

Parable of the Talents
There's a story told about a company hiring truck drivers to drive dynamite through the mountains. They brought in the first driver to interview him and ask him one question: “How close can you get to the edge of the road without going over the edge?" He said confidently, “Five feet." A second driver was interviewed and was asked the same question to which he replied, even more confidently, “Two feet." A third driver was brought in and asked the same question. This one, rathe


St Nikolai (Velimirovich): On The Gradual Nature Of Spiritual Development
“For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:13–14). Those who feed on the food of the milk of sensual reflection cannot easily distinguish between good and evil. They usually come to the conclusion that all faiths are equally the same in value; that sin is the indispensab


St Gregory Of Nyssa - Excerpts from "On The Beatitudes"
Men, whichever of you longs to have sight of absolute goodness, do not lose hope of ever beholding the object of your desire, when you hear that the divine splendor is raised above the heavens, that its glory cannot be told, that its beauty is past telling and its nature cannot be grasped. For what you are able to grasp is the measure within you of the knowledge of God, for he who made you formed you in the beginning, at the same time adorned you with such goodness. When you


Encouraging Words
As a kid growing up in Kansas the song “Home on the Range” was common in our region’s musical repertoire. I do remember, however, being somewhat puzzled about that seldom heard “discouraging word” in the chorus. All that stuff about the buffalo roaming and the deer and antelope playing made sense to me. But what was so bad about “a discouraging word”? Now that I am older I think I understand. Age combined with the daily experience of human frailty has taught me just how disco


From the Teachings of St Gabriel the Confessor of Georgia (+1995)
I am a great sinner and greatly infirm. If you see a person sinning even at the hour of his death, do not judge him. Judging and mockery are great wounds on the soul. The Lord says, “Man, who art thou that thou shouldst judge for Me?” For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again (Matt. 7:2). Judging is a manifestation of human stupidity; it shows that he who judges does not yet know God or himself as he