The attribution of the title of Theotokos was the only doctrinal decision taken by the church concerning Mary. However, the New Testament (NT), particularly Luke, had already proclaimed her eminent position in the economy of salvation (“henceforth all generation will … Continue reading
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I have been considering the history of the major feasts of our Church and the factors that have caused them to be established. In more recent weeks I have been sharing information about the Marian feasts of our Church. The … Continue reading
While the Eastern Church sees Christ as the One Who gave His life as a ransom for many, it sees it in a different way that the Western Church. St. Athanasius the Great states that Christ is the ransom that … Continue reading
In the last issue of this article I began sharing thoughts about the Gospel of Mark. I shared that it was written in Greek and raised the question why it was written in that language. The most probably reason is … Continue reading
On this second weekend of the five weekends of preparation for the Great Fast, our readings are taken from the second letter of Paul to Timothy and Luke’s Gospel. In Paul’s second letter he urges Timothy, the Bishop of Ephesus, … Continue reading
The fullness of humanity in Christ is also further defined in the theological synthesis of Maximus the Confessor and his doctrine of the “two wills”. It was affirmed during the period of iconoclasm when it was maintained the Christ could … Continue reading
This is the second week of the five weeks that come before the Great Fast. Each week shares another real aspect of Metanoia. This week the aspect that is highlighted through the parable is HUMILITY. Humility is a quality by … Continue reading
I believe that we are “called to holiness” by God out of love. If we truly respond to this call, we begin to understand that our personal “salvation” is what transpires. So, it would seem that personal salvation is somehow … Continue reading
In the last issue I began to share thoughts about the establishment of the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Assumption in the Western Church). As I indicated, the feast was established because the Church was fighting … Continue reading
The third type of prayer that is a part of the 28th Step on John’s Ladder, is PRAYER OF THE HEART. The highest level of prayer is prayer of the heart. This is when prayer is not only something we … Continue reading