Paisios of Mount Athos –
The more people distance themselves from a natural, simple life and embrace luxury, the more they suffer from anxiety. And as they distance themselves from God, they naturally cannot find rest in anything they do. This is why they go around restless; they even spin around the moon – like the belt of an engine spinning around the “crazy wheel” – since earth cannot contain all their restlessness.
Worldly stress is the result of worldly happiness, of worldly pleasures and self-indulgence. Educated externally and being full of anxiety, hundreds of people (even young children) are driven to psychoanalysis and psychiatrists. New psychiatric hospitals are being built and young psychiatrists go on for post-graduate studies. Many of them do not believe in God or accept the existence of the soul. [Read more…]