PARISH VOICES

For many who struggle with fear, anxiety, a deep sense of unworthiness, or addictions of any sort, the voice of shame is certainly part of their narrative. For many, shame becomes an uninvited guest that takes over life! We have seen how shame makes people feel they are wrong, bad, or simply unworthy of love. According to Brené Brown, shame is basically the fear of being unlovable—it's the total opposite of owning our story and feeling worthy of being God's beloved child...

On that first glorious morning, as the myrrh-bearing women came to the tomb with heavy hearts and spices in hand, the angels confronted them with a question that echoes across the centuries to the ears of our heart today: "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!" (Luke 24:5-6) This question is not just for these women but rings loudly for us, today, right now. Identifying what is dead in our life is crucial. We often don't realize it, but we

Mary Magdalene ran with her companions to Jesus' tomb to complete the anointing of the body of their dear and beloved friend Jesus but hesitated, knowing there was a huge stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb. "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" So often we hesitate not knowing who or how the huge stones that block our hearts will be rolled away. We must learn to want our stones rolled back so our heart can be exposed! Yes, rolling stones i

Through the Great Fast we are seeking to be further enlightened by Christ's Gospel, asking that the Light of our Lord penetrate our hearts more deeply so that we can recognize Him clearly and serve Him more fervently. We are on a journey to become transfigured and changed through prayer, fasting and humility, by responding to God's calling to not only receive the light but to 'become' light! During each Lenten pre-sanctified liturgy, the priest comes through the royal doors

Before the Cross, the devil believed death was his greatest weapon. But Jesus reversed this order completely, opening the path to life...

Have you ever become ashamed or afraid when you've thought of praying for forgiveness? Asking for forgiveness is priceless.

As we draw near to the beginning of Lent, we're called to examine ourselves more deeply, to clear away what dims the light of Christ within us. This holy season invites us to look honestly at our lives, not with harsh judgment, but with loving and careful attention. We are called to prepare our hearts as we would prepare a room for an honored guest. In this spirit of preparation, St. Basil the Great offers timeless wisdom: Be attentive to yourself. That is, observe yourself c

I had a brilliant, talented, creative friend, Jim, who got in an argument with his UW professor 40 years ago. He became enraged at the professor, yelled profanities at him, and stormed out of class. He was so angry that he never came back. He failed that class and was only one class short of his degree at UW! Redemption and Second Chances Jim never graduated. He held on to that resentment and bad judgment and never spoke to the professor for forty years. A week before a sudde

Well-Baby Check-Ups and Spiritual Health Most parents realize that keeping our babies healthy requires taking them to the pediatrician for their "well baby" check-ups. At each visit the doctor weighs and measures our kids to make sure they are growing at a healthy rate, checking eyesight and hearing, and answering any questions about behavior and health issues. As parents, we can't wait for our children to reach important milestones – the first pounds gained, sitting up strai

Presbytera Pat was in Baltimore with her sister, an accomplished violist and two other fantastic musicians who are part of Our Joyful Noise.

A big question that faces all of us is what should we do with our losses? Is there a way for that which is lost to be found? Can sadness...

Creation Touched By The Creator When Jesus is being baptized by John the Baptist, we are called to embrace the miracle of how creation participates in our salvation story! Our hymns at Epiphany reveal that: "Today, the uncreated one is, by His own will, touched by the creature. Today, the prophet and forerunner approaches the Master but pauses in awe. Today, the waters of the Jordan are turned into healing by the presence of the Lord. Today, paradise is opened to all humankin

A View from the Moon I remember reading about the space shuttle Columbia where astronaut James Irwin walked on the moon in 1971. He said, "I can't describe the thrill of looking out into space and seeing it as only a handful of men have ever seen it. The stars and sun offered the most breathtaking colors humankind has ever witnessed…I could hardly contain myself. "I came to a stop. Moon dust settled down on my boots and chills ran up and down my spine. I thought, WOW!! This i

The Encounter of Faith I've been intrigued with the parable of the blind man found in Luke 18:35-43 during my Advent journey. The blind man, who was minding his own business begging by the roadside in Jericho, meets the crowd following Jesus and asks what the commotion is about. He is told that Jesus is passing by. Jesus is passing by? Immediately the blind man cries out to Christ, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The crowd tries to silence and distract him, tries to

More Than Just a Holiday Like many things in life, holidays often come and go and for some, holidays have lost their meaning and have become just another day. In recent years many have called Thanksgiving, "Turkey Day" or it has become a day to watch football and eat a big feast without a second thought. ​ As we prepare to come together as family and friends, let’s intentionally strive to make Thanksgiving a day to remember our abundant blessings. As Orthodox Christians we a

The Nature of Human Relationships It is hard to imagine a deep friendship or marriage without some sort of forgiveness being asked of one another. As we dance together in life, we have surely stepped on each other's toes at some point and have felt hurt by the other and, for sure, have regretfully caused suffering as well. You know the feeling. When this happens, we will feel awkward, distant, and perhaps angry or become silent. We feel blamed and judged, wronged. Or we blame