“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” This extreme statement by the Apostle Paul must define the way we live our life, and is the key to making any progress in virtue. It is a &mindset” that permiates Orthodox Christian life and prayers, but is not well understood. Let us look at how in our daily lives we can make this saying “worthy of all acceptation”. Many examples from the scriptures will help us, such as the publican, the woman who annointed the Lord’s feet, and the Apostle Peter.
Month: January 2011
“Lord, have mercy!”
The text below is a wonderful homily by Fr. David Moser explaining, on the basis of today's scripture readings, why "Lord, have mercy!" is the essential Christian prayer. Source: http://stseraphimboise.org/homily.html 1 Timothy 1:15-17 Luke 18:35-43 “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief … for this reason I obtained… Continue reading “Lord, have mercy!”
Sanctity Of Life Sunday. Christians Must Not Accept Abortion And Sexual Immorality Being Redefined
LISTEN NOW Synopsis: A short talk on sanctity of life Sunday, after a moleben. If the "LISTEN NOW" link does not work, copy this URL into your browser: http://www.orthodox.net/catechism/orthopraxis_2011-01-23+sanctity-of-life-sunday+christians-must-not-accept-abortion-and-sexual-immorality-being-redefined.m3u If this file does not work for you, try the direct link to the actual mp3 file:http://www.orthodox.net/catechism/orthopraxis_2011-01-23+sanctity-of-life-sunday+christians-must-not-accept-abortion-and-sexual-immorality-being-redefined.mp3 Archive of Audio catechetical talks:http://www.orthodox.net/catechism RSS feed of… Continue reading Sanctity Of Life Sunday. Christians Must Not Accept Abortion And Sexual Immorality Being Redefined
Theophany 2011 – The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men
LISTEN NOW Synopsis: Explanation of the reason for the Lord's baptism, including the prophesies about the visible changes in the Jordan when the Lord was baptised. 14 homilies on the Theophany are HERE If the "LISTEN NOW" link does not work, copy this URL into your browser: http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/feasts-of-the-savior-theophany-03_2011-01-19+the-grace-of-god-that-bringeth-salvation-hath-appeared-to-all-men.m3u If this file does not work for… Continue reading Theophany 2011 – The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men
The Measure Of The Gift Of Christ. Ephesians 4:7-13. Sunday after Theophany.
Exegesis of the epistle read for the Sunday after Theophany, Ephesians 4:7-13. Why is this epistle read? What is “the measure of the gift of Christ.” “He led captivity captive” describes what Christ’s death and resurrection did for us, and is a way of understanding the effects of sin.
Theophany from a child’s eyes.
A wonderful children’s drawing of Theophany.
Theophany. Why was Christ baptized? Concerning Holy Water.
Today we celebrate a day that is called by many names: the Baptism of our Lord, Theophany, and it is also called Illumining. … (a homily about Theophany, why Christ was baptized, and holy water)
Sunday before Theophany. John’s, Christ’s and our baptism explained.
On the Sunday before Theophany we read from the beginning of the Gospel of Mark 2 important prophesies regarding the ministry of Jesus Christ, and regarding the ministry of John the Baptist. The “baptism of John”, and of Christ, and our own is explained, and the admonition of St John: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”, which applies to each one of us, all the time, is explained. There is a very important nuance of meaning that is missed by too many Christians. Our life must be a continual attempt to obey this admonition, and without our effort to do so, we cannot be saved, while, on the other hand, our success in fulfilling this command does not determine if we are saved either. This is the old faith vs. works argument, which, for those who were not raised in the church, can be very confusing. It is actually quite easy to understand (after you have understood it!). Our baptism, and all that God does to give us His grace, enables us to become perfected and to know Him. We are responsible for trying, and only because of His help, we will succeed. Overall, if our life is an effort to fulfill this commandment, we will be saved.
The “beginning” of the Gospel is accomplished every day! Sunday before Theophany.
Sunday before Theophany: The “beginning” of the Gospel is accomplished every day! Mark 1:1-8
Life of St Seraphim of Sarov – cartoon version in Russian
On my namesday, a little cartoon about St Seraphim, in Russian. I cannot read it, but it looks very sweet.
This looks like it would be great to show to kids. I would love to know what it says (if there is something wrong, please comment)