St Gregory of Nazlanzus sums up the Eastern Christian view of Christmas in his famous statement that the Nativity of Christ “is not a festival of creation but a festival of recreation.” The birth of Christ, although a historical event, is not an end but a means to the renewal, sanctification, and recreation of the […]
Category: Christian Life
The Importance Of Sunday
The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological ConsultationSaint Paul’s College, Washington, DC Recovering the theological significance of Sunday is fundamental to rebalancing our lives. As Orthodox and Catholics, we share a theological view of Sunday and so our purpose in this statement is four-fold: to offer a caring response to what is not just a human, but […]
Letting Christ Live in Me
WHAT DID ST. PAUL MEAN when he wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20)? How was he crucified with Christ? In the sacramental sense, he was “crucified” the same way we were: through baptism. In this mystery the death and resurrection […]
8 Quotes from St. John Chrysostom on How to Raise Children
Listers, one of the most important basis for children’s spiritual formation is a strong foundation of faith made by their parents. This task is a massive long-term undertaking, which requires the parents to approach their vocation with fear and trembling. St. John Chrysostom was not ignorant of this. In fact mingled in his great orations […]
A House of Prayer
According to the age-old tradition of the Byzantine Churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, the home is a kind of church, because it houses an assembly of believers. When people occupy a new house, the priest performs a consecration, anointing the four walls with holy oil and sanctifying the house with holy water and incense. Psalms […]
Discover the Beauty of the Liturgical Year!
We’re used to marking our lives by the events during the year that give shape to our existence and of those around us. A birthday. An anniversary. A graduation. A death. Each of these celebrations helps us mark significant moments in time. We record many of these meaningful moments in pictures, videos, greeting cards, letters […]