St. Mary Orthodox Church

Everyone is called to this mystical life, not a simplistic imitation of the saintliness of others, but the nurturing of a holiness that is wholly unique to each person. As each one puts on the mind of Christ, the uniqueness of every person is revealed to be another magnificent facet in the jewel that includes everyone and everything. Read more »

 

Written on the occasion of the Golden Anniversary
of St. Mary's founding, October 1978.

The Church of St. Mary's came into existence in 1928. It was founded by a group of families who had been parishioners of the Church of St. John of Damascus. This energetic group of families banded together to further the growth of the Orthodox Faith. These faithful and courageous individuals formed and organized the Antiochian Society of St. Mary's Church, constituted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The first assemblage of the founders was held at the Greek Orthodox Church on Union Park Street, Boston.

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In this time when the Faith is so often misrepresented by hate-filled purveyors of a Christianity utterly foreign to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a religion tied to the craving for power and wealth, we who love Christ are called to a different way of life. Read more »

 

St. John Chrysostom's exquisite Paschal Sermon uses the Lord's parable of the Workers who come at various times and are paid the very same wage. That is not fair, of course, but grace has nothing to do with fairness. Grace is not fair, it is amazingly unfair. If that isn't Good News, then I don't know what is. Read more »

 

If we do not see the Resurrection of Christ shining like a light through transparent nature, then we are missing the point. Read more »

 

And while we might be thinking of Holy Pascha which is right around the comer, it might be good to remember that the Resurrection is not confined to one day only, it is every day. If the Kingdom is here and now, then Pascha is also here and now. Read more »

 

We are extensions of the Incarnation. God's hands are our hands. God's feet are our feet. We have the choice to make his life our life, his words our words, his will our will. The choice is ours. Read more »

 

What is the difference between the one leper who was full of gratitude and the nine who were not? The one had eyes to see and ears to hear and a receptive and open heart, the others did not. Read more »

 

When I read, I always keep my eyes open for beautiful things to share with you. What has been confirmed for me recently from disparate sources is that the Word of God, the Divine Logos, shines in every place and every heart that seeks the truth. The Logos_ theologians in the early church taught that the seeds of the logos are spread throughout creation. There is no place the Logos is not and we can expect that this light will break through in surprising ways from time to time. Read more »

 

Orthodox spirituality centers on relationship. Beginning with the doctrine of the Holy Trinity our faith is imbued with an emphasis on personal connection with God and with one another. In a very real sense they are one and the same. Read more »

 

A significant element of Orthodox ecclesiology is that the Church Universal resides in her fullness in every local parish. This means that when we gather together, particularly for the Eucharistic celebration, the whole Church is present. Each local parish is not merely a part of the Church, but a manifestation of the Church entire. Read more »

 

The fruit of such spiritual practice, so much at the heart of the Gospel and the Church, is union with God and the awakening of inexpressible joy. This path is open to all who desire to take it. Read more »

 

We must not fail to remember the glorious truth that we, and all human beings and all of creation, are loved, madly, insistently, unconditionally, and infinitely. The only ones who apply conditions to love are us. God never does. Read more »

 

The idea of God descending from heaven far, far away misdirects us from the central truth that heaven is where God is and he is everywhere, in us, and surrounding us all the time. The Holy Spirit does not descend to us as much as he is revealed to be exactly where we did not think to look: within. Read more »

 

We need a path to follow or we get lost and a path that is well-lit so that we don’t stumble and fall. The Way is the way revealed in Christ, the Word of God, and it is the way of death and resurrection. Read more »

 

The Resurrection of our Lord reveals to us the truth that life cannot be conquered by death, nor light by darkness, nor goodness by evil. The core of everything is God. It has always been and will always be. Read more »

 

Enter every moment then as something utterly fresh and new. Let go of what has gone before and dare to believe that the only thing that matters to God is what we do with the moment we inhabit right now. And then live in it boldly and creatively, giving thanks and rejoicing always that God is the God of new beginnings, always ready to receive us as we are because he knows who we really are. He knows our true name! Read more »

 

Our Lenten discipline is not to try and impress God. It is to help us recognize our absolute dependence on him. If we have not yet owned our own powerlessness, Great Lent returns year after year to give us another chance to do so. And also to become more and more convinced that God is Trustworthy, even when we are not. Read more »

 

So much of popular and common religion is self-centered, as Richard Rohr and everyday experience tells us. We have come to believe that it is about me and my salvation, my sin, my righteousness, the star in my crown, and if this is so, then there is a great distance between what we believe about Christ and who he has revealed God to be. Read more »

 

In this day when our society is polarized and hatred is so evident we must reflect on how we should live our lives in response. This demands that we try and understand why people cling to hate in the first place. Read more »