280. Some Great Stories about Some Great Men: Bishop Kallistos Ware, Metropolitan Philip, Father Thomas Hopko, Father Peter Gillquist

These are my own stories. I often think how blessed I was to become Orthodox during the era of these four great men – and even more blessed to have met all of them. (I mean, I was pastor of only a little parish church in the Midwest.) One I knew only in passing, and […]

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279. It was mostly Saint Anselm’s fault.

What we’re talking about is Anselm’s misunderstanding of how Christ saves us – which, combined with a little mistranslation by Saint Jerome, led finally to Protestantism. But a lot happened in between, and we’re getting ‘way ahead of the story. Why this topic today? Because of this next Sunday’s Epistle reading (Galatians 2:16-20), which in […]

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278. Patriarch Bartholomew: Science and Faith. Global Warming. The Pandemic. Misinformation. “Us and Jesus” Religion

That ought to keep us busy for today! I’ve been working up to this for a while. What brought it on now was a September 1 Message from His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, regarding the Protection of the Environment. I know, I’ve quoted the Ecumenical Patriach frequently – but every time I read something by him […]

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277. Saint Simeon the Stylite and other Peculiar People

Last Wednesday, September 1, began our Orthodox Ecclesiastical New Year. Happy * New Year! In NT Greek, the word “happy” (makarios / μακάριος) also means “blessed”. icon from Orthodox Church of America September 1 is also the feast of many saints. Among them is Saint Simeon Stylites – first row, first right from the Lord – whose lifestyle, […]

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