Source: Fr Lawrence Farley's blog - No Other Foundation The importance of John the Baptizer may be gauged by the amount of paint and ink the Church spends on him. His portrait is painted and is found on every single icon-screen in all the churches, regardless of whether or not he is that church’s patron saint. And many hymns have been written to celebrate his life. Much ink is required for these hymns - he has many feasts. Fifty-seven feasts each year in fact: the feasts of his conception on September 23 (October 6 on the old calendar), his birth on June 24 (July 7 on the old calendar), his beheading on August 29 (September 11 on the o.c.), the synaxis celebrating his role as the Lord’s baptizer on January 7 (January 20 on the o.c.), the feasts of his relics on February 24 (March 9 on the o.c.) and May 25 (June 7 on the o.c.), and every Tuesday of the 52 weeks of the year, which celebrate him in the weekly liturgical cycle. That is a lot of feasts, requiring a lot of hymns.
Source: Father Lawrence Farley's blog - No Other Foundation What is the Christian teaching the doctrine of Eternal Security? Are we saved simply because we have believed in Christ at some point in our life? Is it possible for a Christian to lose faith?
Below, Father Lawrence Farley answers these, and other, questions. Source: Father Lawrence Farley's blog - No Other Foundation Thomas had a heart that had taken one too many beatings. Despite his often being stigmatized by later generations as “Doubting Thomas” there is nothing in his past record to indicate such a defect of character.
Source: Fr Lawrence Farley's Blog, No Other Foundation Anaphora, which in Greek means “offering” (the verb form is used in Leviticus 17:5, for example, where it describes the offering of sacrifice). Anaphora is a long prayer, punctuated by a number of “Amens”. It begins with the celebrant’s blessing - “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” - and does not conclude until the end of the words, “and grant that with one mouth and one heart we may praise Your all-honourable and majestic name: of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages”.
Source: Father Lawrence Farley's Blog Kissing in church during the services? You got it.
What is the Kiss of Peace, why is it part of our Liturgy? For answers read below. Source: Fr Lawrence Farley's Blog When Mary of Nazareth first emerged from her mother as a newborn infant and uttered her first newborn cries, few then present could have had any inkling what that child would mean to human history.
Source: Ancient Faith Blogs - Fr Lawrence Farley In this final post of the series we will look at the category of clean versus unclean in the Christian Faith, and its difference from the use of that category in religion. The category of “clean versus unclean” is basic to religion.
Source: Ancient Faith Blogs - Fr Lawrence Farley In previous posts (parts one & two) in this series we looked at the difference between the Christian Faith and all the other religions, and suggested that the main difference lay in the fact that Christianity was not a religion, but rather the saving presence of Christ in the world, and through His Spirit, our participation in the powers of the age to come. We Christians share certain external similarities with the religions, but these external similarities can mask the inner meanings of the things we seem to share. In reality, everything in Christianity is different from the religions.
Source: Ancient Faith Blogs - Fr Lawrence Farley In a previous post we looked at the difference between the Christian Faith and all the other religions, and suggested that the main difference lay in the fact that Christianity was not a religion, but rather the saving presence of Christ in the world, and through His Spirit, our participation in the powers of the age to come. The idea that Christianity is not a religion comes as a surprise to many, since Christianity shares many external features with the religions of the world. One of these features is the use of a sacred calendar. Does our use of a Christian calendar mean that Christianity is a religion after all?
Source: Ancient Faith Blogs - Fr Lawrence Farley You did not misread the title of this article. Christianity is not a religion. Why? How? What is it then? Read below to find out.
Source - Fr Lawrence Farley. Nothing helps foster humility like parenthood. New furniture may come out of the box from Ikea with a set of assembly instructions for clueless people like myself, but children do not come out of their mommy with a set of instructions. Too bad. Because sooner rather than later, all parents pull their hair in frustration or wring their hands with worry as they struggle to raise their children and keep them happy and safe.
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