November 16 is the feast day of Saint Matthew, the evangelist. On this day, I call to mind another great saint, Antony of Egypt. At the end of his life, Antony is reported to have said to his disciples: “Live as though you were dying every day. Pay attention to yourselves and remember what I taught …
There are no crumbs in God’s kingdom
Today's Gospel reading, Luke 16:19-31, is the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The parable is one of many that Jesus spoke about money and how God sees rich and poor people. Indeed, the context here is worth looking at. Chapter 16 of Luke's Gospel begins with another parable about money and Jesus concludes …
Guard Your Identity
There are many instances in the Gospels of Jesus driving out demons, and the most remarkable of these is the one in Luke 8:26-39 that we read in the Liturgy this morning (Oct. 26th). It is hard for many modern people - myself included - to relate to stories of demon possession and exorcism or …
“Where is your God?”
Today's (19 Oct 2014) Gospel reading at the Liturgy was Luke 7:11-16, Jesus raising the son of the widow of Nain. As I reflected on this miracle story, what came to mind was Psalm 42. I imagined this widow praying this psalm at her son's death and what she might have continued praying after her son's …
What would Atticus do?
Several years ago, the acronym WWJD was very popular. People wore bracelets with those four capital letters, which stood for "What Would Jesus Do." I don't see much evidence of that acronym any more. Perhaps it was just a fad - just another marketing ploy to tap into the hearts and desires of millions. An article …
Escape from Pleasantville
In the movie Pleasantville, two teenagers, a brother and sister are pulled into their TV set and into the fictional world of a late 1950’s sitcom, Pleasantville. In the world of the sitcom, the wife stays home, always dressed & made up, even in kitchen. The husband comes home from work, hangs his hat, calls …
Into the Sanctuary: Psalm 73
Psalm 73 is one of my favorites. I will briefly comment on the different parts of this Psalm in order to explain why I like it so much. (I'm quoting the standard RSV translation.) 73:1 Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost …
Theology, our last hope
A few weeks ago I wrote an article here titled, "Ecology is an Orthodox word." Today I came across an amazing little quote: The proposed solution to our environmental problems are no longer a matter of saving a few watts, using less plastic or stopping an oil pipeline... It is our entire industrialized lifestyle that is …
Stop Ignoring the Extermination of Middle East Christians!
A recent column by Ross Douthat, a usually conservative columnist for the New York Times, brought to the fore a topic that is generally ignored by American media and politicians: the evolving extermination of Christians in the Middle East. Ross Douthat's column refers to the Middle East's "friendless Christians." And that's exactly what they are. One would …
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Elevation of the Cross
The feast of the Universal Elevation of the Holy Cross was originally an immensely political feast-day in Byzantium. It is clearly seen in the Apolytikion of the day: Σῶσον Κύριε τὸν λαόν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, νίκας τοῖς Βασιλεῦσι κατὰ βαρβάρων δωρούμενος καὶ τὸ σὸν φυλάττων διὰ τοῦ Σταυροῦ σου πολίτευμα. This is a …
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