How do we recognise Jesus? Do we expect him to look like we see him in our icons? Icons are a very important part of our Orthodox tradition - so important that this First Sunday of Lent commemorates the restoration of icons in the year 843, after a long period of iconoclasm. But icons …
The Mystery of the Unrecognised Christ
Everything begins with forgiveness. Authentic life begins the minute we are able to forgive and receive forgiveness. Until then, all is theory and talk. The key moment on the Cross was when Jesus looked out at the soldiers and crowd and spoke the words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are …
An Ash Wednesday of Sin and Horror
Among the most poignant scenes from yesterday's carnage in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School yesterday were grieving and anxious parents with ashes on their forehead. Yesterday, of course, was Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent for Roman Catholics and Episcopalians. This is how the website bibleinfo.com summarizes the meaning of Ash Wednesday: Roman Catholic churches …
The “God is with us” Judgment
I've always been puzzled and somewhat amused by the choice of readings on this Meatfare Sunday. And by the way, that is a terrible English version of the Greek name for this Sunday: Κυριακή της Απόκρεω. Apokreo means "from meat"; in other words, leave-taking of meat, saying goodbye to meat! "Meatfare Sunday" almost sounds …
The Truth About Repentance
I read an incredible story in the Washington Post. A man is trying to get his son’s death sentence commuted to life. What was the son’s crime? He conspired with two other men to kill his parents and his brother! The mother and brother were killed and the father barely survived. The father forgave his …
