"For it was Moses who gave the Law and the Jews would therefore understand that he [The Lord Jesus Christ] had never neglected or scorned the Law as they suspected, and never broken it, but rather followed it and was opposed to all who set it aside. And Elijah was filled with zeal for the... Continue Reading →
Genesis: The Book of The Promise
We have been exploring some of the beauty of the Genesis text and what it has to teach us about life (Genesis: The Book of Life), about married life and love (Genesis: The Book of Love), and about our life chosen apart from God (Genesis: The Book of Life and Death). Let us now explore... Continue Reading →
An Ethiopian Prayer
"Pilot of the soul, Guide of the righteous, and Glory of the saints: grant us, O Lord, eyes of knowledge ever to see thee and ears also to hearken unto thy word alone. When our souls have been fulfilled with thy grace, create in us pure hearts, O Lord, that we may ever understand thy... Continue Reading →
His Birth Becomes Our Birth
"Your divine birth, O Lord, gave birth to all creatures.... Humanity gave birth to You in the body; and You gave birth to humanity in spirit.... Praise to You, who became a Child,to make all things new!" St. Ephrem the Syrian, Homily 3 on The Nativity. "God is with thee, and with thee also... Continue Reading →
Genesis: The Book of Life and Death
Throughout our previous two posts on Genesis, we have encountered some beautiful things. We have seen what it means for God to be the Creator of Heaven and earth and how we should read these accounts (Genesis: The Book of Life). We have also learned what it meant for the human being to go beyond... Continue Reading →
Present your wounds to Him
"Your wounds do not surpass the Physician's skill. Have faith; tell the Physician what ails you." St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Baptismal Catecheses II, 6.
Despair Not
"The mercy of God has no limits, nothing is too great for it. That is the reason why anyone who despairs of it is the author of his own death." St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, 5.
On The Love of Enemies
"An enemy is by definition one who obstructs, ensnares, and injures others. He is therefore a sinner. We ought to love his soul by correcting him and doing everything possible to bring him to conversion. We ought to love his body too by coming to his aid with the necessities of life. That love for... Continue Reading →
Our Union With The Immortal
St. Irenaeus Of Lyons on Why the Word Became Incarnate "This is the reason why the Word of God was made flesh, and the Son of God became Son of Man: so that we might enter into communion with the Word of God, and by receiving adoption might become Sons of God. Indeed we should... Continue Reading →
Genesis: The Book of Love
We have previously discussed the book of Genesis and how it is we can come to read this book (Genesis: The Book of Life). Here let us consider together what Genesis teaches about human relationships and about love, again, as rooted in the revelation of The Lord Jesus Christ. In the last century the champions... Continue Reading →
Love Melts all Negativity
"He that loves (agapon) his neighbor as he ought, does not decline to be a servant to him more humbly than any slave. Just as fire, when brought into contact with wax, easily softens it, so does the warmth of love (agapes) dissolve all arrogance and presumption more powerfully than fire." St. John Chrysostom, Homily... Continue Reading →
The Spiritual Sacrifice
"If indeed the soul takes refuge in God, believes and seeks the salt of life, which the is good and human loving Spirit, then the heavenly salt comes and kills those ugly worms. The Spirit takes away the awful stench and cleanses the soul by the strength of his salt. Thus the soul is brought... Continue Reading →
