You Are Never Rejected!
She was always cheery. It seemed no matter what, she had a smile on her face. I could count on some inspirational quote or some uplifting phrase every morning as we worked together. And then, the bottom fell out of her life. I watched as her smile began to...
You Are the Body of Christ
"Your worldview has to have the same shape that reality does." This quote by American philosopher J. Budziszewski seems to be common sense. But anyone looking at society today will have to conclude that common sense isn't really all that common. It seems to make sense that how I...
You Are The Light. You Are The City on the Hill!
The famous philosopher Aldus Huxley once wrote: "If most of us remain ignorant of ourselves it is because self-knowledge is painful and we prefer the pleasures of illusion." Huxley wrote "The Perennial Philosophy" in 1945 and suggested that the basic wisdom of authentic human reality is common to all...
Why Ask Why – Zacchaeus Sunday – Homily
Because when you forget your "why" you lose your way! When you lose the central truth of anything, the chances of that truth staying with you in a meaningful way reduce to zero! The Orthodox Faith touches every aspect of our everyday lives and attacks the basic weakness and...
One Of A Kind
It's never been "popular" to confront our very prideful and "autonomous" societies with the exclusive teaching that the only way to God the Father is through Jesus Christ. In fact, most societies and cultures have reacted rather badly to this Christian faith message. Our human history shows a swing...
Invest Your Talents!
I remember reading the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie years ago. You see, I thought going into sales was going to be my career and that classic book was part of a foundational training for budding salesmen. Going through my first sales training...
A Fitting High Priest
In World War 1 the two opposing armies would dig in and conduct what was then called "trench warfare." The land between the two armies entrenched in the fight was called "no man's land" because anybody who tried to attack would be shot by the other side! Not a pleasant...
Learning Wisdom
A recent conversation with my youngest daughter was a real eye-opener. It all started with a common selfie pose I saw among her friends. It was the exact same pose as a young man who had been arrested at a violent protest in the news. I shared this concern...
Not Lawful on the Sabbath
As a former police officer, I remember well having to memorize the rules of the road so that I could ENFORCE the rules. Of course, all these laws were on the books for people's safety, but I can't tell you how tempting it was to reduce that central purpose...
Transcendent Power vs. Temporary Problems
"But, father, why is this happening to me?" It was a hard question to hear, mainly because I didn't have an answer. I was sitting across from this precious father as he told me about the medical diagnosis of his little girl. It wasn't good, and he didn't understand...