by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher “Now this, ‘He ascended’ (Ps. 67:19) – what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” (Ephesians 4:9-10) The Ascension of Christ necessarily assumes His descent. Christ’s change of place in going up to heaven only happened because He first came down from heaven to earth. But what does this mean, really? Jesus told the Pharisee Nicodemus, one of the rulers of the Jews: “If … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher Many people who come to Confession confess the same, or very similar, sins every time they confess; furthermore, as a preamble to the confession, the person will admit they are just confessing the same things over and over every time they come to Confession. What can a person do to break this cycle of repetitious sin, if they are truly repentant and want to change? Consider these words from a true Orthodox spiritual guide. “Some say that we fall into the same sins because we have been unable to correct our … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…” (Eph. 3:14-15) Whenever we Christians speak of “family,” especially in this day and age and culture, we have to carefully define the term within a Christian context, particularly that of the Scriptures and practice of the Church. Taking the passage above, the context of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians gives us such a definition, as follows. The recipients of the letter in … [Read more...]

by Fr. John A. Peck In the Bible, unleavened bread is called “unleavened bread,” whereas leavened bread is simply called “bread.” The Jews at that time would have understood this as would have the early Christians. It says that “He took bread,” meaning leavened bread; and the Christians, being first instructed by the Apostles and then reading in the Gospels some time later, implemented this. At the Mystical Supper, it is obvious that our Lord was changing things, to tie the Passover meal with its fulfillment, the Eucharist. One of those … [Read more...]