Blog entries

Terry Mattingly to be Guest Panelist at DC Event

Kathy Chapekis — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:16:51 +0100

Terry Mattingly's Bio

Terry Mattingly directs the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. He writes this weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service. He double-majored in journalism and history at Baylor University and then earned an M.A. at Baylor in Church-State Studies and an M.S. in communications at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

He has worked as a reporter and religion columnist at the Read More...

Metropolitan Savas will be on the Guest Panel for DC Event!

Glen Chancy — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:44:39 +0100

Plans are well under way for the OCN “16 Years of Broadcasting” event to be held in Washington, DC on March 17, 2012. When she is not working at her career as a Washington, DC attorney, Catherine Mary Rafferty is donating her valuable time Share the Light Sunday in DC to serve as Lead Coordinator in organizing this event. Invitations are going out this week. If you live close to the DC area and would like to become a partner and attend, contact KathRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Be Happy Forever

Jason Barker — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:39:12 +0100

St. Raphael of Lesvos on happiness and the soul's immortality.

Click here to listen to today's episode of Orthodox Life Tips. Never miss an episode by subscribing via RSS or iTunes.

Would you like to be happy for a long time? It seems like happiness disappears almost as quickly as it develops. But let’s take it further: would you like to be happy forever?

St. Raphael of Lesvos tells us how, and says it’s linked to the immortality of the soul:

HappRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: How Grace is Restored

Jason Barker — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:42:35 +0100

St. Gregory Palamas on grace being restored after we've sinned.

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St. Gregory Palamas explains how grace can be restored to us, even after we’ve completely turned out backs on God:

When a man resolves to lead a righteous life and is zealous for salvation, the fruit of his whole labor is, therefore, the restoration in force of this gift of grace. Read More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Our Relationship with Christ

Jason Barker — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:14:14 +0100

St. John Chrysostom on what it means to be related to Christ.

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You’ll often hear people talk about their “personal relationship with Jesus,” but they don’t often tell us just how close this relationship really is. St. John Chrysostom therefore teaches,

Christ is the head, we are the body…He is the foundation, we are the Read More...

Orthodox Life Tips: It's the Thought that Counts

Jason Barker — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:27:39 +0100

St. Kosmas Aitolos on God paying more attention to our thoughts than our actions.

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You’re probably heard the old saying, “It’s the thought that counts.” We’re told this when we tried to do something good, but were unable to do so.

St. Kosmas Aitolos says, “When we fulfill the commandments in our outward actiRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Develop Self-Control

Jason Barker — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:00:00 +0100

St. Gregory of Sinai on the damage we suffer from desire.

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Have you ever noticed that, when you try to do good, you frequently find yourself doing the wrong thing instead? Even the Holy Apostle Paul had this problem!

This is why Abbot Nikon says,

Remember that by your own power you will gain nothing. Always call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for Read More...

Orthodox LIfe Tips: Christ Will Help You

Jason Barker — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:49:38 +0100

Abbot Nikon on remembering that you need Christ.

Click here to listen to today's episode of Orthodox Life Tips. Never miss an episode by subscribing via RSS or iTunes.

Have you ever noticed that, when you try to do good, you frequently find yourself doing the wrong thing instead? Even the Holy Apostle Paul had this problem!

This is why Abbot Nikon says,

Remember that by your own power you will gain nothing. Always call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for help in aRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Be Sensible

Jason Barker — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 04:21:22 +0100

St. John Climacus on paying attention to our thoughts and actions.

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One of the most important spiritual disciplines is paying attention to what you do and why you do it. What happens when we stop paying attention? St. John Climacus answers,

He who has lost sensibility is a witless philosopher, a self-condemned commentator, a self-contradictory windbagRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Control Your Daydreams

Jason Barker — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:34:49 +0100

St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain on the "reckless imagination."

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The imagination can be a wonderful thing, but we can also use it to daydream about people and things that we really shouldn’t. St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain warns against a “reckless imagination” when he says,

The devil has a very close relationship andRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Thank God When You're Sick

Jason Barker — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 02:34:52 +0100

St. Diadokos of Photiki on gracefully accepting illness.

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If you’re suffering from a cold or the flu—or even worse—it might sound absurd to hear that you should be joyful even when you’re sick. But St. Diadokos of Photiki says that such an attitude is essential:

When we become unduly distressed at falling ill, we should recogniRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Words and Icons

Jason Barker — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 02:05:14 +0100

St. John of Damascus on the importance of words and images for the faith.

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I have friends who are truly baffled by why Orthodox Christians believe icons are essential; isn’t the Bible enough?

St. John of Damascus tells us that both words and images are beneficial to the faith:

Just as words edify the ear, so also the image stimulates theRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: How Dare You Insult Me!

Jason Barker — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 22:13:16 +0100

St. Symeon the New Theologian on not responding angrily to insults.

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Most of us have an instinctive element to our pride: we retaliate if someone insults us. St. Symeon the New Theologian tells us to look at what motivates this response when he says,

A person who suffers bitterly when slighted or insulted should recognize from this that he still harboRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Reach the Summit of Heaven

Jason Barker — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 02:27:49 +0100

St. John Chrysostom on helping the poor.

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How can you reach the summit of heaven? Through great proclamations of piety, or special recognition from your bishop? St. John Chrysostom says we do it through helping the poor:

Lift up and stretch out your hands, not to heaven but to the poor; for if you stretch out your hands to the poor, you have rRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: It's Good for the Heart

Jason Barker — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 02:44:22 +0100

Lorenzo Scupoli on the quiet spiritual life.

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Lorenzo Scupoli tells us that a quiet spiritual life is good for our hearts:

Our heart constantly craves and seeks comforts and pleasures. It should find them in the inner order of things, by keeping and bearing in itself Him, in Whose image man has been created, Who is the very source of every comfort. BuRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: You Murderer!

Jason Barker — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:56:28 +0100

St. Ephraim the Syrian on the damage we do through hate.

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If I shouted at you, “You murderer,” you would probably think I was deranged. But St. Ephraim the Syrian tells us the accusation is more true than we think:

Again I entreat you, brethren, since God is love, He is not well-pleased by things that take place without love. How would GodRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Weed Out Your Bad Habits

Jason Barker — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:10:11 +0100

Evagrios the Solitary on making your soul a dwelling for God.

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Weeds are the enemy of every gardener—part of gardening involves continually finding and rooting out things that choke out desirable plants. Evagrios the Solitary tells us we need to do a similar thing with our souls:

Allow the Spirit of God to dwell within you; then in His love He wRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Your Guardian Angel is With You

Jason Barker — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 03:05:42 +0100

St. Antony the Great on the constant presence of God and your angel.

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For some of us, loneliness is a terrible problem—it can seem there’s nothing worse than spending time alone. St. Antony the Great, however, reminds us that we are never truly alone:

When you close the doors to your dwelling and are alone you should know that there is preRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Don't Hide from God

Jason Barker — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:52:10 +0100

St. Ambrose of Milan on not letting our sinfulness keep us from God.

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Some people stay away from church because they’re ashamed of the lives they live, but St. Ambrose of Milan reminds us:

But nothing causes such exceeding grief as when anyone, lying under the captivity of sin, calls to mind from where he has fallen, because he turned aside to cRead More...

Orthodox Life Tips: Have You Thanked God Today?

Jason Barker — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 02:31:30 +0100

St. Peter of Damascus and Elder Antony of Optina on thankfulness and complaining.

Click here to listen to today's episode of Orthodox Life Tips. Never miss an episode by subscribing via RSS or iTunes.

Have you thanked God today for everything He’s done for you? St. Peter of Damascus tells us that “when God is thanked, He gives us still further blessings, while we, by receiving His gifts, love Him all the more and through this love attain that divine wisdom whose beRead More...