Daily Meditations Archives - Page 31 of 326

The Fifth Wednesday of Great Lent: Beware of Habit

03/29/2023

Published by Pemptousia Partnership on January 28, 2022 By Protopresbyter Georgios Dorbarakis ‘Do not become accustomed to being defeated in the spiritual war, because habit becomes second nature’ (Saint Efraim the Syrian). The great Saint Efraim the Syrian makes a profound psychological and also spiritual observation, the truth of which we can all confirm from our daily experience. Who doubts the power of habit? If we do something once and then repeat it, it becomes difficult

The Fifth Tuesday of Great Lent: The Way of Detachment

03/28/2023

Sermon preached by Fr. Antony Hughes on Sunday, August 19, 2018 at St. Mary Orthodox Church in Cambridge, MA. The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26 The way the young man addressed Jesus met with a mild rebuke. He calls him “Good Teacher” and the Lord replies, “Why do you call me good? There is only one who is good and that is God.” Jesus is referring to the Father from who all goodness comes. Jesus

The Fifth Monday of Great Lent: Healing the Inner Pharisee

03/27/2023

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, February 25, 2021 I cannot remember the name of my kindergarten teacher. I cannot remember the names of any of my first grade classmates. However, I have a very vivid memory of the only word I messed up in a first grade reading group: cupboard. I read, “Cupboard.” Old Mother Hubbard would have been dismayed. In the same manner, I remember the word that brought my spelling bee prowess to an

The Fourth Saturday of Great Lent: The Annunciation of the Theotokos

03/25/2023

Reading Six months after John the Forerunner’s conception, the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth, a town of Galilee, unto Mary the Virgin, who had come forth from the Temple a mature maiden (see Nov. 21). According to the tradition handed down by the Fathers, she had been betrothed to Joseph four months. On coming to Joseph’s house, the Archangel declared: “Rejoice, thou Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art

The Fourth Friday of Great Lent: Christianity in a Plain Brown Wrapper

03/24/2023

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, March 29, 2021 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2Co 3:18) Among the many losses within modern Christianity has been the place of transformation. Nineteenth century revival movements and theology emphasized a single experience that was associated with salvation. Those who concerned

The Fourth Thursday of Great Lent: The Cross Tells Us

03/23/2023

Sermon preached by Fr. Antony Hughes on Sunday, September 9, 2018 at St. Mary Orthodox Church in Cambridge, MA. The Bronze Serpent is a strange and interesting thing. In Hebrew it has a name, “Nehushtan,” which means “a brazen thing, a mere piece of brass.” It is a derogatory name. Even though Moses made it at the instruction of God, as scripture says, it became an object of derision, so much so that, King Hezekiah

The Fourth Wednesday of Great Lent: The Prayer of Righteous Symeon

03/22/2023

Published by Pemptousia Partnership on February 3, 2022 Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios At every Vespers, we hear the prayer: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen your salvation …” (Luke 2: 29-31). As St. Luke the Evangelist writes, it is with these words that the Righteous Symeon praised and thanked God, when he took the 40-day old baby Jesus in his arms, while in the Temple of

The Fourth Tuesday of Great Lent: I Very Much Suspect

03/21/2023

Sermon preached by Fr. Antony Hughes on Sunday, June 21, 2020 Here is a lovely and telling story from the great story-teller Anthony DeMello. A man found an eagle egg in his yard and he put it in the nest of one of his backyard hens. The egg hatched with the chicken eggs and all the little birds learned the way of chickens. They scratched in the earth for insects and when they flew, if

The Fourth Monday of Great Lent: The Mystery of Providence

03/20/2023

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, January 21, 2018 The entire mystery of the economy of our salvation consists in the self-emptying and abasement of the Son of God – St. Cyril of Alexandria Among the most troublesome thoughts to my modern mind are those surrounding God’s providence. A popular morning prayer from the Elders of Optina reads: O Lord, grant that I may meet all that this coming day brings to me with spiritual tranquility. Grant

The Third Friday of Great Lent: St. Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland

03/17/2023

Authored by Orthodox Church of America Parades, wearing of the green, shamrocks, celebrations – which one of these is a true event in the life of St. Patrick? The humble bishop who helped establish Christianity in the country now known as Ireland would be surprised, and perhaps saddened, by some of the “traditions” associated with his missionary work during a challenging period in the life of the Church. A little-known fact is that Patrick was