“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation” -2 Cor. 7:10 Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is one of the most recognizable and respected classical works. Often it is called and referred to as the saddest music ever created. The adagio came to be known as the international anthem for mourning and grief […]

“If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation.”  – 2 Corinthians 1:6 Philadelphia Magic Gardens is not your typical garden. There are no flowers anywhere, no green fields, fountains, or lakes. Rather, it is a series of mazes and rooms decorated […]

Dr. Brenda Davies is a prominent and respected psychiatrist who has written extensively on mental health and helped countless individuals navigate through some of the darkest days of their lives. But her professional training, experience and expertise could not possibly prepare her for an encounter with a patient so powerful and heartbreaking that she decided […]

Today as we celebrate the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, bless and distribute grapes in our churches, we also reflect on and explore the spiritual meaning and importance of the symbolism of grapes, vineyard and wine in the Holy Bible. The Old Testament often highlights the relationships of a gardener to his vineyard […]

We all went through situations so challenging that we instantly and instinctively knew that only God could help and save us. In such moments, we turn to God, perhaps we come to church, light a candle, say a prayer and hope for a change and divine intervention. But then sometimes time passes without us seeing […]

The lectionary reading for this Sunday is the Gospel of St. John, chapter three. A very familiar and well-known passage. It also includes a peculiar Old Testament reference and symbolism that might not be well known or understood. “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man […]

This year the Academy Award for a Best 2020 Picture was awarded to ‘Nomadland’. Such selection for 2020 was somewhat ironic. We all spent the entire year in isolation, seclusion and loneliness – realities that strongly resemble the life of Nomadland’s main character. Fern was a widow in her 60s who lived in a van, […]

In the Bible, the tense and dynamic narrative is sometimes interrupted by  interesting and also funny animal stories. In the Old Testament, we have Balaam’s talking donkey and ravens that befriended and fed prophet Elijah, Tobit’s dog, Noah’s dove, Aaron’s staff that could transform into a live serpent. In the New Testament, things appear to […]

The repertoires of classical concerts and performances sometimes include sacred music. They can be performed professionally and perfectly, but there is always something missing, and we never quite get to experience them the way they were intended to. The reason for this is that much of such works are liturgical. Liturgy is complex and requires […]