At that time, John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have […]

  The Dormition of the Theotokos is rolling around again. It is the feast that reminds us that Mary eventually died. The Scriptures do not tell us of that death, at least not the canonical Scriptures. One Early Church Father states that she died around 41AD, which would make her about 50-55 years old. This […]

On 02 August, Pope Francis issued a change to the Roman Catholic catechism. In the official release, the change in the Church’s position is quite clear. Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”, and […]

The Damascene Gallery is an icon workshop located less than a mile from the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, a Russian Orthodox men’s monastery in West Virginia. From them, I bought an icon of St. Eulalia of Barcelona. It was painted by a deacon whose artistic style is that of the New Jordanville school. I […]

On the 24th of June, the Orthodox, Roman Catholics, and some of the Protestant communities celebrated the Nativity of the Forerunner, John the Baptist. As I read the story again, I was struck not only by the intensity of the story but also by the silencing of Zechariah by the Archangel Gabriel. But then I remembered […]

It is that time of the year, the time when church camps and vacation bible schools sprout all over this nation (and some other nations). I can remember taking a trip to the coast with the teens in Perú. Mornings were devoted to the retreat while afternoons were to go to the seaside, relax, and enjoy […]