Why did Judas betray Christ? The key passage relating to this question is John 12:1-8. Jesus was at Bethany a few days before His passion, at the house of Lazarus whom He had resurrected, together with his sisters Martha and Mary. Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with a very expensive fragrant oil. Judas Iscariot said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” The Gospel writer commented, “this he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used [...]

What is the “Fear of God”?   Our parents and grandparents did not have an issue with the term “Fear of God.” It is a term that appears throughout the Old and New Testaments, and a term that was in the minds of the faithful throughout the ages. These days, however, this phrase troubles many people, who seek to re-define and soften it. They ask “why should we fear God? Isn’t He the God of love? Isn’t He our Father in Heaven?” If you are one of those people, then consider that in essence, you seek to not be accountable [...]

What is the significance of the blessing of the waters? The feast of Epiphany celebrates the Baptism of Christ by St John the Forerunner. On this day, and on the day before (5 January), the Church performs the Great Blessing Service during which the Bishop or Priest calls upon the Holy Spirit to bless the waters. In many parts of the world around this time there is also another Blessing Service during which huge crowds go to the sea or river and those waters are blessed as well. As we all know, we use water to clean. St John of [...]

How was the common cup for Holy Communion instituted? The profound Sacrament of Holy Communion was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper and is recorded in all the gospels. As Jesus and His twelve disciples were consuming the traditional Jewish Passover meal, Jesus took bread, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is My body” (Mark 14:22). He then took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and gave it to His disciples who all drank from the one cup, saying, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many” (Mark [...]

How has COVID-19 created opportunities for spiritual growth?   Almost every person who has taken the time to reflect on COVID-19 notices that these are unique times. For the first time, many of us have been required to socially distance, or wear face masks. But diseases and pandemics have been a part of human life since the beginning. Our opportunity lies in how we deal with them and how we use these unique times for our benefit. Let’s start with the simple things. We were asked to keep away from each other to limit the risk of infection. Social places [...]