To Our Clergy, Hieromonks and Brothers, Religious Sisters, Seminarians and Beloved Faithful In the last few years in our Church we often mention the “Vibrant Parish” strategy. In my opinion, one sign of a vibrant parish lies in its ability to give life and give birth to new, living, vibrant parishioners. A dead or dying […]
Tag: Prayer
Meditation on the Prayer of St. Ephrem | Jim Forest
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust for power and idle talk. But give to me, your servant, the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. O Lord and King, grant to me to see my own faults and not to condemn my brother and sister. […]
Mark 11:23-25- Forgiveness: A Prerequisite to Prayer
Glory be to Jesus Christ! Nothing causes more disturbance in a household than when children fight with one another. A silly squabble often spreads ill will and hostility to other members of the family. The blame game begins and quickly spreads to other unrelated areas and the next thing you know you are sleeping on […]
Mark 11:11-23- The Reason for the Season
Glory be to Jesus Christ! Imagine if you were a Gentile living in the time of our Lord and didn’t know much about the God of the Jewish people, and so wanting to know more, you went to the Temple to check it out. You were allowed into the “Court of the Gentiles,” a section […]
Instructions for Lent From Our Lord Jesus: Pray, Fast and Give Alms
Matthew 6: 1-21, NKJV 1* “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, […]
Lenten Prayer
The Prayer of St. Ephrem O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and despair, lust of power, and idle chatter. (Prostration) Instead, bestow on me, your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humility, patience, and love. (Prostration) Yes, O Lord and King, grant me the grace to […]