St Silouan Archives - Saint Sophia

The Friday of Cheesefare (Forgiveness) Sunday: Forgiveness for All the Sundays to Come

02/20/2026

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, February 18, 2018 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (John17:20-21) The Elder Sophrony, together with St. Silouan, wrote about the “whole Adam.” By this, they meant all the human beings who have ever existed and those yet to come. For Silouan and Sophrony, this was something known in the present tense, a “hypostatic” knowledge of the fundamental unity of

What Do We Need? Love Amidst the Clutter

10/10/2025

~By Stephen Freeman, September 18, 2023 I’ve been slowly making my way through the book, An Empire of Things. It’s subtitle, How We Became a World of Consumers from the Fifteenth to the Twenty-first Centuries, describes the fascinating journey outlined in the text. It tracks the gradual evolution of the modern world as seen in our acquisition of stuff. The average citizen in the 1400’s would have been lucky to have a change of clothes and the

Mary: The Blessing of All Generations

08/14/2025

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, August 7, 2019 In my childhood, it was not unusual to hear someone ask, “Who are your people?” It was a semi-polite, Southernism designed to elicit essential information about a person’s social background. The assumption was that you, at best, could only be an example of your “people.” It ignored the common individualism of the wider culture, preferring the more family or clan-centered existence of an older time. It was possible

The Village Inside Us – The Whole Adam

07/28/2025

~By Father Stephen Freeman, August 18, 2021 Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of my father’s passing. I have felt the day approaching for a few weeks now. I have also been reflecting on why I feel it so poignantly. The truth is that we know a parent in a unique way, indeed, in a manner that differs even from that of our siblings. What we know is never really the person as they stand, fully themselves.

The Sixth Friday of Great Lent. The Mystery of Holy Week

04/11/2025

~By Father Stephen Freeman, April 18, 2022 Among the more pernicious ideas that inhabit our contemporary world is the notion that we are all isolated, independent, and alone. Even when we gather, we think of ourselves as but one among many. Among the most glaring exceptions to this form of thought, however, are sporting events. People attend a football game and declare when it is finished, “We won!” or “We lost!” We feel genuine joy at the

Forgiveness for All the Sundays to Come

02/28/2025

~By Father Stephen Freeman, February 25, 2023 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (John17:20-21) The Elder Sophrony, together with St. Silouan, wrote about the “whole Adam.” By this, they meant all the human beings who have ever existed and those yet to come. For Silouan and Sophrony, this was something known in the present tense, a “hypostatic” knowledge of the fundamental unity of

The Twenty-Ninth Day of Christmas Advent. Entering the Mystery of Christmas.

12/13/2024

By Stephen Freeman, December 28, 2019 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

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN! The Fourth Friday of Pascha: Getting Your Mind Right

05/31/2024

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, April 19, 2016 In the classic movie, Cool Hand Luke (1967), the lead character struggles in a Deep South prison chain-gang setting. Very cool towards authority, he is finally, at the Warden’s direction, beaten by the guards. There is a memorable bit of dialog: Luke (lying in a grave he’s been forced to dig): Oh God! Oh God! I pray to God you don’t hit me anymore. I’ll do anything you say, but

Healing the Heart

01/12/2024

Fr. Stephen Freeman, September 21, 2021 The heart itself is but a small vessel, yet dragons are there, and there are also lions; there are poisonous beasts and all the treasures of evil. But there too is God, the angels, the life and the kingdom, the light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasuries of grace—all things are there. (H.43.7) St. Macarius If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it

Compassion Compels Us

11/02/2023

Sermon preached by Fr. Antony Hughes on Sunday, October 1, 2017 “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” That seems such a huge thing to ask of us: to be as merciful, kind, and compassionate as God himself. Notice that Jesus does not mention being obedient to any law or religion or even a code of morality. He asks only that we be merciful. Why? Because it is not about religion or law or

Archive

The Friday of Cheesefare (Forgiveness) Sunday: Forgiveness for All the Sundays to Come

What Do We Need? Love Amidst the Clutter

Mary: The Blessing of All Generations

The Village Inside Us – The Whole Adam

The Sixth Friday of Great Lent. The Mystery of Holy Week

Forgiveness for All the Sundays to Come

The Twenty-Ninth Day of Christmas Advent. Entering the Mystery of Christmas.

ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! CHRIST IS RISEN! The Fourth Friday of Pascha: Getting Your Mind Right

Healing the Heart

Compassion Compels Us

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