Category Archives: Misc

Resources for Those Interested in the Orthodox Faith

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As you can see above, I’ve added and expanded some of the other individual pages on this blog, for the sake of Orthodox seekers, inquirers, catechumens and the newly-Chrismated/Baptized. To summarize:

First, there is a disclaimer that explains the intentions of this blog and the many shortcomings. Lord, have mercy.

Second, there is a helpfully organized archive of various articles or posts from over the years, arranged by topic (broadly speaking). This provides a quick-reference starting point for whatever subject it is you’re interested in learning more about.

Next, I have put together a brief outline of “how to pray” in the Orthodox manner for those interested in such things (which is hopefully everyone). This is a simple and ancient daily assembly of prayers that can be said at home (in the morning and evening as a starting point). Your prayer life can and will grow from there.

Closely connected to Orthodox prayer is our “confession of faith” or “Symbol of Faith” (a.k.a. the Nicaean-Constantinopolitan Creed). It would be helpful to learn and memorize this confession and to make it part of one’s daily prayers (and not only reciting it on Sunday during the Liturgy).

And finally, there is a brief introduction to the Orthodox Church written for those with little-to-no knowledge of the Church at all (which is, sadly, a surprisingly large number of people in America today). This can be a helpful starting place for anyone interested in the Faith or for those trying to explain it to an outsider.

I pray these resources are helpful for you in your own journey of Faith. Please forgive me for any errors or causes of offense therein. Lord, have mercy on me the sinner!

Manliness

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Orthodox Icon of St Clement of Alexandria

“How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them! […] For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But he adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest – a sign of strength and rule.”

St Clement of Alexandria

A Prayer For My Grandmother

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O holy Father, heavenly Physician of our souls and bodies, who hast sent thine Only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to heal all our ailments and deliver us from death: do thou visit and heal thy handmaiden Rose, granting her release from pain and restoration to health and vigor, that she may give thanks unto thee and bless thy holy Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Our Spiritual Anniversary

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Tomorrow will mark one (liturgical) year since my family left the multitudes of schisms in Protestantism and began our journey home to the Holy Eastern Orthodox Church, the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by our Lord Jesus Christ nearly 2,000 years ago.

It was on Pentecost Sunday, one year ago, that we first experienced the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (at St Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church in Louisville, KY), and shortly thereafter that we necessarily severed ties with our old PCA (Federal Vision) parish.

It was no picnic, as I’ve mentioned on here before.

It meant losing many of our closest friends in the world, and experiencing the anticipated backlash that always comes when someone leaves an FV community behind (much like when someone tries to leave a cult). However, at the end of the day, we knew we had to follow and be faithful to Christ and not man — no matter how much we loved those people and wanted them as part of our lives.

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Blessed Be the Name of the Lord Henceforth and Forevermore!

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Through the intercessions of hundreds upon hundreds of Orthodox faithful, and the intercessions of our Lady Theotokos and “Healer of Cancer,” the Ever-Virgin Mary, the Archpriest Alexander of St Michael Orthodox Church in Louisville, KY has successfully made it through surgery to remove cancer in both his liver and colon.

Blessings be upon our former Shepherd (prior to our move to Arkansas) and Pastor, the Most Rev. Bishop MARK, as well for the Unction service this past week for the protection and healing of not only Fr Alexander, but hundreds of faithful Orthodox Christians.

One of the things I was most blown away by when I began my journey towards the Apostolic Faith was the incredible Grace of God in answering the fervent and unceasing prayers of faithful servants. Never before in my life have I had such a real and present experience of prayer, seeing not only the benefits and fruit for my own Theosis and Spiritual well being, but also how it impacts the lives of others as well.

Blessed Be Christ our God! May we all find health, rest, and salvation in Christ through the prayers and intercessions of our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all the Saints.

May our Gracious and Loving Father continue to bless, keep and protect the venerable Archpriest Alexander — surround him and his ministry with your Angels, Holy Father, and keep the work of the Evil One ever at bay.

Praise to the Holy Trinity! Amen.

God is Love

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Who is the Father? Who is Jesus Christ? Who is the Holy Spirit? These questions, and how we answer them, are synonymous with this thing we call Orthodoxy or the “Orthodox Faith.” That’s it. Period. It really is that simple.

When I came home from running errands today (still frantically packing and getting ready for our big move), I found out that our daughter (now six months old) had a cut on one of her fingers from getting her fingernails clipped. When I examined it and held her hand in mine, she gave me a look — eye to eye — that I’ve never seen her give me before. It was a look of fear, sadness, and worry. It was as if she were communicating to me through her facial expression: “Father, I’m hurt. Please help me.”  When I saw her face, I realized that I had never seen her hurt in this way before, really, and I felt something that I can honestly say I’ve never felt in my entire life up until that moment. The overwhelming compassion and hurt I felt inside was almost foreign, and I could feel my own countenance change in that single moment.

Thankfully, of course, she’ll be fine. It’s just a tiny scratch, all things considered.

However, as I reflected on this experience, it made me consider what our relationship with God the Father is like. This is love. This is what it means when we hear St John the Theologian tell us “God is love.” This is how compassionate of a God we worship in Spirit and Truth in the Orthodox Church.

I imagine this is analogous to how God “feels” when we cry out to Him in the heavens, and call upon His name for help, Comfort, guidance, and direction. Whenever we suffer as Christians, we say the “Jesus prayer” (O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner) or the “Lord’s Prayer,” or chant some Psalms, or perhaps light some candles before an Icon or ask our Lady Theotokos to intercede to Her Son on our behalf, and we receive comfort from these things, knowing that our Loving Father cares for us, and that in His very Being, He is Love.

God is Love. What an amazing comfort that is! How wonderful to know that our Father is compassionate and merciful towards us, in the same manner as the Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Whenever I would hear this parable taught growing up, the focus is usually placed on the son: He’s a sinner; Look at all the mistakes he made; Look how foolish he was; Don’t be like him!

However, I think Jesus’ point in teaching us this parable was not to be more eager to cast the first stone or strike fear into us as sinners, but to emphasize how loving and forgiving our Father in the heavens is — Our God Who is Love. It should really be called the Parable of the Loving Father, because that’s the point; that’s the emphasis. When we go astray, or when we get into trouble, or when we’re hurt, our Loving Father is there to welcome us home with open arms and comfort us with His eternal and inexhaustible mercy and love. He doesn’t stare us down with scolding eyes or tell us we need to meet some sort of criteria in order for Him to love us again — He simply forgives us, loves us, and opens His arms to embrace us as lost children.

And so, once again, my daughter teaches me about the Gospel more than any book, lecture, catechism or sermon ever could. Lord, have mercy.