by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher Forgiveness depends on two things: first, the ability of the one forgiving to let go of any offense, or moral debt, of sin; and second, the ability of the one being forgiven to correct any offense incurred by their sin. Therefore, forgiveness is the exercise of mercy on the part of the forgiver, and the exercise of genuine repentance in the forgiven. Apart from mercy and repentance there is no forgiveness because at its root forgiveness expresses a peaceful exchange, or relationship, of give and take. The giving … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher The concept of morality comes from the Latin word “mos” (pl., mores), meaning “will, or inclination,” as to comply with one’s wishes, or to humor someone. The concept of morality applies especially to how the will, or inclination, of individuals or a group takes shape as customary usages, regular practices, and laws which define such accepted practices. The analogous Greek term is “ethos,” from which we have the concept of ethics, or ethical behavior. The opposite concepts are immoral (lit., contrary to moral … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher Mention of the word “politics” produces an almost immediate reaction in anyone who hears it. Either defensive or eager to engage, this reaction is seldom if ever neutral or unaffected. The famous saying of Aristotle (3rd c. B.C.) still holds true: “Man is a political animal.” Politics cannot be ignored among thinking human beings, although it is frequently avoided because the meaning and aims of the subject are so commonly ill-defined between those who would consider and discuss it. This lack of definition leads to … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher Saint John of the Ladder (Gk., Klimakos) begins the classic Orthodox exposition of the Christian journey to heaven with this first step: Renunciation (of the world). In this, he is repeating the Apostolic teaching, for instance: “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal. 6:14) “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher “[F]or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:23-24). Sin is a catch-all term characterizing our fallen human condition before God. God is sinless, just, righteous, holy, and we have not, do not, and cannot now attain to that divine state of existence (i.e., glory) on our own. We were created to participate in God’s glory, but we fell away from that glory. That fall is sin. Saint Paul goes on to explain: … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher The subject of gender pervades civil discussion in our society, in recent years expressed with meaning foreign to an understanding common to most people just a decade or two prior. In January 2017, the “National Geographic” magazine identified 29 different “genders,” carefully distinguishing between the terms “gender” and “sex.” Whereas “sex” is traditionally restricted to just two biological possibilities: male, or female (that is, binary; XX or XY chromosomes, specific reproductive organs), “gender” is now used … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher “Now you shall remember the whole way the Lord your God led you in the desert, to deal harshly with you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2) “[F]light and making oneself distant from the causes of evil is a great and excellent help in the ascetic struggle…the labor of vigil and fasting is the beginning of every struggle against sin and lust…so fasting, vigil, and wakefulness in God’s service by resisting the sweetness of sleep through … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher Our Lord said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). He also said earlier before raising Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (Jn. 11:25-26). To the Jews in Capernaum, after feeding the 5,000, Jesus said, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher The phrase “Going to Church” is a common one in our society. Frequently the same idea is posed as a question: “Do you go to Church?” or, “What Church do you go to?” This manner of speaking is sometimes expressed a slightly different way, for instance, “We have Church tomorrow,” or some such version. What do we mean by “going to Church”? The answer depends on what we mean by “Church.” Admittedly in our society, this whole concept is an abstract one by which “church” can mean a wide variety of things. Most … [Read more...]

by Fr. Jonathan Cholcher The date of Orthodox Pascha, the Feast of our Lord’s Resurrection from the dead, is usually different than the corresponding feast of Easter in the Western Christian traditions of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Occasionally the dates will be the same, for instance, on April 20, 2025. Sometimes they can be more than a month apart, which will occur next year when Easter will be March 31 and Pascha May 5. Does the actual date of Pascha, or Easter, affect our salvation, especially when they are usually … [Read more...]