“I was my mother’s first heart attack.” So began our interview. Her mother Shirley, nine months pregnant and due at any time had a heart attack. An hour later she went into labor. No one remembers how long it lasted – the focus was on the issue at hand – would she live? This was […]

The contemporary God is much the same as the contemporary diet – we want as much of Him as we want – anytime, anywhere. There is no rhythm to our desire, only the rise and fall of passions. By Archpriest Stephen Freeman  The Orthodox year has a rhythm, much like the tide coming in and […]

The Apostles Fast By Priest Brendan Pelphrey The Fast of the Apostles is probably the least well known, but is among the oldest of Christian traditions. It is mentioned by St. Athanasius in the fourth century, and there are other testimonies to its existence very early in the history of the Church. For faithful Orthodox, […]

The Saints: Our Living Helpers and Friends By Abbot Tryphon According to St. Symeon the New Theologian, vigil lights are placed before the icons of the saints as a way of showing that without the light, who is Christ, the saints are nothing. It is only as the Light of Christ shines upon them that […]

by Mother Macaria I know why the Saint gave “Christ is Risen!” To every soul who came to him. I know the hidden need to give joy Or be flooded with all the world’s grief. In those deep nights of his prayer,              his Gethsemane, Kneeling on the rock hard heart of the world With […]

By ITW Staff What are 49 Ways to Love God and Others? We are reminded in the 12 Gospel readings on Holy Thursday that Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By […]

How to Live Without Resentment September 22, 2019 By Steve Beck First published at www.cstevebeck.com. Carolyn Maull McKinstry carried resentment inside for much of her life. She turned to alcohol for numbing. She had trouble sleeping. Her relationships were strained. The hatred in her heart was wrecking her life. Until she realized that forgiveness — […]

by Fr. Patrick Tishel The studies that are in process on the Coronavirus, from the standpoint of epidemiology, have generated statistical models of the spread of the virus, clarity about methods of transmission, and identifying who are most vulnerable.  This valuable information has led to a threefold response: a call to immediate social distancing to […]

The earliest Christians, who lived in constant expectation of dying for their faith, found strength in the daily cycle of prayer services (which were themselves an outgrowth and fulfillment of the Jewish tradition). Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” (Jn 18:36) Today, in the face of the increasing emptiness and alienation of […]

by Father John Miller In preparing for Lent, we often look for recipes that are suitable for the strict fast that we follow. Offered here is a recipe to prepare for Christ to “come and sanctify us.” The ingredients are prayer, fasting, alms-giving, confession, and study Prayer During Holy and Great Lent we add to […]