In the name of the living, holy God, Creator of the bodies and the souls, who made thanksgiving due upon...
Monastic Poverty In Evagrius’ Work
Evagrius’s ideal monk lives simply, at the edge of poverty, so to speak, accumulating only enough to support himself and...
Theology of Tears in the Writings of Climacus
The gift of tears is something ‘native’ to historical Christianity which distinguishes it from the ascetic or mystical traditions of...
A Broken Road
Louis Armstrong flared our passions, almost teasing our poignant yet innocent desires singing the lyrics of his song “What a...
On Fasting?
The brethren said, “Is it possible for a man to fast and not to be redeemed?” The old man said,...
Monasticism
In the Orthodox Church the rite of monastic tonsure has a sacramental character. It is called a ‘sacrament’ (mystery) by...
Showing Longsuffering Then Becoming High Minded?
If it happens that I show longsuffering in some matter, my thought becomes high-minded; how should I be thinking about...
Revealing Temptations?
A brother questioned an Elder, saying: “Father, must I seek the counsel of the Elders for all of the temptations...
Monasticism Is?
To continue my reflections of my numerous spiritual counsel with monks and Bishops during my last retreat in the Egyptian...
The Sign of the Cross
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Russian author who spent many years in the gulag of Siberia, bears witness to the power of...