Die Schreiben von Schreiber

On the veneration of Mary and the Saints Part 1 - Praise travels uphill: My parents visited me a few weeks ago and on that Sunday they went with me to church. They met some of my new friends, one of whom especially said some really nice things about me and closed with "of course, that's all a reflection on you and is to your credit." And I thought "what a great explanation of veneration of Mary and all the saints!" God is glorified in His saints, and the great things we say about them are *because of Him* and therefore praise of Him, ultimately. We call Mary Mother of God because of her Son. We call her "More Honorable than the Cherubim" etc because those bodiless powers serve God and He rides/sits on the Cherubim, but He lived inside and took flesh  from Mary. We could go on and on, and the Church does in the daily honoring of Her saints with hymns. Reading these short daily verses, you can see that the honor given the Saints is due t...

In the Spring of 2017 I made my first Pilgrimage: I visited an Orthodox Monastery. Here are my recollections of the weekend as I recorded them the day I returned: I was blessed with holy oil from a myrh-streaming icon on Mount Athos. I prayed more than ever in my life. I had a bird teach me about the Jesus prayer. I read three books, and as much as I could, I participated in, or more accurately, was swept along, in prayer hours and Divine Liturgy. I was ready to die. I longed for it. But not in a morbid way. It was so calming and peaceful, and all that I saw, read, prayed, and participated in made me feel that I just wanted to depart and be with the Lord. I was calmly confident in it, looking forward to it. When Father showed me the wood shop and told me that caskets for the cemetery were made there, I had to stop myself from asking him to make me one. Don't know if that makes sense, but it's how I felt, and it felt good. And about the bird: Saturday night as I...

I killed a man. He was a good man. Well, he would have been had I not snuffed out the light in his eyes. He was on track to be a saint; a decent man, on about Jesus all the time and how he wanted to "be perfect" as he says Jesus told him to be. He wasn't terrible to be around, just one of those "mildly annoying" Christians. And for no good reason, I killed him. You see, we were driving one day, and when we got off the freeway there was a guy standing on the side of the road begging. Our would-be saint said we should give him some cash, but I said "nah, he looks like the same guy that was here last time. He's probablty scamming." And I killed our would-be saint over a couple bucks. I do it over and over. I kill again and again. Every time I stop from helping someone out, every time I pass judgement instead of give alms, every kind word unsaid, all my sin kills again the saint that God desires me to be. The good man is put to death and the scoundre...

In Lesson Two in "Steps Toward Oblation," these thought provoking questions are asked. Warning: some of this is deep, and some of this reveals my hypocrisy and wretched sin. I hope we can still be friends!  ;-) 1. Am I ready to let God take control of my life? Are there areas in which I would prefer to hold onto the illusion of self-determination?  Of course not! Wretched man that I am, I fight for control almost every moment. Only with concentration and intent do I ever come close to loosening my death grip of my own so-called "control" of my life. I have to remember that God is with us, that He loves me. The morning prayer of St. Philaret helps me, especially when I pray  "Teach me to treat all that comes to me  throughout the day with peace of soul,  and with the firm conviction that Thy will governs all.  [...]  In unforeseen events, let me not forget  that all are sent by Thee." So I say "yes" anyway. I say "yes" kno...

• Mary, like Samuel, was born to aging, childless parents as an answer to prayer. • Mary, like Samuel, was dedicated to God from her youth by her parents. • Mary, like Samuel, was taken to the Temple at three years old, where she lived until her betrothal to Joseph at 12 or 13 years old. • Mary conversed with the Archangel Gabriel. • Mary was overshadowed by God the Holy Spirit. • Mary lent her flesh and blood to create God's incarnate body; He who created everything there is. • Mary contained God in her womb; Him whom the entire cosmos cannot contain. • Mary gave birth to God; He who gives life to every living thing. • Mary nursed God at her breast; Him who nourishes all creation. • Mary changed God's diaper and bathed Him; He who cleanses us that we may be whiter than snow. • Mary taught God to walk; He who calls us to and leads us on the path of righteousness and Whose Spirit leads us in the land of uprightness. • Mary taught God to speak; The Word m...

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5 “In humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2 Inspired by Father Barnabas Powell, St. Macarius the Great, and, of course, the Scriptures, I offer this encouragement to my fellow Christians as a sort of “Lenten Challenge.” Ash Wednesday is this week, March 6, for Western Christians, and the first day of Lent for Eastern Christians is Monday, March 11. Lent, as you know, is a time of repentance and preparation for the events of Holy Week and, ultimately,  Easter or Pascha. Traditionally, whether Eastern or Western, Christians have utilized certain tools to aid them in their repentant preparation: Fasting, Prayer, and Alms-giving. However, the fathers of the church have said that observing a fast to the strict letter of the law is worthless if we still harbor anger, resentment, and other vices when it comes t...