The Orthodox Vine

The vineyard is your parish and your soul. How healthy is it? What's growing there? How are you caring for it? What fruit is it bearing? Because the Lord is coming back to his vineyard to get its fruit. Do we fear his coming or do we say Maranatha?

What is constantly demanding my attention? All of us have allowed something to take our hearts and minds away from God. But the Lord waits for us patiently. Respond to him while there is still time.

And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." He said, "Come." Problems, struggles, temptations are the very thing that can lead us closer to God, if we have the faith to step on them.

ou either live for fulfilling your desires or you live to fulfill the commandments of God. You either live for your body or for your soul. You either love only the world or the One who created it. One way leads to death and the other to life. So let us cultivate a self-sacrificial spirit that strives to love God and our neighbor by fulfilling his commandments. This is the only way our faith turns...

Gospel Reading: Mark 2:1-12At that time, Jesus entered Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him...

We can only follow Christ completely if we have removed from ourselves all other attachments.

The story of the 10 lepers teaches us about physical and spiritual illness and healing and the power of calling upon the name of Jesus Christ.

Christ changes the nature of water when he was baptized, reclaiming it for our sanctification. In the same way, when we are baptized in Christ, our true identity is reclaimed and our purpose is revealed and we are called to fulfill it.

Welcoming a new year let us prepare the way of the Lord and make his path straight within our hearts and lives.

Called to be disciples

Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and...

John 3:16 The love of God and our love for God

What do we posses and what possesses us?

The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, h...

The power of prayer and fasting

There is another reality that we too often forget about or don’t allow ourselves to see.

Cultivating an attitude of giving.

The blind men cried out the words we say in every Divine Liturgy.  This is the cry of the universe. 

The Light of Christ in us

Obedience and trust demonstrates faith

Do we desire God or Mammon?

The cost of following Christ

Denying Christ

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Fathers