Today, we remember the entrance of the Mother of God into eternity. In the Byzantine tradition, this day is called the Dormition of the Mother of God, the day on which she went to “sleep.” It is important that we do not misunderstand what is meant with the word “dormition.” By saying Mary went to “sleep,” tradition is telling us that she died, using the euphemism which Paul used for death (one, which, to be sure, predated him, as there... Read more
I like to visit my local Half-Price Bookstore every week, as it is most likely to have a wide variety of books, many new to the store, letting me discover books which I otherwise did not know existed. Also, I find their clearance section to be unavoidable, as I often find books placed in it which either I did not know they had, or books which I am willing to buy when they are not so costly. Just recently, I... Read more
We are easily distracted, especially by gossip. What is worse. we often use gossip not only as a means of distraction, but detraction, a means of hurting those who we dislike. The more we speak out of malice, the more spiritually ill we become. We should not be looking to others in order to find a reason to criticize and attack them, thinking in doing so, we prove ourselves to be better than they are. We should not be trying... Read more
If we want to experience the kingdom of God, we must not close ourselves from it by being self-absorbed, closing in on ourselves instead of being open to God and God’s grace. We certainly must not think it is something we can attain all by ourselves, that on our own, we can do what it takes to become perfect. We can’t. Perfection is impossible without union with God, for God is good, the source and foundation of all that is... Read more
There are various occasions in our life where we might find ourselves doing actions which lead to our own suffering, and we are willing, indeed, see the need to do them despite such suffering. Due to this, though we might not want to suffer, we still embrace it, realizing that it is necessary for our goal. A prime example of this is if we see a loved one under attack: most of us would immediately put ourselves between them and... Read more
While many had their attention diverted by the Olympics, and made-up outrage after made-up outrage concerning what was happening there, Jim Jordan and Thomas Massie, leading the House Judiciary Committee, were conducting an assault on businesses and faith-based groups which take environmental concerns seriously. They claimed that there is a “ESG Cartel” which needs to be stopped, a cartel which has as its goal a desire to protect the environment, and with it, the future of humanity. Why do they... Read more
The Transfiguration is a special event in world history. God reveals to us in the Transfiguration of Christ that the glory of God can and will be shared with material creation, meaning, matter itself can participate in God’s glory and be transfigured by it. This is why some consider the Transfiguration to be an eschatological revelation because it revealed to us the truth of the immanent eschaton, that is, God is with us in Jesus. At the Transfiguration we are... Read more
Several times during his ministry Jesus made it clear that we are not to go out into the world looking for people to judge and condemn. That is not what we have been tasked to do. We should not let a spirit of condemnation rule over us. If we do so, we find ourselves leaving the path of salvation ourselves, thereby risking being the ones who are condemned. Instead, we are expected to follow the way of love and mercy,... Read more
By nature, if we are to use such a term for God, God is perfect. In accordance to that perfection, God is incapable of suffering. If God suffered, then, with such suffering, there would be something less than perfect about God. This is why there is nothing we can do to make God suffer. Indeed, God is eternal and in that eternity, unchangeable, and since God is by nature perfect and without suffering, there can be no change which would... Read more
When I was in first grade, we had a teacher’s aide who came from Hawaii. At the end of her term, which I recall was not at the end of the year but sometime before then, perhaps at the end of the first semester, she told us she was going back to Hawaii. We had a farewell party for her at which she shared with us some Hawaiian candy as well as a story which she said she had heard... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In