This is one of those things to read at night, when you’re mellow. Think of those nights when you watch a movie alone, one of those movies where there is some kind of heroic ending – where someone comes and saves the day, and the heroes are smiling and crying and laughing all at the … Continue reading Those lonely moments in the night. →

Are you going to SMSP or SASC tomorrow? This question likely makes no sense to you, dear reader, but to a fictional youth deciding between two fictional parishes, St. Mark and St. Peter Church (SMSP) and St. Athanasius and St. Cyril Church (SASC), the question makes perfect sense, because each parish, of course, has an […] The post Why all the Acronyms (WATA)? appeared first on Become Orthodox.

This post is an installment in the “Let Me Tell You a Story” Series. It ought to be read in order and in context. For the introduction to this story, click anywhere on this text. There you will also find a table of contents. So, we return to our narrative, the King has made a … Continue reading 3. The people, the gift and the purpose. →

There’s a segment in Les Misérables, where Marius, after his close friends die in the revolution, sings: There’s a grief that can’t be spoken, There’s a pain goes on an on, Empty chairs at empty tables, Now my friends, are… (READ MORE)

“I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me.” Jn 16:1–3 There … Continue reading They will kill you. →

I remember an old grandfather, God repose his soul, at my church growing up. He used to say Our Father so slowly compared to the rest of the congregation, and it was not because he lacked English skills. He simply refused to rush prayer, and he had a hearing problem. This is part two of … Continue reading Dear Parents… Part Two: Prayer →

The following is a summary of a study dealing with women receiving Holy Communion presented by the Medical Subcommittee of the Holy Synod, which convened at the Synod’s request in March 2016 at Logos Center. The Christian Church clearly teaches that sin alone defiles a believer and that men and women are temples of the Holy Spirit, which only leaves a person in the case of death in sin. Thus, a woman is a pure dwelling place of – …

When the Founding Fathers of this country, after having been oppressed in England throughout much of their lives, sought to define the inalienable rights to which every human is entitled, they came up with this phrase found in the Declaration of Independence: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We see that the pursuit of […] The post Fun vs. Joy appeared first on Become Orthodox.

+ Dear Parents, I’m writing this to you because we, your servants, love your kids. This is not written to attack you or accuse you of anything “bad”. Again, I’m writing it because I, and other servants, love your kids. Because we love them, we also have some concerns. This blog got very long, so … Continue reading Dear Parents… Part One: Christian Education →

In the Gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Hatour, our Savior declared, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Lk 14:27). From these divine words, we learn that suffering and tribulations in this world are part of the cost of discipleship and requirements for those who […] The post This was from Me appeared first on Become Orthodox.

Any period of fasting is a time for reflection and sincere self-examination. What kind of person have I become? What motivates me? Who am I? Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos, who was recently canonized as a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church, offers a thought-provoking meditation on the two categories of people in this world: […] The post Are You a Fly or a Bee? appeared first on Become Orthodox.

Fasting, coupled with prayer, is one of the most powerful spiritual weapons we have in our struggle against the devil, sin, and the passions. This is undoubtedly why the Holy Church, as a loving Mother, consecrates several periods of fasting throughout the year, including the 43-day Fast of the Nativity, which we just began. The […] The post Learning to Say No appeared first on Become Orthodox.