Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM) Will Join Millions Around the World in Celebrating GivingTuesday on November 29, A Global Day of Generosity This year, OCPM is hosting a special campaign for its new ministry program, Storybook Connections, which helps families torn apart by the U.S. prison system stay connected through the power of literature, letting children […]
“You wouldn’t believe who I caught eating ice cream during Great Lent!” (See photo for evidence) We do seem to get totally focused on food during Great Lent. If asked to explain Great Lent, most of us would say that it is a time of denying ourselves certain foods. All of those who have the […]
Day 4 of Great Lent As we continue to read the Book of Proverbs this Great Lent, we are listening carefully to what “Wisdom” has to say. When Wisdom speaks…Christ speaks. When Wisdom is mentioned, it is referring to Jesus. What happens when we replace the word “Wisdom” with the Name of Jesus? “Happy is […]
“Wisdom” begins to speak aloud in Proverbs 1:20- “Wisdom calls aloud!” What or Who is this Wisdom? One of the greatest Churches ever built was Hagia Sophia in what was then Constantinople. The name in English is Holy Wisdom. This name is not about “what” is wisdom but truly about “Who” is Wisdom. The Church […]
Day 1 of Great Lent “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction…to receive the instruction of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:1-3) You have probably seen some of the multitude of articles and websites discussing how much we need to work our brains to keep us thinking and make us […]
Do you have people in your life that just seem to irritate you on a regular basis? I have; in fact, it has occurred many, many times in my life. I have prayed: “Oh Lord, please remove this person from my life; send them someplace else!” If that person moved on (or if I moved […]
Several years ago, we had a most unusual visitor to our parish. We were in the midst of Orthros on a Sunday morning, when I heard a loud voice saying something about God. I looked out from the altar and there was a man striding toward the solea with no shirt, barefoot, carrying his shoes […]
During Orthros one Sunday, the chanters were singing a beautiful hymn that caught my attention. The words jumped off the page when I read what they were singing. The Virgin Mary gave birth to “the Abyss of Mercy.” I was so struck by the phrase that I brought the altar servers together and read it […]
When sailing in the ocean, one cannot simply set a certain compass setting and kick back for the next few weeks until the destination is reached. Winds and currents change. One needs to adjust their heading regularly or the destination will not be found. This is so very true in life as well. The spiritual […]
Jen became a grandmother at a much younger age than she ever imagined. She felt bitter that a new, unexpected grandbaby would derail her teenage son’s future. When her grandson, Matt, was born at Christmas and she finally had a chance to hold him, her anger faded away. “I looked at him and it melted my […]