But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. — Matthew 6:17-18 It has been a while […]
Archives for February 2012
God’s side of the minty fresh soul
Blessed is he who knows in truth that we are but tools in God’s hands; that it is God who effects within us all ascetic practice and contemplation, virtue and spiritual knowledge, victory and wisdom, goodness, and truth; and that to all this we contribute nothing at all except a disposition that desires what is […]
Minty-fresh soul
A friend of mine commented that her children say that they come out of confession with a minty-fresh soul. I think that is a wonderful way to phrase it. If 1 John 1:9 means anything, it certainly does mean that our souls have been refreshed through the process of repenting and confessing our sins so […]
Sinless is possible
Sinless is possible. In fact, every Christian on Earth has been sinless for at least part of their Christian life. Let’s take a look at a 1 John 1:9-2:1. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and […]
I must die before I die
I must die before I die, so that when I die, I will not die. — heard from a Greek Orthodox priest. We are about to enter the season of Great Lent again. We are about to begin the Great Fast again. We are beginning a period of mortifying our flesh in multiple ways so […]
Church, State, and acceptable compromises
Yesterday I commented that no one has a good answer for where the line is between what a Church can insist on and what the State can insist on. That means that there is a constant set of arguments going on in this country between both sides. But, given the current healthcare debates, let me bring […]
Does religious freedom have limits?
Here is the question no one wants to ask, “Does religious freedom have limits?” Now, why do I ask that? Well, every freedom listed in the Bill of Rights has its limits. It is something that is not often brought up, but it is something that needs to be brought up now in the context […]
The Virginia law and the 12th century
Father Orthoduck has been having an offline conversation with a friend over the Virginia law. For those of you who are not aware, pro-life legislators approved a bill that requires a trans-vaginal ultrasound before a woman can have an abortion. That particular requirement has been causing a lot of upheaval around the country. Fr. Orthoduck […]
War on religion in America? Uhm, not really!
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook The video above is a little risque and you should not watch it near young children. One of several reasons why Father Orthoduck has left the Religious Right has been the loss of balance in […]
Latinos and Romney
‘Nuff said!
