In this series, we will read the Holy Scripture with the Church through the lens of the Holy Fathers who lived the Scripture and bequeathed their inspired interpretations to later generations for their edification and spiritual growth. Isaiah 1:19–2:3 And if ye be willing, and hearken unto me, ye shall eat the good things of […] The post Treasures of the Fathers: Prophecies of Tuesday of the First Week of the Great Fast appeared first – …

Let us examine a unique aspect of the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel according to St. Matthew: the inclusion of several women. The historical reality is that, in Biblical genealogies, women are not typically included. A person’s lineage was defined primarily by his or her male’s ancestors. But in Christ’s genealogy, […] The post The Women in the Genealogy of Christ appeared first on Become Orthodox.

Christ our Lord was in Capernaum, the city that hosted Him during much of His earthly ministry, residing in one of the houses along with His disciples. St. Peter, however, was outside this house when certain tax collectors came and asked him whether our Lord paid something called the “temple tax.” Peter responded, “Yes,” and […] The post Christ Above the Temple Tax appeared first on Become Orthodox.

We humans, have become very mean. I think meaner than I remember as a kid. We yell a lot. We pontificate a lot. We let others know how we feel about things, invited or uninvited. Who of us has not felt the sting of hurt? I imagine the question is rhetorical, because the only person … Continue reading Hurting people. →

“And I’ll tell you this, my child, that the days will come when the Christians will add to and will take away from, and will alter the books of the Holy Evangelists, and of the Holy Apostles, and of the Divine Prophets, and of the Holy Fathers. They will tone down the Holy Scriptures and […] The post A Prophecy of Abba Pambo appeared first on Become Orthodox.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnez′zar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.[a] 18 But if not, be … Continue reading Between joy and sadness: Hail New Martyrs! →

He stood, watching and waiting for the moment his son would come home. He ran to him, burst into tears, embraced him in his filth. Hugged his child that smelled like swine and that had wished his own death. It’s Lent. This past Sunday was the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. Often we talk about … Continue reading The Lost Kid →

I am not a morning person. When someone says, “Good morning!” to me, I’m usually thinking, “What’s so good about it?” Usually, however, I don’t articulate that aloud. It’s not polite. I’m also stubborn and obstinate. Then, there’s my mother. She’s obsessed with cleanliness. If she could choose one superhero ability, it wouldn’t be invisibility … Continue reading Sorry, mom: On Lenten Warfare. →

Recently, I had the blessing of sitting in on a college youth meeting in which they were discussing the sanctity of marriage in the Church and society. Not surprisingly, the issue of same-sex marriage came up and the servant asked the youth, “If you were invited to the same-sex wedding of a close friend, would […] The post If You Love Me, Speak Up appeared first on Become Orthodox.

In 384 A.D., our father among the saints, the Holy Gregory the Theologian (Nazianzus) composed the following 111-line poem to Olympiatha, a young bride, on the occasion of her crowning and marriage to Nevrithios, an illustrious youth and official of the imperial city. Although the saint wrote this poem as advice to a young bride, […] The post Advice to Women from St. Gregory the Theologian appeared first on Become Orthodox.

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.