“The will of man is an essential condition, for, without it, God does nothing.”    – St. Macarius of Egypt. Vladimir Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1976), p. 199. In the 19th century, a man named George Wilson was caught and convicted to death for murder. […]

In the Orthodox tradition, icons often are referred to as windows to heaven. This is because, through their visual depictions, icons help us understand complex matters of our faith, which are hard to comprehend and grasp. Today, we celebrate the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God into heaven. The icons and miniature paintings portraying […]

The story of paralytic’s healing is the lectionary reading for this Sunday. It is a familiar and inspirational story about the courageous faith of a few men who, despite every difficulty, managed to carry their sick friend on a stretcher to the house where Jesus was preaching and, by climbing walls and breaking roofs, found […]

For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. – Psalm 91:11-12   Imagine what it would feel like to live in a world like Narnia. Imagine a world full of colors, dimensions and […]

It is probably impossible to find a person who likes an alarm clock. They interrupt and disturb our rest and sleep. But despite the fact how much we dislike being disturbed and woken up, we continue to set, use and rely on our alarm clocks. Why? Because when we have an important meeting or appointment, […]

One of the lectionary readings for this Sunday is from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 12. It tells us that one day a group of Pharisees approached Jesus with a request to show them a divine sign that he is indeed the Messiah. The religious leaders were typically opposed and rejected any such claim. So, […]

In 1860, a French naturalist Henry Mouroh was cutting his way through the Cambodian jungle in search of exotic insects. What he discovered was much bigger. He came across the last thing he was expecting: a massive complex of magnificent temples, rising one on top of another as if trying to reach the skies. The […]

There is a mysterious and remote island in Melanesia that many might consider the strangest island in the world. Beyond its breathtaking views of white sand, green palm trees, and crystal clear waters, everything you will see here will surprise and shock you. There is a strip of land resembling an airstrip, but unlike any […]

In 1464 the city of Florence commissioned the creation of David’s statue that would rise 260 feet and adore the city cathedral. They selected sculptor Agostino di Duccio for this important task. Agostino went on to search for a perfect block of marble suitable for the project. Finally, he found one in Carrara. The quarry […]