Thou wast transfigured on the mount, O Christ God,/ revealing Thy glory to Thy disciples as far as they could bear it./ Let Thine everlasting light shine upon us sinners/ through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Giver of Light, glory to Thee (Troparion for the Transfiguration) The light of truth which transcends the darkness of our minds requires us to be patient until we have found ourselves adjusted to the light. In that patience, we must still our thoughts... Read more
Baptism, Chrismation (confirmation), and communion, when considered together, have been called the sacraments of initiation. Historically, the three would be received at the same time. That is, when someone converted to the Christian faith, they would be baptized, chrismated, and receive their first communion at the same service. Due to the way chrismation was mostly administered by a bishop in the West, chrismation and baptism slowly became separated and administered at different times. For missionaries, as well as parishes which... Read more
In traditional Japanese beliefs and practices, there is a belief in a sacred power, kami, which inhabits all things. This kami is also established and formed particular kami or deities which are believed to reside in sacred places and things. As the book Japanese Religions: A Survey By The Agency For Cultural Affairs explained, kami, the sacred powers which be, can be found in anything and or even in anyone, so that sacred ancestors also became associated with the kami:... Read more
He also said, “Nine monks fell away after many labors and were obsessed with spiritual pride, for they put their trust in their own works and being deceived they did not give due heed to the commandment that says, ‘Ask your father and he will tell you.'” (Deut. 32.7)[1] Monasticism is often confused as a works-based spirituality because of the way various ascetic struggles of famous saintly monks have been portrayed. Extraordinary feats of strength and endurance are put forth... Read more
Good is always mixed with evil wherever evil is to be found, for evil thrives upon and uses the good to establish itself. Evil thrives off the good, and finds its existence in the good. For this reason, evil is never pure, and can never be pure, for if and when something became pure evil, it would destroy in itself all that is good, including and especially its very existence. Evil is a parasite which thrives upon the good, uses... Read more
This is the fifth and final post on a series exploring the eucharist. Click here for part one, and here for part two, and here for part three, and here for part four. When we partake of communion, we receive in our body that which is physical and yet, we eat something far more than the physical form of bread and wine indicates: we receive and are received into the body of Christ. It is a fundamental truth. What we... Read more
One of the central concerns of Christian theology is that of soteriology, questions concerning salvation. Who will be saved? How will they have saved? How many people will be saved? Why will someone not be saved? In my recently published book, The Eschatological Judgement of Christ, I examined the Hans Urs von Balthasar’s take on these questions. Many have misunderstood his position as that of universalism, that because he hoped all would be saved, he believed all would be saved.... Read more
God, being good, justly distributes his goodness to the world. This is because, as divine simplicity indicates, his justice is one with his goodness. Likewise, other attributes of God are one with each other so that even if we logically distinguish various attributes of God, we must realize they are not ontologically distinguished in him.[1] Thus, Nicholas of Cusa, explaining the way God gives to each thing their own good, said it is because God is justice that he does... Read more
This is the fourth post on a series exploring the eucharist. Click here for part one, and here for part two, and here for part three. While the mysterious transformation of bread and wine into Christ seems remarkable to us, we must understand that the processes involved are not without precedent. The world which we live in is in constant flux; things within it a changing all the time. Thanks to evolution, life forms emerge out of other, different forms... Read more
This is the third post on a series exploring the eucharist. Click here for part one, and here for part two. In our celebration of the eucharist, what we hand over to be used for our spiritual meal, bread and wine, we receive back to us, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the priestly work of Jesus Christ to become the bread of life. They keep their physical accidents, their physical traits, so that our body receives... Read more
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