600. War and Peace. Part Two: The Classical Eastern Orthodox Approach

Before we begin: Please pray for the innocent suffering people of Ukraine, Gaza, the Palestinian West Bank, Iran and Sudan. Χριστός Ανέστη! Αληθώς Ανέστη! As I said last week: I first wrote this teaching about war and peace for our Saint Nicholas Church newsletter ‘way back in 2003, not long before the second US invasion […]

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599. War and Peace, Part One: Christ’s Teachings, The Early Church, The Fathers, The Just War Theory

  Personal note to a reader who has been writing to me: Forgive me. I’ve lost your last letter and your address. Please send it again.   Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!       I did not write this teaching about War and Peace to be relevant to our current war with […]

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596. Holy Saturday Morning: First Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection

Brothers and sisters, there is a whole lot going on this morning, so pay attention. This Liturgy begins as a celebration of Christ’s victory over Satan and death “down below”, and by the middle we’re celebrating the Resurrection here on earth, even though it hasn’t happened yet, although of course it has. In the two […]

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595. Holy Friday night: Matins of Holy Saturday: the “Lamentations Service”

    Please get to church tonight. If you cannot, please try to find yourself a way to worship live-stream. This is much too beautiful to miss – my favorite service of the year. Is this a funeral service? Is this a resurrection service? The answers are: Yes! We stand before the bier on which […]

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