One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing … Read More
Capital Punishment
In previous reflections, I alluded to inconsistencies with regard to sanctity of life issues (i.e. being pro choice/against capital punishment and vice versa). Today and next week I will address capital punishment. Here is a text from the Gospel of John, concerning the woman caught in adultery, upon which I will comment. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in … Read More
Talking about Hard Issues
It has been three months since I began issuing weekly reflections on themes related to acceptance and sanctity of life. What does this have to do with the theme of this web site, which sees “the Family as a Little Church?” I wrote these reflections primarily for parents. You have the awesome responsibility to form your children in the Orthodox … Read More
A Fallen World
One of the difficult challenges of living in a humanistic, secular society is that there seems to be little or no understanding that we live in a “fallen” world. For the Church of course, the notion of a “fallen world” is an important tenet of our faith. The humanistic mindset acknowledges that human beings are “flawed” and that people make … Read More
Are Some Lives More Sacred Than Others?
Several weeks ago, I mentioned I that I would discuss sanctify of life issues within the context of several related questions. One of these questions was, “are some lives more sacred than others?” It is not unusual for people to take different stands on matters related to sanctify of life. For example, there are those who identify as pro-life, calling … Read More
June 12th, 2018
What can Orthodox Christians do besides advocating for the overturn of Roe vs. Wade? Roman Catholicism in many areas in the United States sponsors crisis pregnancy programs that offer support to pregnant women who decide to carry their child. These programs offer counseling, financial aid, medical and housing assistance, clothing, and other essential services. When I served as a priest … Read More
June 5th, 2018
By Bishop Paul In last week’s reflection, I mentioned that I would speak further on the Church’s stand on the sanctity of life relative to abortion. At last January’s March for Life event in Chicago, I said the following as part of my remarks: “Our concern for the unborn is so important to remember this day because it is the … Read More
“Friendship and Camp” by Fr. Joel Weir
Rev. Joel Weir, Rector, St. Stephen the First Martyr Orthodox Church, Crawfordsville, IN, Camp Priest, St. John’s Camp Programs. When I was asked to write a reflection on the importance of camp programs, I immediately recalled a conversation my wife and I had with Bishop Paul on his first visit to our parish. We asked what he thought were the … Read More
May 29th, 2018
By Bishop Paul Last week, there was a referendum in Ireland to vote on discontinuing the country’s ban on abortions. In this “Catholic” nation, the referendum passed by an overwhelming majority as 1.4 million people voted to lift the ban on abortions while 724,000 voted against it (based on 68% of the vote). Now it is in the hands of … Read More
“Daily Prayer” by Dr. Albert Rossi
Father Thomas Hopko often said, “All is well.” He would quote Saint Therese of Lisieux who said, “For the heart that loves, all is well.” But, at first glance, all doesn’t seem well. We need only look at the front page of any newspaper, or the insides of our hard hearts. All doesn’t seem well. That’s the point. We are called to … Read More