Good without effort?

People have regularly asked me whether the Orthodox Church is Christian. I assure them it is! Let me point you to this article, written by Father Stephen in his blog, Glory to God For All Things:
A Hermit said, “We fail to make progress because we do not comprehend our capacity. We weary of the work [...]

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Desert Fathers and Mothers 10

The kids of today…
An old man said, ‘The prophets wrote books, then came our Fathers who put them into practice. Those who came after them learnt them by heart. Then came the present generation, who have written them out and put them into their window seats without using them.’

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Desert Fathers and Mothers 9

Rather than include a story from the desert today, I want to share an excerpt from a beautiful book by the ABC*, Rowan Williams, called Where God happens: Discovering Christ in One Another:
Saint Anthony of the Desert says that gaining the brother or sister and winning God are linked. It is not getting them signed [...]

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Desert Fathers and Mothers 8

Amma (Mother) Theodora said, ‘There was a monk, who, because of the great number of his temptations said, “I will go away from here.” As he was putting on his sandals, he saw another man who was also putting on his sandals and this monk said to him, “Is it on my account that you [...]

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Desert Fathers and Mothers 7

As a bibliophile, sometimes waiting a long time for a chance to get to a book I’ve bought, I like this one!
Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, said “The acquisition of Christian books is necessary for those who can use them. For the mere sight of these books renders us less inclined to sin, and incites us [...]

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Desert Fathers and Mothers 6

Three old men, one of whom had a bad reputation, came one day to Abba Achilles. The first asked him, “Father, make me a fishing net.” “I will not make you one,” he replied. 
Then the second said, “Of your charity make one, so that we may have a souvenir of you in the monastery.” But [...]

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Desert Fathers and Mothers 5

Whenever Abba Agathon’s thoughts urged him to pass judgement on something which he saw, he would say to himself, “Agathon, it is not your business to do that.” Thus his spirit was always recollected.

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Desert Fathers and Mothers 4

Abba John said, “We have put the light burden on one side, that is to say, self-accusation, and we have loaded ourselves with a heavy one, that is to say, self-justification.”

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Desert Fathers and Mothers 3

It was said of Abba John the Persian that when some evildoers came to him, he took a basin and wanted to wash their feet. But they were filled with confusion, and began to do penance.

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Sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers 2

One day some old men came to see Abba Anthony. In the midst of them was Abba Joseph. Wanting to test them the old man suggested a text from the Scriptures, and beginning with the youngest, he asked them what it meant. Each gave his opinion as he was able. But to each one the [...]

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