Tartalom megjelenítő

A marriage and family cimkéjű tartalom.

Presvytera Melanie DiStefano It is arguably one of the most “under-rated” Feast days of our Ecclesiastical Year – The Feast of the Apostles; and yet, it is through these 12 men and the line of...
I never realized what a luxury it is to be able to flip on the water to wash our hands or dishes, to be able to flush a toilet, or step into the shower...until a pipe burst in our basement!
What might the Lord have in store for us as we seek him through our prayerful rhythms in the privacy of our own homes? Be ready: we could be in for something we don’t expect.
The Myrrh-bearing women are my personal heroes. If I spent a lifetime praying about it and trying to follow their example, I might hope to say that I, too, carried through the most difficult moments of my life with half as much faith, duty, bravery, and good works as they did.
Certainly, parents carry the burden of responsibility for the decisions, consequences, and overall well-being of the family. But do we welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit in the process? Do we offer reasonable choices to even the youngest members of our family, allowing them to discern the risks and rewards of their decisions in the short run and the long term?
It is a miraculous gift from God to be able to bring a child into this world, one that I thank Him for every single day. I never thought I was capable of this type of overwhelming love until I met...
For much of my son’s nearly 16-year lifespan, I have begged for miracles. Many I have received, and countless have always been - though I took them for granted. His struggles often help me to see...
By Presvytera Melanie DiStefano     “Anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matt 10:37)   When I was a...
If You Believe, You Will Become   Jordan Peterson is a modern day author and clinical psychologist notoriously featured in the media because of his outspoken views on controversial issues....
For anyone who suffers from grief, depression, sorrow, or anxiety, the Paraklesis is a welcome salve to the soul. Although the gospel message of Jesus Christ is one of joy, the Paraklesis service recognizes that everyone, from time to time, experiences emotional and spiritual pain.
what can we learn about family prayer from a monastic family?
You may be following the story in the news of late of the French man, Vincent Lambert, whose injuries in a 2008 car crash left him brain damaged and a quadriplegic. His parents have been seeking international legal recourse to prevent “his assassination” (as deemed by his father Pierre) by a French court ruling that his life support be ceased.
By Presvytera Melanie DiStefano “Being a physician, he came to Constantinople, where he so distinguished himself for his…love for the sick and the poor…” St. Sampson’s love for the sick and the...
I used to be fearful of pruning my rose bushes, wanting them to have full freedom to grow any which way they would. I didn’t want to be like a highly caffeinated hairdresser lopping off more than enough inches, leading to something that looked like a shearing rather than a trim. ‘Don’t be afraid to prune’ gardening experts say, “pruning leads to new growth and continued blooming”.
Sunday is a high holy day. No, it is not Christmas or Pascha. Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday, a major feast day for those who follow the religion called football. Sarcasm aside, I wonder if there are a few parallels between the religion of football and the religion of Christianity.
How can we more intentionally recognize Christ in our midst in every nook and cranny of family life?
While parish priests, religious educators, and youth workers share in the responsibility of bringing our children closer to Christ and the Church, the primary responsibility rests within the “home church.” Countless studies reveal that the single most important factor in the religious development of a child is the example set by parents.
What is it about children that Jesus wants us to emulate?
“I love your new SUV!” “I love this restaurant!” “I love that movie’s soundtrack.” Countless times, I have expressed these types of sentiments. Perhaps in my eagerness to describe a sincere...
Growing up I was blessed to have many mentors and guides in the Faith...
Few days in our lives are as memorable as our wedding day, and few decisions more significant, than deciding to marry. While couples spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on the wedding,...
As someone who studies motherhood and theology and who has five children myself, fellow Orthodox mothers often ask me if I can point them to prayers for mothers for their children, since few of our...
The tech giant Google recently reported that 93 million “selfies” are taken each and every single day.  On many days, I think that my fifteen-year-old daughter is single-handedly responsible...
Marriages cannot be sustained in a healthy way, let alone grow, if—as couples—we set them on ‘cruise control.’ All marriages need to be nurtured from the first day to the last of our lives. In all...
It’s 5:30 pm—almost dinner time in the home of the Chronos family. Mrs. Chronos has arrived home from work and frantically begins to pull something together for the evening meal. As she is...