communion Archives - Page 8 of 16

Unity, the One Cup and the Fire of God

09/06/2021

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, February 14, 2016 Ecumenism is back in the news and with it comes a deluge of misunderstanding and theological confusion. For while “unity” and the very concept of “one” are actually inherently mystical, most who write about and discuss the topic substitute a merely human, political and administrative notion. Two key verses are frequently drawn from the 17th chapter of St. John’s gospel: Now I am no longer in the world, but

The One Thing Progress Cannot Do

09/03/2021

By Stephen Freeman, February 6, 2016 It is common among Orthodox teachers to identify prayer with the “one thing necessary” that Christ speaks of in John 11. This emphasizes prayer as communion with God – for communion with God is the very source of our life. I will expand this meaning of the “one thing necessary” to include the very “mind” required for its practice. And, as we shall see, it is strikingly at odds

Alone. One Person at a Time.

08/31/2021

Alone When God seems absent By Abbot Tryphon, January 26, 2020 We all have those moments in our lives when we feel as though God is absent, even perhaps nonexistent. Those times leave us feeling alone and abandoned, as though we are lost in an empty stadium. We feel as though we are on a boat that has been set adrift without an engine, floating further from shore, and heading to an uncertain future. Such

Thoughts on God, Us and Time. Thoughts on Indifference.

08/25/2021

Thoughts on God, Us and Time By Michael Haldas, July 11, 1916 “Our future is not about what we have or don’t have, or about what might happen or what might not happen. Our future is all about Who we know and how well we know Him…In life, in death, and for eternity our relationship with God is what matters most, and therefore should be our main concern here and now.” (Cindi McMenamin, J.I. Packer)

Embracing Our Whole Self

08/24/2021

We must embrace our material self, together with our soul By Abbot Tryphon, December 13, 2019 Unlike angels, who are entirely spiritual beings, God has made each of us as creatures dwelling in a material world. To be whole, we must worship God both in body and soul. This teaching is central to our Christian faith and is an affirmation of the sacramental nature of this material world. Because of this truth, icons have played

The Purpose of Mystery, Paradox and Contradiction

08/23/2021

By Stephen Freeman, January 25, 2016 Orthodox Christianity is deeply associated with the word “mystery.” Its theological hymns are replete with paradox, repeatedly affirming two things to be true that are seemingly contradictory. Most of these things are associated with what is called “apophatic” theology, or a theology that is “unspeakable.” This same theological approach is sometimes called the Via Negativa. This is easily misunderstood in common conversation. An Orthodox discussion takes place and reaches an

The Act of Veneration

08/16/2021

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, January 17, 2016 No spiritual activity permeates Orthodoxy as much as veneration. For the non-Orthodox, veneration is often mistaken for worship. We kiss icons; sing hymns to saints; cry out “Most Holy Theotokos, save us!” And all of this scandalizes the non-Orthodox who think we have fallen into some backwater of paganized Christianity. It is not unusual to hear Orthodox who more or less apologize for this activity and seek to

The Dormition Fast: The Most Holy Mother of God

08/13/2021

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, August 13, 2008 On August 15, the Orthodox Church (new calendar) commemorates the Dormition (falling asleep) of the Most Holy Mother of God. The feast is considered to be one of the 12 Great Feasts of the year and thus an integral part of the proclamation of gospel of Jesus Christ. Many who are not familiar with Orthodoxy, or its manner of understanding saints, easily see feast days and the veneration

The Dormition Fast: The Earth Stood Still

08/02/2021

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, August 20, 2014 Orthodox Christians commemorate the death (Dormition) of the Virgin Mary during the month of August (New Calendar, the 15th, Old Calendar, the 28th). For those for whom such feasts are foreign, it is easy to misunderstand what the Orthodox are about – and to assume that this is simply a feast to Mary because we like that sort of thing. Flippant attitudes fail to perceive the depths of the mystery

From the Beginning – True Authorial Intent

07/16/2021

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, January 5, 2016 I read a discussion concerning my earlier article on allegory in which someone identified himself as a writer. He stated that if a reader saw something in his writing that he had not intended, then either he or his reader had failed. His statement is an extreme example of what is called “authorial intent”: what the author intends for the reader to see is indeed what the reader

Archive

Unity, the One Cup and the Fire of God

The One Thing Progress Cannot Do

Alone. One Person at a Time.

Thoughts on God, Us and Time. Thoughts on Indifference.

Embracing Our Whole Self

The Purpose of Mystery, Paradox and Contradiction

The Act of Veneration

The Dormition Fast: The Most Holy Mother of God

The Dormition Fast: The Earth Stood Still

From the Beginning – True Authorial Intent

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