Why do we include Saints in our Prayers?
Photo: Catacomb of St. Sabastiano: Fragments of a wall plaster from the triclia with numerous graffiti that ask for the prayers of the martyred apostles, Peter and Paul. Copyright Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Cristiana, Roma In our Prayer rule we can also ask the saints to intercede for us and to help us in our […]
Is Orthodoxy a bit Weird?
What is the aim of life (death)? For Orthodox Christians it is salvation and eternal life with God. How are we saved? Paul tells us we are justified in Christ through our faith (Gal 2:16). But what is faith? Faith is our surrender to the truth of the Gospel and TheTradition of His Church. Faith […]
Faith Alone is Insufficient for Salvation
Many people who call themselves Christians say that it is through faith alone that you will be saved. This is a dangerous error. Salvation requires that we receive the Holy Spirit. Saint Theophan comments, “Believe, believe, and the Holy Spirit will come.” This is the biggest lie. Faith is indeed an indispensable condition for receiving […]
Why do we place such a high place for the Veneration of Mary?
Mary has the title of Birth-giver of God or Theotokos. She is honored more than any of the other saints, even higher than the angels. In Scripture we see the angel Gabriel venerate her and also the Mother of Saint John the Baptist, Elizabeth. (Lk 1:28-29; 40-43) Luke records, “for behold, from henceforth all generations […]
Saint Basil on Usury and Debt
Today consumer debt is 2.5 trillion dollars indicating how far we have moved from Gospel traditions. In Scripture we are taught not to enslave others through usury, contracts and interest, but to give those in need without expectation of return. On the other hand we are also not encouraged to seek loans to support a […]
Saint John Chrysostom on Virtue
When we normally think of virtue we tend to think of ethical behavior, following the rules, obeying the commandments. Saint John Chrysostom reminds us that virtue is much more than just being a good person living according to the rules. He writes, Virtue is to scorn all human affairs, to keep the mind on future […]
Path to Salvation-A Brother and the Old Man
I was recently moved by reading an article by Saint Maximus the Confessor. I was surprised at its clarity and simplicity, yet its completeness and elegance. I had always thought of Saint Maximus as one to avoid reading because he was so hard to grasp. What I found was the opposite. It will try and […]
Photos from varius activities of our Monastery and Community in Masbate,Philippines
A Baptism in Manila, Philippines
On May 24, the Baptism of a Catehumen was officiated by fr.James at Annunciancion Orthodox Cathedral in Paranaque, Manila.
Hong Kong: Wealth gap hits a 30-year high
The gap between rich and poor in Hong Kong, as measured on an internationally recognised scale, now stands at its widest in at least three decades, government figures show. The city’s Gini coefficient – a scale from 0 to 1 on which higher scores indicate greater income inequality – has reached 0.537 based on income […]
