Very large chalice and diskos

Recently Orthocath, a fellow blogger, published a very nice article on the Eastern Orthodox usage for Prosphora bread versus the Eastern Catholic usage that has developed as a result of latinizing tendencies. It is an excellent article on various details of the Proskomedia, the theology behind it, and the usages that have developed. One of the details that Orthocath points out is that when the Lamb... [Read more]

Get thee to a monastery

Hamlet to Ophelia:  Get thee to a nunnery, why woulds’t thou be a breeder of sinners? Men might well dread, and very reasonably, This life on earth to lose, my own dear brother, If this alone were living, and no other. “But there’s a better life in other place, That never shall be lost, nay, fear you naught, Whereof God’s Son has told us, through His grace; That Father’s... [Read more]

The greatest threat to the Church comes from sin within

Pope Benedict XVI says the Church’s child abuse scandal shows that the greatest threat to Catholicism comes from “sin within” the Church. Today we see in a truly terrifying way that the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from outside enemies, but is born of sin within the Church. . . — Pope Benedict XVI We have needed this type of statement from a Church leader... [Read more]

Impassive Mary at the Cross?

The Blessed Virgin Mary is all too often pictured as an impassive observer at the Cross. At best, she is pictured with a face of quiet suffering. Only a statue such as Michaelangelo’s Pieta catches something of her all too human suffering. But, it might be worth asking how the Church Fathers pictured the Theotokos’ reaction to the death of her son. Well, one can find what the opinion was... [Read more]

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Texas Issues Tim Cole, Who Died in Prison, Its First Posthumous Pardon – AOL News

Texas Issues Tim Cole, Who Died in Prison, Its First Posthumous Pardon – AOL News. Back in October of 2008, I blogged a series on the increasing failures of our national crime and prison policies. At that time I pointed out that states such as California were already spending 10% of their budget for prison costs with it expected to go higher. Since then, you have probably been hearing the news... [Read more]

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Roman Catholic and Orthodox differences on Original Sin

In a couple of the last posts there has been an ongoing discussion of the differences in the concept of Original Sin between Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy. So, let me put a couple of citations from the Wikipedia that may help people to see the differences. Why from the Wikipedia? Well, because they are better at summarizing than theologians.   I am aware that any summary always is insufficient,... [Read more]

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Christmas Eve 2009

St. John Chrysostom’s Christmas Homily: BEHOLD a new and wondrous mystery. My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voice in harmony. The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The Seraphim exalt His glory. All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in... [Read more]

Sunday of the Geneology 2009

Today is what is called the “Sunday of the Genealogy” in Eastern Orthodoxy. Today is the Sunday before Christmas, the Sunday in which we read the genealogy of Christ from the Gospel according to Matthew. We are not the only ones who read one of the genealogies before Christmas. More than one Christian group does. So, why do we read the genealogy? Well, I have read many reasons: 1. Saint... [Read more]

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The Virgin Mary and the definition of an adult

So, how old was Mary, Our Lady, when she became pregnant with Our Lord Jesus Christ? Well, the answer commonly held by the Early Church Fathers was the same as what the totally apocryphal gospel, the Protoevangelium of James says. What does that apocryphal writing say? And when she was twelve years old there was held a council of priests, saying, “Behold, Mary has reached the age of twelve years... [Read more]

You had better practice what you trumpet!

From yesterday’s post, Fr. Huw made the following comment: But this only attacks half the problem… if there is a place where our (and I speak in the first person here, on purpose) hypocrisy haunts us most, it’s in our trumpeting of “one right set of doctrines” when paralleled with our self-righteousness. Essentially we say “LOOK! I Hold the Right Doctrines unlike you heretics!” and... [Read more]