Bulletin Inserts
Sunday to Sunday with the DCE
Keeping the Life You Hate or Losing the Life You Love Current Edition
On May 22nd and 23rd we read the Gospel of John (12: 19-47) in which Jesus Christ describes the kind of life His followers should pursue.
Archives
Coming from Two Different Places
On May 15 we read the final verses of the eighth chapter of John's Gospel. In these climactic verses, Jesus so disturbs His hearers by the things He says that they take up stones to throw at Him.
The Afterlife
The British actor Ricky Gervais has become popular in the United States, partly because he created the original version of the popular TV sitcom "The Office." Being interviewed to promote a movie, he was quoted as saying that he is "a skeptic across the board of ghosts and elves and ESP and the afterlife."
The Hard Life of a Prophet
On May 1st the Church honors the Prophet Jeremiah, a sensitive soul who was called by God to do things that would have been difficult even for a person less easily bruised.
Christ is Risen!
This Bright Week of April 15-21, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord and enjoy the festal services, is a good time to think about the deepest meanings of Christ's saving actions for us.
When Life Suddenly Changes
During the week of April 8, we encounter the stories of three men whose lives changed abruptly. For all three, the sudden changes had huge consequences. They are Moses, the Holy Martyr Ardalion the Actor, and Saint Martin, Confessor and Pope of Rome.
Saying No When It Counts
On April 4th the Church celebrates the memory of Saint Isidore, Bishop of Seville, Spain.
Remember How Long Your Heart Was Hard
Father John Climacus' memory is celebrated on March 30.
A Different Kind of Marriage
On March 19 the Church celebrates the memory of a martyred married couple, Sts. Chrysanthus and Daria, who lived in third-century Rome. He was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria; she was a native of Athens.
Brokenness
The second week of Great Lent beginning March 11 is a good time to consider Psalm 51 (50) with its emphasis on penitence and humility before God.
The Inescapable Question
During the week of March 4 we read the fourth chapter of the Book of Genesis, which includes the story of Cain and Abel.
Where Forgiveness May Be Needed Most
During the week that includes Forgiveness Sunday and the beginning of Great Lent, we remember a saint who confronted power in a most unusual way. He is Nicholas, the Fool for Christ, whose memory is celebrated on February 28th.
Violence in the Service of God
On February 20 the Church celebrates the memory of a saint known for compassion and love toward for the poor. Yet he is also associated with a shocking act of violence. He is Saint Leo of Catania, in Sicily.
From Slave to Bishop
On February 15 the Church remembers the Apostle Onesimus of the Seventy, who began life in Phrygia as the slave of a prominent Christian named Philemon.
Honoring or Abusing the Promise of God
During the week of February 5th we read New Testament passages that describe contrasting groups of people: those who honor God's promise of salvation, and those who abuse it for their own purposes.
Two Brothers on Different Paths
January 31 is the feast day of Saints Cyrus and John, who belong to the group of saints known as "Unmercenaries" because they used their healing skills to help people and did not take payment.
A Homeless Wanderer Who Found the Kingdom
On January 24 the Church celebrates the memory of Blessed Xenia of Petersburg. She was born in the 18th century to a noble family, and married a colonel who was a member of the Imperial Chorus. But she is probably best known as a "Fool for Christ."
Truth at Great Personal Cost
On January 21 we remember Saint Maximus the Confessor, who was born in the year 580 in Constantinople. He defended the faith so uncompromisingly that he is one of the great Fathers of the Church.
Some Writings about Jesus Are Not Gospels
January 8 is marked as the Sunday after Theophany. Over the past few weeks the Church has celebrated that momentous event as well as the Lord's Nativity.
Do Hard Things
On the first day of the year the Church commemorates Saint Basil the Great. He died on January 1, 379, having been born in 330. His few decades of life were packed full of remarkable achievements.
Christ is Born and the Wise Men Worship
One of the ways we celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ on December 25 is to sing the Troparion of the Feast. The words of the hymn describe Jesus Christ as the light of the world, the Sun of Righteousness and the Orient from on high. The hymn also refers to the wise men from the East who followed a star to find this newborn King.
Itching Ears
Saint Paul expresses his concern about people being led away from the true faith in 2 Timothy 3:16-4:4. This passage is one of the readings for December 20.
Resisting Royal Temptations
The Gospel and Epistle readings for December 17 both include some well-known verses.
The Sufferings of Saint Nicholas
December 6 is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of everyone from longshoremen to embalmers, and of places from New York City to Argentina. In fact he is the patron of more occupations, causes, people and places than any other saint we know of.
Busybodies Need Not Apply
On December 1st we remember the prophet Nahum. He wrote triumphantly about the destruction, in the year 612 BC, of the city of Ninevah. With its great city fallen, the Assyrian Empire's long and brutal oppression of its neighbors would come to an end.
Hell Cannot Hold Him Nor Can a Bag
On November 21st we celebrate the feast of the Entry of the Most-Holy Theotokos into the Temple. The coming of Jesus Christ into the world is so important that everything surrounding it, including the event this feast commemorates, is also important.
The Jefferson Bible Rewrite
During the week of Nevember 13, we remember two saints who are intimately connected with the Holy Bible. One is the Gospel writer Matthew, and the other is Saint John Chrysostom.
Be Sure Not to Do the Wrong Work
November 8 is a day when the Church commemorates angels—not only the Archangel Michael, who is named, but "all the other bodiless powers" as well.
The Honor God Shows Us
Five of the seventy apostles are remembered by the Church on October 30: Cleopas, Tertius, Mark, Justus and Artemas.
The Armor That Defeats Armor
On October 27 the Church celebrates the memory of Saint Nestor of Thessalonica. He was a young student of the Greatmartyr Demetrius, who is remembered on the previous day.
Difficult Choices
On October 20th we read Philippians 1: 20-27. Saint Paul wrote the letter to the Christians at Philippi while he was in prison. As he says in the letter's early verses, he so strongly proclaimed the faith that the "whole praetorian guard and all the rest" came to know that his imprisonment was for Christ.
The Bible and the Liturgy (Part II)
The readings for the week of October 9 include several passages from Saint Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. Like the verses from Ephesians read during the previous week, these verses show us how prayers of the Liturgy are based on the Bible.
The Bible and the Liturgy (Part I)
One of the readings for October 5th offers us a chance to see how closely the prayers of the Divine Liturgy are based on the words of Scripture.
A Prophet in the Shadows
On September 28 we remember the Prophet Baruch. He was the stalwart friend and secretary of the much more prominent and often-quoted prophet Jeremiah.
Words of Worship Can Sustain Us
On September 19 we remember Saint Trophimus, a man who had a special connection with words.
What Makes the Kids All Right
On September 17 we remember Saint Sophia and her martyred daughters Faith, Hope and Charity. They lived in Rome, and spoke openly about their Christian faith even in a time of severe persecutions.
The Mysteries of Elizabeth
On September 5th the Church commemorates Saint Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptizer or Forerunner.
Of Gods and Men
Monks have faced persecution many times in the history of the Church. We know countless stories of monastic courage, unshakable faith and martyrdom from earlier centuries.
No Free Pass
Isn't it possible to be saved even if you consciously sin throughout your life and never bother to repent? Couldn't you plan to live as you please and then confess everything on your deathbed, and gain salvation that way?
Our Ladder from Earth to Heaven
The Feast of the Dormition (or Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos is celebrated each year on August 15th.
Honoring the Weakest
On August 9 we read from Saint Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians (12: 12-26) in which he uses striking images to claim that each human being has the same worth and value in God's eyes.
Bearing with Each Other
On July 31 we read Romans 15: 1-7. Saint Paul writes that we who are strong should bear with the failings of the weak.
Three Kinds of Dedication
On July 27 we remember Saint Anthusa, who lived in the eighth century. She is called the Abbess of Mantinea, the place where she led a monastery of 90 nuns. It is located in Paphlygonia, a province in what is now Turkey.
Wheat and Weeds and Watchfulness
On July 19th we read a parable that Christ told, recorded in Matthew 13: 24-30. Christ compares the kingdom of heaven to a field planted with good seed.
Saint Paul Thanks the Women
During recent decades, some feminist Bible scholars insisted that Saint Paul had changed Christianity from something good for women to something very bad.
Repenting is Not Just Lamenting
On July 4th and 5th we read Jesus' description of John the Baptist in Matthew 11: 2-20. He calls John "more than a prophet" and says John is the "messenger" written about by the prophet Malachi. Jesus goes on to "upbraid the cities where most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent."
Clint Eastwood Looks at the Hereafter
June 29th is the feast of the two great apostles Peter and Paul. Both men faced hostility, danger and powerful enemies as they traveled and preached the good news of the Gospel. Both, in their own ways, spoke about what happens after we die.
In Hope They Believed Against Hope
On June 22 we read Saint Paul's words in Romans 4:13-25. He urges us to follow the example of the patriarch Abraham, whose faith remained constant no matter what happened to him.
The Trinity
Pentecost, on June 12 this year, is also the Feast of the Holy Trinity. It's a good day to consider this question: How can God be One and Undivided, as Christians claim, and at the same time be three distinct Persons, as Christians also claim?
The Sadness of Indifference
On June 10th we read the entire twenty-seventh chapter of the Book of Acts, which describes Saint Paul's final sea journey, from Caesarea to Rome.
The Earliest Church
On June 1st we remember a great Church Father, the second-century saint Justin the Martyr.
Looking for Something We Already Have
On May 27th and 28th we read the Gospel of John, 10: 17-38. In these verses Jesus responds to the pointed questions of the Jewish leaders and the Pharisees by telling them that the answers have already been given.
What It Means to Love a Child
On May 16 we remember Saint Vitus, the young son of a prominent Sicilian father. Vitus' tutor Modestus and his governess Crescentia taught him the Christian faith, and gave him an example of Christlike love.
Our God of Surprises
On May 13 we remember the second-century virgin martyr Glyceria. Born to a rich Roman family, she faced poverty when her father died and the family money was lost.
TheGood News and Bad News About Longsuffering
On May 6 the Church remembers Righteous Job the Longsuffering. Scripture tells a lot about that quality of "longsuffering" which is often ascribed to God in Church prayers, and sometimes refers to Job and other human beings.
Taking the Good News to New Places
Christ is Risen! On April 28 the Church celebrates the memory of two men who not only heard the good news of Christ's Resurrection, but traveled a long way to share it with others. They are the apostles Jason and Sosipater from among the seventy.
All Hands on Deck
For seventeen years my husband served a vibrant but numerically small parish in Erie, Pennsylvania. When Holy Saturday came, it was "all hands on deck" to get everything ready for the Paschal service. Our parish children were a vital part of the team working, preparing, and anticipating the great night to come.
Knowing the Faith to Share It
On April 14 we remember a seventh-century Roman Pope who had to fight for the Orthodox faith against a Patriarch and the Emperor himself.
To Be Angry or To Be Faithful
On April 8th we read Genesis 22: 1-18, the story of God's command to Abraham to take his only son Isaac and to "offer him as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
She Toiled Alone and in Silence
On April 1 we remember the great desert saint, Mary of Egypt. She is such a revered person, such an example of holiness, that we read the story of her life every year in church.
An Announcement of Life Shared with God
March 25 is the Feast of the Annunciation, when God announces to the world His plans to come to the world as a baby in the womb of a mother, just as we all do.
Brother and Sister
March 14th is the feast day of Saint Benedict of Nursia, a small town near Rome. He is known as the father of Western and especially Benedictine monasticism.
Earthly Refuge and Heavenly Refuge
On the first day of Great Lent this year, March 7th, the Church remembers Saint Basil of Cherson. He was one of seven bishops in the fourth century who governed Cherson, located on the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea.
Rewriting History
On March 1 we remember Saint Eudokia, who lived a dissolute life for many years. She was converted to Christianity when she heard the chanting of a monastic elder coming from a gathering of believers in a neighbor's house.
Having the Guest Room Ready
On February 22 we read about the preparations for the Passover meal that Jesus instructs His disciples to make in Mark 14:10-42.
The Reality of Sin
The reading for February 17 contains a striking statement: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Another memorable verse follows: "If we say that we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and His word is not in us."
To Suffer for Doing Right
On February 8 we celebrate the memory of the Greatmartyr Theodore Stratelates, whose title is often translated as "commander" or "general."
Time and Patience
On February 3rd the Church remembers two people whose lives are extraordinary examples of patience. In the calendar they are called the "righteous Godbearer Simeon" and "Anna the Prophetess."
How Could He Be So Sure?
One of the readings for January 24, Hebrews 11: 17-23, recalls a story from the Old Testament that is for some people a stumbling block: God telling Abraham, in Genesis 22, to sacrifice his only son Isaac on Mount Moriah.
Being on the Side of God
On January 19 we read one of the New Testament's starkest descriptions of the tribulations that Christ and His followers will face in this world. The words, in Mark 8: 30-34, come directly from the Lord's lips.
Secrets and Love
On January 15 we remember Saint John Calabytes, called the Hut-Dweller, who was born in the fifth century to a prominent Christian family in Constantinople. John was well-educated, and had the double luxury of access to books and the free time to read them.
Arguing Your Way to Faith
On January 8 the Church remembers Saint Abo, who lived near Baghdad in the eighth century. He was a maker of perfumes and oils, and a devout Muslim.
Enduring the Greatest Loss
On December 31 we remember Saint Melania of Rome, who offered wonderful service to God. Among other things, she was able to succeed where the great Saint Augustine had failed, converting a staunchly pagan uncle to the Christian faith. Melania also copied manuscripts, founded monasteries for men and women, and supported both the Church and those in need by donating the immense wealth she had inherited.
From Mockery to Martyrdom
December 19th is the feast day of two saints, the patrician Roman woman Aglaida and her male slave Boniface, who lived in the fourth century. (Another Boniface, who lived in sixth-century Italy, is commemorated on this same day.)
Are Your Hearts Hardened?
On December 13th we read Mark 8: 11-21, in which the Pharisees come to Jesus and ask Him for a sign from heaven. Their aim, as it is so often, is to test Him..
What Kind of Conception?
On December 9th, the Orthodox Church celebrates a feast called, in its full formality, The Conception by Righteous St.Anna of the Theotokos. The festal icon shows Anna and her husband Joachim in a loving conjugal embrace.
Habakkuk Asks the Universal Question
The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk is remembered on December 2nd. His brief book poses deep questions about human life and suggests equally deep answers from God.
Rigor and Gentleness
On November 24th we read I Timothy 5:22-6:11. This letter is one of a group of three (the others are II Timothy and Titus) called the Pastoral Epistles. They are meant to guide a young man in leading his flock, and to warn him about problems he will face in the Church.
Surprised by Christ
On November 16th we remember the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. The primary audience for Matthew's Gospel was his fellow Jews, and one of his main goals was to show that Christ fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies that the Jews revered.
Families in God's Household
During this week of November 7th and the preceding weeks, the Church remembers several families, or groups, who became saints. Near the end of October, for example, we commemorate the Martyr Arethas and his Companions, as well as Terrence, Neonilla and their children. Today we remember Thirty-three Martyrs of Melitene.
Like a Thief in the Night
Most of us are familiar with the prayer, "The Father is my hope, the Son is my refuge, the Holy Spirit is my protection." On November 4th we remember Saint Joannicius, who created the prayer as a refrain after singing Psalm verses.
Joy of All Who Sorrow
October 24 is the day of commemoration of an icon given the name "Joy of All Who Sorrow." The center of the icon shows the Mother of God with her arms outstretched to the people who surround her. They are those who suffer with various illnesses, worries, and pain of the heart or the body. They reach toward her, asking her prayers and intercession.
Seeing the Kingdom Before We Die?
One of the readings for October 19 includes a warning from Our Lord. His words remind us that we are called to witness to Him no matter what the circumstances, and regardless of temptations to disavow Him in order to make our own lives easier. He says, "Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels" (Luke 9: 26).
The Monk Dostoevsky Most Admired
On October 10 we remember Saint Ambrose of Optina, who lived from 1812 to 1891. The Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky said that Saint Ambrose was the model for the character of Father Zossima in his novel "The Brothers Karamazov."
A Bishop Unafraid of Beauty
On October 8 we remember Saint Pelagia, who lived in Antioch in the third century. As a young woman she was the most beautiful and desirable and best-known harlot in the city, a person who couldn't help attracting attention. With her fabulous jewels worn as part of everyday dress, her exotic scents that perfumed the air as she walked, and the cosmetics she artfully applied to enhance her beauty, Pelagia was an unforgettable figure.
The Enlightener of the First Christian Nation
On September 30 we remember Saint Gregory, Enlightener of Armenia. Like other enlighteners--Nina of Georgia, Columba of Scotland and Innocent of the Aleuts--Gregory was not a native of the country he would one day illumine with the Christian faith.
Saint Thecla
September 24 is the feast day of Saint Thecla, a contemporary of Saint Paul who became an evangelizer, as Paul was, after hearing his teachings.
The Cross
September 14 is the date, each year, of the Feast of the Exaltation (or Elevation) of the Cross. Coming so soon after the beginning of the Church year on September 1st, this feast reminds us that during the whole year the cross will be central to our lives as Christians.
A Truly Inspired Woman
On September 5 we remember Elizabeth, who was privileged to give birth to the last and greatest of the prophets, John the Baptist. She also was privileged to be inspired—visited by the Holy Spirit--in some special ways.
Joshua, an Old Testament Saint
September 1 is the first day of the Orthodox Church calendar. On this day we remember Joshua, the son of Nun, who succeeded Moses as Israel's leader and took the people into the Promised Land. The Book of Joshua describes his exploits as commander of the armies of Israel that marched into Canaan and followed God's instructions: "But in the cities...that the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall utterly destroy them, the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites...that they may not teach you their abominable practices which they have done in the service of their gods" (Deuteronomy 20: 16-18a).
Saint Poemen and Saint Paul
On August 27 we remember the Venerable Poemen (often spelled Pimen) who was one of the most prominent of the desert-dwelling ascetics. He was born in Egypt in the fifth century. As a young man, Poemen visited great monastics, sharing their way of living and learning from them. He spent the rest of his life as a monk in the Egyptian desert.
The Sorrows of Samuel
On August 20th we remember the great prophet Samuel. His mother treasured him because she had been barren for many years before his birth. When her prayers for a son were answered, she kept her promise to dedicate him to God, and gave him into the care of the aged high priest and judge, Eli.
Godly Grief and Worldly Grief
On August 12th we read II Corinthians 7: 1-10, in which Saint Paul expresses his joy at being reconciled with the believers who belong to the church in Corinth.
Standing Up to Those in Power
On August 2nd we remember two men who, in different times and places and in very different ways, bravely confronted those in power. They are the Righteous Gamaliel and St. Basil, fool for Christ.
To Bring Light to a Searching People
On July 26 we remember Saint Jacob Netsvetov, Enlightener of the Peoples of Alaska. Like Saint Paul, he suffered greatly for the faith, but never stopped teaching, guiding, and ministering to people with Christian love.
Be United in the Same Mind and the Same Judgment
The title words were written by Saint Paul to the Christians of Corinth. They are part of the reading (I Corinthians 1:10-18) for July 18.
Gabriel the Archangel
July 13 marks the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel, the leader of the heavenly hosts of angels. The Prologue from Ochrid reminds us that we can find him in many "appearances and marvels through the whole history of the salvation of mankind."
Are You Also Still Without Understanding?
On July 7th and 8th we read Matthew 14:35-15:21. The reading starts on a wonderful note as Jesus walks among His people. They send word around the whole region, and soon all who are sick come, press close, and touch the fringe (or tassel, worn by every pious Jew) of His garment. Then we read that "... as many as touched it were made well."
Conversations with God
On June 27 we remember a saint who was given the precious and rare privilege of traveling, hearing and speaking with Jesus Christ as He lived on earth. She is Joanna, one of the Myrrh-Bearing Women who witnessed the empty tomb on Pascha morning. Joanna, as a contemporary and follower of the Messiah, truly had "conversations with God."
The Sign That is Given
On June 23 we honor the "Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God" which is sometimes referred to as "tenderness" because of the loving, intimate way it portrays Christ and His Mother.
Peace and Hope
On June 13 we read Romans 5: 1-10. Here, St. Paul gives us a sort of spiritual progression in which suffering leads to real hope.
Following St. Bartholomew by Reaching Out
On June 11 we celebrate Saint Bartholomew, also called Nathaniel, one of the twelve apostles and a man who "reached out" further than most. Bartholomew made quite a spiritual journey, beginning by cynically asking about Jesus, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1: 46). But his understanding deepened in the Lord's company, and after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost he was ready to go and preach in Asia, Phrygia, and remote places whose names we don't know. In India he translated Matthew's Gospel into the people's language. He died a martyr, and his relics, now in Rome, are a source of miraculous healing.
Martyrs and Confessors
On June 1 we remember Saint Justin the Martyr, and the next day we celebrate Saint Nicephorus the Confessor. These titles, Martyr and Confessor, have different meanings, as we would expect.
A Saint Who Both Succeeded and Failed
On May 26 we remember Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Evangelist of England and first Archbishop of Canterbury.
Seeing Saint Paul
On May 22 we read Chapter 28 in Acts. It's the book's final chapter, and it offers us several glimpses into the life and character of Saint Paul.
The Temptations of Thais
In one of the readings for May 10, Saint Luke mentions "not a few of the leading women" and "not a few Greek women and men of high standing" who became believers after hearing Saint Paul preach (Acts 17: 4, 12).
Saint Arsenius, Monk and Wise Teacher
May 8 is the day we commemorate Saint Arsenius the Great, a revered example of monasticism and also a teacher who knew how to inspire and encourage.
Saint Mark the Evangelist
On April 25 we remember the Gospel writer Mark. He was referred to as "my son Mark" by the apostle Peter in Peter's first letter to the churches of Asia. Mark served Peter as a secretary, and was his trusted companion and spiritual son for many years.
St. George, St. Paul, and the Dragon
On April 23 we remember the Great Martyr and Wonderworker George, who was born to Christian parents in Cappadocia, toward the end of the third century.
The Power of Peter’s Shadow
April 11 is Thomas Sunday, when we read the well-known story of the apostle Thomas' encounter with the risen Christ. But on this day we also read a passage that reveals the extraordinary spiritual growth of another apostle, Peter.
The Friend of the Bridegroom
On April 10, Bright Saturday, we read verses 22-33 in Chapter 3 of John's Gospel. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus has had an encounter with Nicodemus, who does not understand His words about being born again.
Christ the Conqueror of Hell
Father Alexander Schmemann has written that Holy Saturday is often ignored or misunderstood. It's as if there is a day of sorrow (Holy Friday) that is quickly replaced by a day of joy (Pascha.) But, Fr. Schmemann says, the services of Holy Saturday connect the two days. They commemorate an event in which "sorrow is not simply replaced by joy, but is itself TRANSFORMED into joy."
Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs
Monday March 22 begins the last of four weeks of weekday readings from Proverbs. One theme that runs through the readings for this week is justice. In 21:3 we read, "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice."
Saint Benedict of Nursia
On March 14 we remember Saint Benedict, founder of monasticism in the Western Church. Benedict and his twin sister Scholastica, born in 480, were born to prominent parents and had many advantages. Though their birthplace was Nursia, a small town near Spoleto, they spent much of their childhood in the city of Rome.
Young Adults In, or Out of, the Church
A few years ago, a book called "Soul Searching" investigated the spiritual lives of teenagers. It found that religion can be important to teens, but it also determined that many of them adhere to what it called "moralistic therapeutic deism." This can be defined as a belief in a kind, loving God who is not connected to any particular faith tradition, and who is there largely to help in solving personal problems.
What Will We Notice?
On February 28 we read in Mark 2:1-12 about the paralytic brought to Christ by his friends. Jesus has returned to Capernaum "after some days." Just before this He had healed a leprous man, who ignored His command to say nothing to anyone. The man spread the news, so that Jesus "could no longer enter a town, but was out in the country."
Saint Raphael, Bishop of Brooklyn
Founder of 30 parishes; magazine publisher; fluent in Arabic, Russian, Greek and English; spiritual father to Orthodox from New York to California and Mexico to Canada: these are partial descriptions of Saint Raphael, commemorated on February 27.
Biblical Challenge from Saint Andrew
As Great Lent begins on February 15, we begin chanting and singing "The Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete" and continue each evening in church.
Saint Blaise and a New Book
On February 11 we remember Saint Blaise, the fourth-century bishop of Sebaste in Armenia who lived during the persecutions of Christians by the emperor Diocletian. The bishop encouraged imprisoned believers, prayed for the martyrs, and stood courageously for the faith.
Saint Brigid of Ireland
On February 1st we celebrate one of the Orthodox Church's great ancient saints, Brigid of Ireland. Born in about 451, she was the daughter of an Irish chieftain and one of the female slaves in his court. Even as a child, Brigid apparently noticed and cared about poverty and destitution, responding by giving away her own and her family's considerable possessions to people in need.
Contributing Out of Poverty
On January 30 we read in Luke 21:1-4 the story of the poor widow who donates two copper coins to the temple treasury. Jesus watches as rich people contribute, and also as she makes her contribution. He then says that "she has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on."
The Fiery Ordeal
On Thursday January 21 we read these words from I Peter 4: 12-13: "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when His glory is revealed."
Using the Gift of Speech
On January 12 and 13 we read from the letter of James (3:1-4:6), who writes about the gift of speech. He describes the power speech can have for good or evil, depending on how we use it. Though the tongue is a very small instrument, he writes, it is a fire, and even a huge forest can be set ablaze by a tiny fire.
St. Syncletica, Desert Mother & Abbess
We know that monastics practice poverty. They voluntarily give up possessing, owning, and striving to acquire. But on January 5 we remember a monastic saint who cautioned aspiring monastics against being too quick to embrace poverty.
St. Melania the Younger
One of the readings for December 31 is Hebrews 10:35-1:7, which tells us not to "throw away your confidence." We are reminded that we need endurance, and that "we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls." We read about Noah, who was faithful when he was warned by God "concerning events yet unseen."
The Royal Hours at Christmas
All Divine Liturgies in the Orthodox Church are preceded by the chanting of the Hours services, consisting of psalms, hymns and prayers. But in the great cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the Byzantine Emperor was present each year at the service beginning the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. Therefore, the Hours preceding the Vespers and Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great on Christmas Eve are given the name "Royal Hours."
Saint Sebastian of Rome
On Friday December 18th we commemorate a martyr-saint we have in common with the Western Church. Most tourists in Rome, especially religious pilgrims, will visit a church or basilica named for Saint Sebastian, either the one on the Palatine Hill or the earlier fourth-century one built outside the Aurelian Walls.
What Would St. Nicholas Do?
On Sunday December 6th we celebrate the beloved Nicholas of Myra in Lycia. We know the stories of his saving miracles, his love of children, and the gifts he gave in secret. There is another story, one which seems less in character. Hearing Arius profess his heretical beliefs with smooth, convincing language at the Council of Nicaea, Nicholas finally had had enough. He struck Arius to keep him from speaking more blasphemy. As a result he lost his position as a bishop, and it was not restored until the Theotokos directed that it should be.
The People Were Spellbound By What They Heard
On Thursday December 4th we read Luke 20:9-26. The first verse tells us that the scribes and chief priests wanted to lay hands on Jesus because He had told the parable of the vineyard and its wicked tenants being destroyed. The scribes and chief priests "perceived that He had told this parable against them." But they didn't dare take Him because they "feared the people."
The Smartest Person in the Room
On Tuesday November 24th we remember the Great Martyr Catherine, who lived in the fourth century. As residents of Alexandria, Egypt, her wealthy pagan parents had access to all the city's great institutions of learning. They gave their daughter the kind of education such a place could provide, and Catherine was well-versed in public speaking, sciences, languages, and philosophy. She was a brilliant student, extremely attractive, and very well-mannered.
The Apostle and Evangelist Matthew
If someone were to compose a list of people whose jobs made them unpopular, the local tax collector would probably be high on the list. If the tax collector was someone who gathered revenue from his own people for the oppressive foreign government that had given him his job, his name would rise higher. If everyone assumed that this particular tax collector, like all of them, stole and kept some of the tax money, his name would shoot up to the top.
Saint John Chrysostom and Frozen River
On Friday of this week we remember Saint John Chrysostom, who urged Christians to treat the poor as brothers and sisters who not only need but are entitled to their love and care. He would certainly be appalled at seeing people sleeping on cardboard on the sidewalks of our cities.
Saint and Patriarch Paul the Confessor
On Friday of this week we remember a fourth-century Patriarch of Constantinople, Paul the Confessor. He was never to have a peaceful time as Patriarch, having been marked as an enemy by powerful people--those who followed the Arian heresy.
Paul and his beloved Philippians
On Monday of this week we read the final verses of Saint Paul's letter to the Christians of Philippi (4: 10-23). Paul felt special affection for these people, whose church was the first he established in Europe, and who generously supported his ministry. He wrote the letter while awaiting trial in a Roman prison, yet joy and gratitude shine through his words.
Saint Hilarion the Great
On Wednesday of this week we remember a saint who began life possessing many of the delights the world can offer, and willingly gave them all up. He is Saint Hilarion, who became one of the foremost ascetics of Palestine.
Paul and his beloved Philippians
On Monday of this week we read the final verses of Saint Paul's letter to the Christians of Philippi (4: 10-23). Paul felt special affection for these people, whose church was the first he established in Europe, and who generously supported his ministry. He wrote the letter while awaiting trial in a Roman prison, yet joy and gratitude shine through his words.
Longinus the Centurion
On Friday of this week we remember the martyred saint Longinus the Centurion, who stood at the foot of the cross and pierced the side of Our Lord with a spear. He was moved, as he stood there, to make a powerful confession of faith. He declared, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
SHALL WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER?
Disciples of John the Baptist approached Jesus one day with this question from John: "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"
Mothers of Saints
On Monday of this week, we remember a saint who lived in the 14th century but who was glorified very recently, in 1992. She is Maria, the mother of Saint Sergius of Radonezh.
Jesus Goes Home to Teach
On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, we read the account of Jesus preaching in His hometown, at the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30.)
Exalting the Cross
The readings for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on Monday of this week give us many insights into the meaning of the cross.
To Hear the Word and Keep It
On Tuesday of this week we celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos, and we read one of Jesus Christ's most meaningful statements about who His true followers are.
Simeon the Stylite
Some years ago, the Chilean writer Isabel Allende included, in one of her books, a reference to the pillar-dwelling saints known as stylites. She described them as squandering their lives, never speaking, and sitting always in the same position, unbathed and covered with sores. She added that credulous believers admired this "spectacle" which "supposedly" pleased God.
Choosing Martyrdom
On Wednesday of this week we remember Saints Adrian and Natalia, a young married couple living in Nicomedia, part of the Roman Empire, in the early fourth century. Natalia was a Christian; her husband was not.
Two Icons Full of Love
The icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos, celebrated yesterday, shows the Mother of God lying on her deathbed. Jesus Christ, surrounded by angels, tenderly holds her luminous soul which in His glory He has taken to Himself. Her face is serene, and she is surrounded by the apostles.
The Memorable Words of Micah
This Friday we remember the prophet Micah, who was a younger contemporary of Isaiah but came from a very different background. While Isaiah was an aristocrat, Micah was a working-class man, and it shows in his writing.
Wait On The Lord
Some popular stand-up comedians have recently taken to upbraiding the God of the Old Testament. He is, they complain in their routines, ruthless. He is unpredictable. He is—especially in the case of Moses--distinctly unfair. One comic recently declared, as he strode across the stage with his microphone and cigarette, that it wasn't right that Moses should be kept from entering the Promised Land. After all, he had done many good and courageous things for God.
Different Centuries and Continents but the Same Goal
This week the church celebrates two saints with different life circumstances but a shared determination to serve God's people in a particular way. On Sunday we remember Saint Jacob, Enlightener of the Alaskan Peoples. Saint Clement of Ochrid is remembered on Monday. A thousand years earlier, he helped people in Eastern Europe understand their faith by doing some of the same things Saint Jacob would do in North America in the nineteenth century.
If the Lord is God, Follow Him
On Monday of this week we remember the Holy Prophet Elijah. He appears, with no introduction, at the beginning of the seventeenth chapter of First Kings (3 Kingdoms in the Orthodox Study Bible.) We see that Elijah certainly is a prophet by the way he speaks God's word, but we also see that he is both the beneficiary and the performer of miracles.
The Outer Signs are Only to Remind Us of the Inner Things
The words in this article's title were written by the Nun Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth. On Saturday of this week we remember her martyrdom and that of her companion, Nun Barbara.
St. Euphemia Gives the Answer
When 630 church leaders gathered at the Council of Chalcedon in the year 451, their meeting place was the cathedral dedicated to Saint Euphemia. When they struggled unsuccessfully to resolve a very serious disagreement they turned to her, in a surprising way, for the solution.
The Icon of the Three Hands
Today we remember this famous icon painted by Saint John of Damascus in thanks to the Theotokos for a miraculous healing.
Giving Your Life for Another
Jesus' words in John 15:13 have been acted on in different ways by different people. He said, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his for his friend." Some have lived out these words in self-sacrificing service to others. Some have actually given their own lives so that the lives of others might be spared.
The Generous and the Greedy
The Old Testament prophet Elisha, commemorated today, ministered to many people - some generous and unselfish, others greedy and grasping. Their stories are sometimes strikingly similar to those of people we encounter in the New Testament.
The Trinity is not in THE SHACK
Pentecost is the decisive manifestation of the Holy Trinity. At Theophany the Father's voice is heard, telling us that Jesus Christ is His beloved Son who does His will. The Holy Spirit confirms the Father's Word. Now, at Pentecost, all the promises Jesus made are fulfilled. The apostles, armed with the Spirit, are ready to go forth to make Him known and to baptize in the name of the Trinity.
The First Ecumenical Council
Today we remember the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, convened at Nicaea in 325. The results of the Council were very important, but so was its personal meaning for those who attended, as Father Alexander Schmemann described:
So That Everything Might Be Fulfilled...
Today we read the story of a blind man healed by Jesus Christ. The first words of the passage remind us of a basic Christian teaching: Things do not happen because of "karma" - a word that is thrown around by many people today. They happen in order that God's will may be fulfilled.
Who is Junia?
Today we remember two women who followed Jesus Christ. The first is the Samaritan Woman who met Christ while drawing water at Jacob's Well. She was surprised by His love and concern for her, since she was a Samaritan, with whom the Jews "had no dealings." She was further surprised by His knowledge of her crowded personal life.
PRAYER: Basis of Our Christian Life
"Would that you were hot or cold!" we read in Revelation 3: 16. Zeal—ardent dedication—is a good quality for Christians to have. We are meant to be zealous and "on fire" for Christ, rather than lukewarm and half-hearted. Today we remember one of the twelve apostles, Simon, called "the Zealot" because he was so dedicated to preaching the Gospel that he traveled to Africa, and later accepted martyrdom.
Finding Courage
On this Sunday we remember the Myrrhbearing Women, and also read about Joseph of Arimathea, who asked for and buried the body of Jesus Christ. Risk and courage are the outstanding elements of their stories.
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas will flee in fear when his Master suffers and dies. But like his fellow apostle Peter, he will find that Jesus' love never fails, even when his own courage fails miserably.
Christ is Risen!
Across the world today, in countless churches and in many languages, Orthodox Christians will proclaim the Paschal greeting and its confident response, "Indeed He is Risen!" This day also marks the beginning of the period during which we will sing joyous words to the Mother of God: "The angel cried to the Lady full of grace, 'Rejoice, O Pure Virgin! Again I say, rejoice. Your Son is risen from His three days in the tomb. With Himself He has raised all the dead. Rejoice, rejoice all ye people!' "
Keep Shouting Hosanna!
Children scrambling up trees to cut branches they will wave, people spreading their garments in the road for the King on and shouting, "Hosanna!" These are the joyful images of welcome we associate with the Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem.
A Desert Meeting
Saint Mary of Egypt immediately recognized the holiness of a man she'd never seen before--the monk Zossimas--when he encountered her in the desert. She had come a long, long way to achieve that recognition of holiness in a man.
Climbing the Ladder Together
"Can the writing of a hermit and monk who lived 1500 years ago say something to us today?"
The Cross and the Throne
"Why would you want to be a Christian?" The verses from Hebrews (4:14-5:6) for this Sunday of the Veneration of the Precious Cross provide a convincing answer. They outline the gifts our Savior bestows. They also tell us precisely who He is.
Captured but Free in Christ
It could be a question for an Orthodox version of Jeopardy: What two saints, both commemorated in this third week of March, were captured by pirates?
Keep Hold of Good Instruction
On Monday of this week remember the Forty Martyrs of Sebastea. They are an appealing group because of their youthful energy and courage, and their unyielding faith.
What is Forgiveness?
This past week, a few days before the Sunday of Forgiveness, the Church celebrated the memory of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna. This man was a student of the Holy Apostles, and can teach us a something important about forgiveness.
