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When God is Not There, by Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki Published by Alexander Press, 2013 This is an exceptional book written by an exceptional author. With a PhD in biomedical engineering from Harvard and MIT and with NASA as a former employer, Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki is one of those people who, when they speak, should be listened to. When he writes a book about suffering and faith, it must be read. With such a pedigree, one would expect a complex, theoretical analysis. This could not be further from the truth. His style is simple, yet [...]

Gospel Reading Sunday November 20th (Luke 12:16-21) This passage recounts the parable of the rich fool, which Jesus narrated to warn against the dangers of material possessions dominating our life, corrupting our spiritual journey towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus describes the life of a rich man whose fields yield a great harvest. In fact, the fields yielded so plentifully that the rich man did not have enough room in his barns to house all that he was harvesting. He then set about building bigger barns and said to himself proudly: “soul you have many goods laid up for many [...]

Does what we eat affect us spiritually?   I would answer yes. If we are full, if we have eaten many desserts and in general a big meal, it is more difficult to pray. To progress in prayer and in general to progress spiritually we need above all to be humble and to love, we need faith, but also self-discipline and ascesis helps. I feel that what you are asking about is fasting. If someone has significant medical problems or other hardships, then their spiritual father may advise them not to fast, or to fast in a modified way. Most [...]

The Holy Unmercenaries, Cosmas and Damian Commemorated November 1st Saints Cosmas and Damian were brothers born in Ephesus in the 3rd century AD. Theodota, their mother, was raised a Christian and provided her sons an example of real, unconditional love. Cosmas and Damian became well educated and both dedicated themselves to the art of medicine. The Grace of God extended their art so that the pair cast out unclean spirits and spiritually healed those who approached them. People began to seek out the gifted brothers from all over, and each one found healing and comfort. Having freely received the Holy [...]

Celebrating Without Meaning On Saturday October 1st, the Grand Final contest between the two AFL teams in Melbourne, finally took place. The mass media portrayed "the electrifying atmosphere". The enthusiasm of the people was obvious by the colourful clothes of the fans, their laughter, singing and shouting, and particularly by the parade on the day before through the streets of Melbourne, attended by thousands of people. Victory went to the Western Bulldogs and the joy of players and their fans lasted for hours, and with the hard core of fans for days. The whole affair celebrated a sports game, where [...]