“Your mother is a cause for wonder: the Lord entered herand became a servant; He who is the Word entered — and became silent within her; thunder entered her—-and made no sound; there entered the Shepherd of all, and in her He became the Lamb, bleating as He came forth. Your Mother’s womb has reversed... Continue Reading →
He Who Sustains All Came to Birth
"The lofty one become like a little child, yet hidden in Him wasa treasure of wisdom that suffices for all. He was lofty but he sucked Mary's milk, and from His blessings all creation sucks. He is the Living breast of living breath; by His life the dead were suckled, and they revived.Without the breath... Continue Reading →
More than Meets the Eyes: Icons, Ascesis and The Deception of Empiricism
Icons teach us not to look on reality as what we see but perceive its deeper reality. Asceticism in turn trains our spiritual perceptions to perceive reality properly in order to lead us to God.
Psalm 151, Bright Saturday and The Resurrection
“I was small among my brethren, and youngest in my father’s house: I tended my father’s sheep. My hands formed a musical instrument, and my fingers tuned a psaltery. And who shall tell my Lord? the Lord himself, he himself hears. He sent forth his angel, and took me from my father’s sheep, and he... Continue Reading →
Water into Wine – Death into Life
"Why then did our Lord change the nature of water in the first of his signs? Was it not to show that the Divinity, which had changed natures in the depths of the jars, was that same [divinity[ which had changed nature in the womb of the virgin? At the completion of his signs he... Continue Reading →
A Great Mystery is The Incarnation
"Who, being a mortal, can tell about the Reviver of all, Who left the height of His Majesty and came down to smallness? You, Who magnify all by being born, magnify my weak mind that I may tell of Your birth, not to investigate your majesty, but to proclaim Your grace. Blessed is He Who... Continue Reading →
The Life of The Slain Lamb Repels Death
"This is the mighty one whose proclamation (of the Gospel) became a bridle in the jaws of the nations, turning them away from idols to the one who sent Him. Dead idols with closed mouths fed upon the life of their worshipers. For this reason, you mixed Your blood, which repelled Death and terrified it,... Continue Reading →
The Life-Giving Blessing: Genesis and The Eucharist
We have already seen that the first chapters of Genesis have much to teach us. In extending our dialogue to the Eucharist we move to a consideration of food, Divine food. Following Genesis: The Book of The Promise we see what is revealed about the food which God once offered to us through the law... Continue Reading →
An Exhortation To Repentance
“O Lord, I am a suppliant to You; You [The] Good! I am knocking at Your door; Break not, O Lord, Your promise, "Knock, and I will open to you. " Thy door is not closely fastened When the sinner comes and knocks at it; Thy door is always opened To the righteous and the wicked.... Continue Reading →
We too must battle the dragon
In symbol and truth Leviathan is trodden down by mortals: the baptized, like divers, strip and put on oil, as a symbol if Christ They snatched you and came up: stripped, they seized the soul from his embittered mouth. St. Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith, 82.10. We too follow Christ in our baptism. As... Continue Reading →
By His Baptism He Brings Us to Life
"Christ, though immortal by nature, clothed himself in a mortal body; He was baptized-and raised up from the water the treasure of salvation for the race of Adam" St. Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Virginity, 7.10. See Theophany – The Spirit Descended and Remained Upon Him for a more indepth treatment of how Christian theology sees... Continue Reading →
We Must Be Born as He is
"It was He who was begotten of Divinity,
according to His nature,
and of humanity,
which was not according to His nature,
and of baptism,
which was not his habit;
so that we might be begotten of humanity,
according to our nature,
and of Divinity,
which is not according to our nature,
and of the Spirit,
which is not our habit." St. Ephrem the Syrian, Homily on Our Lord, 2.1.
An Ancient Faith For a Modern World 