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Good points.

Congratulations! Many years to you and your wife.

I imagine it began as an adjective, such as the orthodox Church at Antioch, to distinguish it from heretical groups and evolved into a title we use to identify ourselves. Catholic was used prior to the schism to refer to the Church, so it wasn't created by the Roman branch after it departed, it...

I didn't need a stepping stone when I became Orthodox 15 years ago-- when I began to see western Christianity as a sinking ship--I leapt. I'll admit the liturgy at the first parish I attended with its Greek melodies, which some say originate with Muslim chant, adopted by the Greeks during...

Each Holy Friday for the past 3 years our church has had an all-night vigil at which we read the Psalms all night at the "tomb" of Christ set in the middle of our chapel literally all night. Basil

Attend the midnight service at our parish, feast until the wee hours of the morning on ham, cheese, and many other things we've been fastign from, sleep in til noon Sunday morning and then attend the Agape Vespers prayer service and enjoy our annual parish picnic all afternoon. We normally have...

Let's not conclude that the Roman Catholic Church is invalid, but we must affirm that it is incomplete. Basil

Our parish is one of the most engaged in the spiritual life I've encountered, but our men often meet at local cigar bars to smoke and talk--there's definitely nothing wrong with these things. Our asceticism isn't constant--we may try to be moderate in all things, but it's only during our...

It's best not to get too frustrated with politics. I used to attend an Antiochian parish and I remember there being celebration throughout the archdiocese when they were granted autonomy or autocephaly from the Patriach in Damascus. Now there is some strange back-peddling and a demotion to all...

We've had a fair number of Episcopalians become Orthodox, seeking a more solid, unwaivering foundation. It's encouraging that people are open to this, when they see their ship is sinking. Basil

Two theologians from two different denominations can read a passage they believe has a straight-forward meaning, with no malicious intent, and come to different understandings. This method is a sham and a theological house of cards--it's been in use among theologians for some time and hasn't...

There are some, but many passages aren't that straight forward and can be misunderstood as evidenced by the various schisms separating Christians from actual unity. One must be humble enough to be open to listening to evidence of a different possible meanings--pride comes before...

Our priest said he noticed the small smile on her face increase during the course of the funeral service. One the evening she reposed, three parishoners who were arriving at our church for a verspers service said they heard faint church bells toll three times in the distance at the time they...

A couple pictures from the funeral on Tuesday, September 13/ Feast of the Elevation of the Cross.

The worst victims of Islam are the Muslims themselves. No one suffers more, is subject to more violence, and oppression from Islam than they themselves. We must hate Islam as a lie of the enemy, but of course we love those who are Muslims and pity them. Basil

The servant, Anna (Sue Treece) departed this afternoon. May her memory be eternal! Basil

One of the saints at Tulsa, OK, Anna, is departing within the next few days. Please pray for her. She's often been called "our angel," due to her kind, charitable, and loving disposition. She's been suffering with cancer, which has spread from breast cancer into her bones and now brain. She...

Yes, I think we've always maintained that we know without a doubt where the fullness of God's grace exists, within the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church (aka the Orthodox Church), but we cannot say definitively to what extent God chooses to bestow His grace beyond His Body. There is...

I have a friend who converted from the Roman Catholic Church, and previously had taught catechism classes for the RCC, and he was received by chrismation. Some may require baptism, but the thought is, and maybe someone already said this, is that chrismation fulfills whatever was lacking in the...

Asceticism is faith in action. It's our faith that leads us to voluntarily take up ascetic labors of prayer, fasting, attendance of services, giving to the poor, etc. Also, we believe that true theology can only be ascertained through action, not mere intellectual contemplation. Basil