113. The Seven Deadly Sins #6 – Sloth, Part One: Bodily Sloth, Intellectual Sloth, Moral Sloth

Well…  …  I’ve intended to finish this Blog Post for the longest time. I really meant to, but I’ve been putting it off and putting it off and putting it off… till now… today… at last… finally… “I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and […]

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112. The Icon, Part Two – Iconoclasm, the Seventh Council, and after that

In the year 767 Stephen of Constantinople saw soldiers trampling an icon. He objected and was told it was ok – it was only a picture. So he took a coin with the image of the Emperor and trampled it, explaining it was only a picture. We celebrate the feast of Saint Stephen the New Martyr every […]

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111. The Icon, Part One – Judaism, Early Church

Did you ever watch a classic iconographer paint (“write”} an icon? This requires many layers of egg tempura paint, each properly prayed over. The iconographer begins with a plain board, correctly shaped and prepared. (I’m omitting much of the process here.) Along the way a layer of clay earth tone is used, then later white […]

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109. Pre-Lent: Fourth Sunday – Fasting, Forgiveness, Final Instructions

In the Sunday Epistle: Romans 13:11-14,14:1-4 Saint Paul makes creative use of night/day, winter/spring imagery. “Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is gone; day is at hand.” That’s the truth. Time is passing. We don’t have forever to wake up and shape up. How much time any of […]

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