A Prayer for Peace and the Turning Away of Violence
On Wednesday, a married couple full of violence and hatred attacked a group of government employees in San Bernardino. On Thursday, many secular lawmakers and journalists attacked prayer as the proper response, preferring to place their faith in man-made gun control legislation rather than in the power of prayer to God. Faithful Christians, however, know that prayer is more fundamental to human life than air, food, and water. As the Holy Apostle wrote, we are – …
The Ultimate Powerlessness of Violence
In the wake of yesterday’s tragic violence in San Bernardino, let us be reminded of a powerful passage in the Holy Gospel that teaches us about the ultimate powerlessness of violence. We join our Savior as He is about to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by the command of the wicked Jewish leaders aided by Judas the Betrayer: “Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, – …
Statement on the San Bernardino Mass Shooting
The Diocese mourns the tragic shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, which took place near several diocesan parishes and homes of the faithful. It is the latest in a seemingly growing chain of gratuitous violence which has engulfed our beloved country.We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Peace, may console every grieving soul affected by this senseless violence and restore peace and order to our society. At the same – …
The Necessity of Self-Denial
On the Third Sunday of the Coptic month of Hatour, our Mother, the Holy Church, nourished us with a passage from the Gospel according to St. Luke 14:25-35 in which our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that the cost of being His disciple, the cost of being a Christian in this world, is a total and complete commitment to Him. This total commitment to Christ necessarily begins with self-denial, as our Savior teaches us, “And – …
The Christian and Black Friday
Throughout the past week, my inbox has been bombarded with advertisements relating to Black Friday. There is the Black Friday sale, the pre-Black Friday sale, the early Black Friday specials, and many other advertising catchphrases that point to the same thing: discounted material goods on the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday is not a topic that is commonly discussed among Orthodox Christians. Sadly, in the absence of the Church’s guidance on this holiday, most of – …