The following is taken from The Hidden Man of the Heart by Archimandrite Zacharias. Priesthood is a difficult task, and it is a marvel to see a priest dying in the same state of inspiration as the one which he began. Normally, priests die in states of much less grace, because all their ministry is to take upon themselves the death of their people. Whatever a priest gathers when he is alone before God, he spreads to the people when... Read more

I am Cath’lic, hear me roarI’m too famous to ignoreAnd I know too much to go back an’ pretend’cause I’ve heard it all beforeAnd I’ve bent down there to the floorNo one’s ever gonna bend me down againCHORUSOh yes I am wiseA Gnostic, that is plainYes, I’ve paid the priceBut look how much I gainedIf I have to, I can do anythingI am strong (strong)I am invincible (invincible)I am de-vout You can preach but never break me’cause it only serves... Read more

I really need to get out more (or not); this story about Jews swinging chickens over their heads for remission of sins was news to me … Rabbi Shea Hecht plucks a chicken off a truck parked behind a synagogue in Queens, N.Y., and demonstrates how to swing a chicken. “You take it by the wing,” says the white-haired Hecht, careful not to get the chicken’s feathers or anything else on his black suit and tall black hat. “You put... Read more

No matter how crazy we try to be sometimes, it seems the truth, at least things really happening in real time, can often surpass our invented or imagined nuttiness. You’ve, no doubt, heard it said: A time is coming when people will go mad and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, “You are mad, you are not like us.” Back when I worked at a substance abuse recovery center, I would work the... Read more

All those “peace signs” I drew as a kid, my seven year old draws now … Uh-oh! On the sign in front of St. Benedict Orthodox Church is what is called a “three-bar cross.” Rather than the usual one transept intersecting the main post, there are three, including a small transept at the bottom which is angled upward on the right side. This unusual cross is uniquely Russian Orthodox, but it is so uncommon in this part of the country... Read more

The still shot (here) looks like they’re waiting on the line to die down for the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. HT: Contemporary Orthodoxy Read more

This, taken from The Stand, concerning whether [the prophetess] Mother Abigail was “off her block”, is posted here on Stephen King’s 62nd birthday: “Maybe she was,” Glen said mildly. “If you read your theology, you’ll find that God often chooses to speak through the dying and the insane. It even seems to me — here’s the closet Jesuit coming out — that there are good psychological reasons for it. A madman or a person on her deathbed is a human... Read more

St Tikhon of Moscow is loved and venerated by all American Orthodox — and, somewhat surprisingly, by the Anglicans of Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin. Nashotah House awarded St Tikhon a D.Div (honoris causa) in 1905, and they venerate his icon in their chapel of St Mary the Virgin. This year — to mark the 20th anniversary of St Tikhon’s glorification — Nashotah House is hosting an Anglican-Orthodox Conference on “Identity, Ministry and Mission in the 21st Century” from... Read more

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Did you ever try to find something even remotely Orthodox in your local superstore, gift shop, or bible book store? Chances are, you’ll find all manner of things purporting to be spiritual, religious, new-fangled and Christian — though nary even a wall calendar reflecting the Ancient Faith. Besides, what should you do when you do find one? Here’s a snippet of this week’s podcast … Hello! Welcome to Betsy’s Cards and Things! May I help you? — Oh yes, thank... Read more