(Feast Day ~ March 1) Nationalism and the fervor of a people for their heritage can be stirred by many things: the desire for independence from a ruling power; a common enemy or threat; the danger of losing customs and language. But how wonderful it is when the national pride of a people can be […]

(Feast day ~ February 28) Oswald was the son of Danish parents, but his extended family had long been established in Anglo-Saxon society. The boy was given to his uncle Odo, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to raise, and was educated in Canterbury by the Frankish scholar, Fridegode. Anglo-Saxon customs were based on the ties of […]

(Feast Day ~ February 27) In these troubling times, amidst the constant reports of violence, hatred, corruption, and neglect, we tend to concentrate on human sinfulness and doubt that there are any holy people left. We are tempted to believe that there are no more saints in this world. But the church reminds us that […]

(Feast Day ~ February 26) The responsibilities of political leadership are great. Whether a public official is elected or receives his position through inheritance, his (or her) duty to protect, defend, and guide the people in his charge must be taken very seriously. The world has known many leaders who yielded to the temptation for […]

(Feast Day ~ February 25) The saints of God show us, time and time again, that holiness “runs in families.” There are numerous stories of how a saintly parent’s prayers brought a son or daughter to righteous living [such as St. Monica and St. Augustine], or how a devoted brother or sister influenced a sibling […]

(Feast Day ~ February 24) How often have we come to the end of a good novel and wished that there was more to the story? The characters presented in the book remain alive in our minds and we want to know what would have happened next. Greater than any novels we could ever read […]

(Feast Day – February 22) All four Gospels relate the story of Joseph of Arimathea, who provided a tomb for the body of Christ following the Crucifixion. Joseph is variously described as a rich man, a counsellor, and as a follower of Christ. The picture we get is of one who was highly regarded in […]

(Feast Day ~ Feb. 18) In the Orthodox Church, we emphasize that decision-making by councils is the historic method begun by the Apostles themselves in Jerusalem and we honor the seven Ecumenical Councils for the decisions regarding the theological truths of our faith which were made in those meetings. Even though we are amused by […]

Feast Day ~ February 19 Although there are many stories of group and even mass baptisms both in holy Scripture and in the lives of the saints, the conversion of the Roman Empire and beyond to Christianity was, for the most part, not smooth sailing! There are many instances of areas which had become Christian […]

(Feast Day ~ February 18) In our time, old age is not considered a good thing. We do everything we can to minimize its effects (wearing youthful clothes, dying our hair, even having plastic surgery) and, when the effects of old age have become a burden, some would even advocate euthanasia or assisted suicide. But […]