Confession of sins in the Scripture.

Here is a list of Scripures to use as talking points to teach about confession. I just threw this together. I have another one started with gleanings fomr the Fathers. I would appreciate additions, and more commentary about Psalm 50. I have not checked all Psalm references to correspond to the Septuagint.

The longer explanation of the Parable of the Sower, the purpose of life and how to be good ground – Take heed therefore how ye hear!

The parable of the sower is a rare parable, in that it is explained by the Lord Himself. This explanation is actually longer than most people think and we discuss what His other words, which are not part of the traditional reading, mean. These include “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel” and “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” Together with the parable, the explanation teaches us the basic purpose of life and how to be “good ground”.

Electronic Newsletter October 17/30 20th Sunday after Pentecost

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas Electronic Newsletter October 17/30  20th Sunday after Pentecost Announcements Prayer Requests Schedule of Divine Services in the Coming week Fasting in the Coming week Links related to the coming week Announcements Dn. Nicholas is looking for volunteers to help do some work on the upkeep of our church's storage… Continue reading Electronic Newsletter October 17/30 20th Sunday after Pentecost

Hieromartyr Lucian of Antioch, a living antiminsion

An exhortation to partake of the Holy Eucharist, based upon the example of Hieromartyr Lucian of Antioch, a living antiminsion.
He fulfilled the words: “being made conformable unto his death”. His zeal for the Eucharist rebukes our lukewarm age. Commemorated Oct 15

And the Lord is become a refuge for the poor man, a helper in times of well-being and in afflictions. (Psalm 9:8) Laziness, forgetfulness and ignorance

try to read or listen to the Psalter daily. It is the church?s hymnal, and the depth of feeling, and combination of sadness and gladness always moves me. If we lived our life and prayed with the feeling that is in the Psalms, we would not be beset by the mediocrity we mostly settle for.

Today, one of the Kathismas I listened to was the second. Psalm 9 particularly caught my attention. I share some of my feelings about it, in the great hope that you would take up the Psalter and learn from it how to pray, and to live. Other than the Gospels, I think it is the most important book in Scripture ? it teaches us about Christ, and life and death, and how to pray and think and live in any situation in life.

9:8 And the Lord is become a refuge for the poor man, a helper in times of well-being and in afflictions…

And the Lord … said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still." – The mystical and very practical meaning of these words. 3rd Sunday of Luke

Only the Lord has the authority to tell us to “weep not”. There is an epidemic of dysfunctional sadness in the world today; it is being treated by many partial solutions that often increase the despair and emptiness: medications, entertainments, passions. After His command to the Widow of Nain, the Lord mystically gives us the path we must travel in order to fulfill His command to “weep not” – “And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still.” There is no other path that leads to true happiness. We explore the mystical meaning of these words, also incorporating an epistle read today: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” and “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”, and offer many practical suggestions on what we must do to live according to these words. the only key to happiness is here. The World does not have it; only Christ does, and through the healing of the Widow of Nain and the exhortation of St Paul to the Galatians, the path to it is clearly explained.

That the whole evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.” Why do we pray this prayer, when past experience tells us that it will not be fulfilled today?

In the last litany of Vespers and Matins we pray "That the whole evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask of the Lord." Why do we pray this prayer, when past experience tells us that it will not be fulfilled today? Do we mean what we say, or are these just words? We look into the meaning and intent of this prayer and why it is so important. We should understand what we pray, why we pray and what we must do to indicate to the Lord that we mean what we pray.

Electronic Newsletter October 10/23 19th Sunday after Pentecost

    St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas Electronic Newsletter October 10/23  19th Sunday after Pentecost Optina Elders / Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council Announcements Prayer Requests Schedule of Divine Services in the Coming week Fasting in the Coming week Links related to the coming week Announcements 1. Dn. Nicholas is looking for volunteers… Continue reading Electronic Newsletter October 10/23 19th Sunday after Pentecost

A Spiritual reflection regarding Prayer of an Orthodox Christian priest in front of a late term abortion clinic during the Dallas 40 days for life campaign.

The personal experience of an Orthodox Christian and priest praying in front of a late term abortion clinic during the 40 days for life campaign, Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011. This is difficult and heavy prayer because outside, on the street, things look normal, but inside some lives are terminated, and many other lives are perhaps irrevocably damaged in terrible ways. A spiritual reflection, including whether we should pray for “them” or “us”, and that a Christian must feel responsible for all sin and act upon his inner impulses from the heart, and about praying “one hour”, and personalizing the “Akathist for a Woman Who Has Aborted a Child”