Mardis Gras
Today is Mardis Gras, our liturgically sanctioned day of excess. You know what to do. You can repent tomorrow. That's sort of the point.
Happy New Year
For those of you you are not liturgically minded, here's a little piece of trivia: the Christmas Season lasts from Christmas Eve through Epiphany which is January 6th. If you want to get super technical, through the Baptism of the…
Merry Christmas
Let the earth bow to you and sing to you, Let all sing your Holy Name Orthodox Liturgy
A light in the darkness
Christ is the Morning Star, who, when the night of this world is past, gives to his saints the promise of the light of life, and opens everlasting day. Venerable Bede—Eighth Century
This year, I need Advent in my life
Santa and Mrs. Claus showed up at Chick-fil-A two days after Thanksgiving, looking totally relaxed. Perhaps all their holiday cookies are made and in the freezer; presents are wrapped and ready to go. Now their only job is to greet…
Sacrifice Fly
At the funeral of a great baseball fan, the presider commented that our faith life is a lot like baseball. Baseball, he said, like our spiritual life, is all about getting home. Even though we start at home plate, we…
All are Welcome
Depending on your viewpoint or how much wine you’ve consumed, my family falls between “Modern Family” and a skit from “Saturday Night Live.” With four generations, our family gathering was not nearly as purebred as the original Pilgrims and Indians.…
The Road to Emmaus … and Back
Ever wonder why Jesus picked the disciples? They hardly seem like the cream of the crop. They spent a fair bit of Jesus’ ministry asking stupid questions and demonstrating petty jealousies. There were moments when they even demonstrated incompetence at…
At Home with the Friendly Beasts
For me, Christmas and nostalgia walk hand in hand. Every ornament has its story; every decoration a memory. Our tree always displays a Northwestern University ornament—although no one in the family went there. It was the gift of a young…
