Let us contemplate together the first book of the Scriptures, a book we are likely all familiar with. However, the text of Genesis is also the source of much debate amongst Christians and even amongst those seeking to dialogue with Christians. Unfortunately, there exists much disagreement on how to read this text. One thing is... Continue Reading →
"God is Love. Whoever sought to define Him would be like a blind person trying to count the grains of sand on the seashore." St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Chapter 30.
"True manhood is not shown in the choice of a celibate life; on the contrary, the prize in the contest of men is won by him who has trained himself by the discharge of the duties of husband and father and by the supervision of a household, regardless of pleasure and pain--by him, I say,... Continue Reading →
"When you are praying, don't rack your brains to find words. On many occasions, the simple, monotonous stammering of children has satisfied their Father who is in Heaven. Don't bother trying to be eloquent lest your mind be bewildered in the search for words. The tax-collector gained the Lord's forgiveness with a single sentence, and... Continue Reading →
"Prayer is beautiful, making distinct for the soul a notion of God. And the indwelling good is this -- holding God settled in oneself through the memory. We thus become temples of God whenever the continuity of our memory is not interrupted by earthly worries and whenever the mind is not disturbed by unforeseen passions.... Continue Reading →
Sin kills, sin destroys, sin separates. Sin is itself separation from God and the severance of our relationship with Him. The only remedy for this ail which we have brought upon ourselves is to partake once more of the Life of God which Christ has opened a path unto by His Incarnation, Life, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and the sending of The Holy Spirit.
Then the fear of the law is chanted, and the grace of the prophets is known, and the faith of the gospels is established, and the tradition of the Apostles is preserved, and the grace of the Church exults; which grace if you grieve not, you shall know those things which the Word teaches, by whom He wills, and when He pleases.
"Prayer is by nature a dialogue between man and God. It unites the soul with its Creator and reconciles the two. Its effect is to hold the world together." St John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent 28.1 Prayer is that which holds the world together, that which opens our access to God. Ultimately we wish... Continue Reading →
"The sacred writing, the divinely inspired scripture clearly and precisely unites to God his Spirit (ie does not make the Holy Spirit inferior to The Father), and openly teaches that in no other way will we participate in God except through the Holy Spirit. And at all events our Lord Jesus Christ said concerning all... Continue Reading →
He hath given us of His Spirit.’ Therefore because of the grace of the Spirit which has been given to us, in Him we come to be, and He in us; and since it is the Spirit of God, therefore through His becoming in us, reasonably are we, as having the Spirit, considered to be... Continue Reading →
"For the Holy Spirit who, in the kindness of God, thus far from our baptism, we have received from the waters of baptism, we have not received so that at one time he remains with us and at another time departs from us, but we are for him a temple, in which he continually dwells."... Continue Reading →
"It is not good to get angry, but if this should happen, the Apostle does not allow you a whole day for this passion, for he says: 'Let not the sun go down (Eph 4.25).' Will you wait till all your time is ended? Why hate the man who has grieved you? It is not... Continue Reading →
An Ancient Faith For a Modern World 