You undoubtedly heard or read at least one reference today to this being "Orthodox Christmas." One of my cousins posted this article on his Facebook page; it's typical of the misunderstanding that exists about January 7th being "Orthodox Christmas." Orthodox Christmas 2015: Russian, Greek and Other Eastern Churches Begin Celebrations Some of the information in this …
Twelve Days of Incarnation
CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM! ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΓΕΝΝΑΤΑΙ. ΔΟΞΑΣΑΤΕ. That is the traditional Christmas greeting for Orthodox Christians. It is analogous to the more familiar Easter greeting: "Christ is Risen! Truly he is risen!" The Christmas greeting comes from the first words of the Oration on the Theophany by St. Gregory of Nazianzus, which you can …
Remembering Wilhelm Furtwängler on the anniversary of his death
On this day (November 30th) Wilhelm Furtwängler died 60 years ago (1954). He was, in my opinion and in the opinion of many others, the greatest conductor of the 20th century - which pretty much means the greatest of all time, since the 20th century was THE century of great symphony conductors. He was especially known …
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“Everyone capable of thanksgiving”
On this Thanksgiving Day, I'm reminded of a remarkable man who was my teacher at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary: Father Alexander Schmemann. So I want to share a 30-minute video produced by CBS to mark the death of Fr. Alexander on December 13th, 1983. This video is not only a remarkable memorial to Fr. Alexander, …
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 …
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 …
A courageous little girl
A belated happy birthday to Ruby Bridges, 60 years old this week (Sept. 8th). As today, Sept. 11th, has become a day dedicated to hatred, it's good to remember how a little girl overcame hatred 54 years ago. It should be our own mission as Orthodox Christians to oppose hatred and prejudice wherever we find it, …
Ancient Answers 