“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it” (Prov. 3:27 RSV). For those who are perfect, justice and charity are united as one, so that those who do good do so with such perfect self-giving love that they do not have any thought or desire for praise or reward. While charity cannot be done without justice, justice without mercy, justice engaged to the letter, tends to become tyrannical. ... Read more
Trump continues to embolden the worst elements of the United States, even as he punishes and hinders those who seek to promote what is good and just. His pardoning of war criminals demonstrates just another example of Trump’s thumbing his nose at all legal and moral conventions, and in doing so, encourages others to likewise reject all moral convention for the sake of Trump and Trump’s desires. This is exactly the problem surrounding the Trump presidency: there is no line... Read more
St. John of the Cross, with great wisdom, warned people against following simple explanations of any visions or locutions they (or others) might have. Even if they are authentic, which is not certain, their meaning would likely be different from what they seem to say because they express truths which transcends our comprehension, as they come from God: Clearly, in regard to the first, not all revelations turn out according to what we understand by the words. The cause is... Read more
Since the missionary work of St. Paul, Christianity has had a rather ambiguous relationship with paganism. Paul was universal in his thought and application, willing to work with and engage pagan a variety of traditions because he understood they contained elements of truth in them. This was one of the reasons why Paul believed that Christianity could and should transcend first century Jewish cultural expectations. Paul’s endeavors allowed people to find their way to God following and adapting their own... Read more
From time to time, a prophet would arise in Israel, decrying the sins of the people. Many of those sins, indeed, most of them, had social dimensions. The prophets gave stark warnings of what would come if the people did not repent.  For, as with every action there is a reaction, the consequences of great social sin are dire. Sin causes harm to those who sin as the ramifications for sin are experienced. God, in his grace, held back those... Read more
Today is the prelude of God’s goodwill and the prophecy of the salvation of men. The Virgin appears openly in the Temple of God and foretells Christ to all. So let us cry to her with loud voices: Rejoice, thou who art the fulfillment of the Creator’s providence (Troparian of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple) Mary the Theotokos’ entrance into the Temple should be remembered especially for all the symbols which can be contemplated based upon the... Read more
When not dealing with dogmatic issues, the Christian faith allows for a great diversity of thought. This is why there are a variety of theological schools of thought, each which promote the basics of the faith, but otherwise differ radically from each other in various different ways.[1] Christians can differ with each other on many of the characteristics which they predicate to creation as a whole, as well as to each particular object within creation. What might seem to be... Read more
Sometimes people say that because God became man, and not some other animal like a dog or a cat, that God cares only for the salvation of humanity. There are many things which can be said about this. First and foremost, this argument presumes that there are no other incarnations, that God only became man. Theologically, it is possible to consider whether or not God could and would have incarnated himself by assuming other natures. Nonetheless, it is not necessary... Read more
Contrary to the way many people react, abortion is not one of the deadly sins. This does not make issues surrounding abortion unimportant, but it does mean we should recognize there are fundamental concerns which lead to abortion, concerns which transcend the issue of abortion itself. We must recognize the dignity of life, of all life, and not just one kind of life; we must likewise recognize and respect the whole moral teaching of the church, taking into consideration what... Read more
In the ante-Nicene era, Christians and pagans both took notice of the words of Jesus concerning the rich and the poor. In Luke, we find his message summarized in two statements: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Lk. 6:20v RSV). “But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Lk. 6:24 RSV). For many pagans, it was words like these which they believe explained why many of the underclass became Christian.... Read more
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