The Uncreated Church

A man went to Elder Porphyrios: “Geronta, I want your blessing, so that I can take communion tomorrow.” “Do you hate anyone?” “No, Geronta.” “Good. Go and receive communion.” Simple, right? Why do we Orthodox prefer to complicate things, with rules and man-made traditions? Porphyrios was a profound thinker and man of the spirit, but …

The Needed Touch

Jesus called her 'daughter' - θυγάτηρ. I bet no one had called her that in a real face-to-face encounter. Certainly not in the 12 years that she had the flow of blood, which made her untouchable, an outcast from society. She was cured by being recognized, by being loved, by entering relationship. But it started …

A Magnificent Prayer

The Responses to Thalassios is considered by many to be the greatest work of St. Maximos the Confessor, the great Byzantine theologian of the 7th century. The book consists of 65 answers that Maximos wrote in response to Thalassios, a renowned spiritual teacher in North Africa. Question 48 in this book begins with a prayer that …

World Gone Haywire

Amazing words spoken by Dietrich Bonhoeffer on August 29, 1932 - 90 years ago, but just as pertinent today, as the Russian Orthodox Patriarch and several other Orthodox hierarchs in Russia and elsewhere continue to support and even promote Putin's illegal and criminal war against Ukraine. Note especially his statement: "The church forsakes obedience whenever …

8 Months Later

As I posted earlier tonight I realized that it's almost 8 months since the last time I posted on this blog, whose premium status I did not even renew when it came up for renewal earlier this year. Eight months is a long spell of silence. Except I have not been silent; I have been …