In this interview, conducted at the conclusion of the 2022 Annual Patristic Nectar Conference, held at Saint Andrew Orthodox Christian Church, in Riverside California, Fr. Maximos Constas shares some insight on the differences between the Christian Orthodox iconography and the Western sacred art from the Catholic and Protestant Churches.
Traditional Iconography vs Western Sacred Art (Fr. Maximos Constas)
I invite you to share your thoughts on the similarities and the differences between the Orthodox iconography and the Western sacred art in the comments section.
I want to share with you a YouTube video series that I think will come in helpful to those who want to quit porn and find freedom from porn addiction.
It was created by the Pure Life Ministries, an organization that – according to their channel description – exists to serve Christian individuals and organizations dealing with sexual sin throughout the world by providing biblically based counseling, teaching resources, and a public speaking ministry with the goal of leading Christians to victory over sexual sin through a deeper life in God.
In this video from Ascension Present’s YouTube channel, Fr. Mike Schmitz explains how God purifies us, what types of purification are there and what part do we play in this process. I invite you to check it out and let me know your opinions about it in the comment section.
The Orthodox Churches that follow the Julian calendar (the Orthodox churches of Constantinople, Albania, Alexandria, Antioch, Bulgaria, Japan, Cyprus, Greece, America, and Romania) celebrate Easter (Pascha) today, on April 24th, 2022.
If you are interested in finding out more about the holiday, here are some articles from the previous years: 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Easter (Pascha) is a celebration of the resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, The Son of God, The Second Person of The Holy Trinity.
He is risen!
I wish you a joyous Easter celebration and a blessed year ahead!
And I leave you with this video on how Romanians celebrate Easter:
R&R Partners Bucharest – Orthodox Easter in Romania
In the following video, Fr. Mark Goring talks about how God’s sense of humor can be seen in the various shapes of His creation, a particular example being the different types of orchid flowers:
Orchids – The is a God – He has a sense of humor – Fr. Mark Goring
I invite you to watch this video from Ascension Presents’ YouTube channel. In it, Fr. Mark Toups, an experienced spiritual director, leads readers inward to invite the Lord to heal those areas where they need it most.
You are invited to imagine what it would be like if you could see yourself the way Jesus sees you. Even in the midst of our sins, struggles, and failures, Jesus looks upon us with love as His Beloved. All He asks for us is to meet His gaze and fall in love with Him in return.
Turn toward Jesus and let’s allow ourselves to be fully seen by Him no matter where we find ourselves in life. Be not afraid of standing before Jesus unhidden and allow God to clearly see and completely love you. God wants to give you more.
The series of mini-articles in which I present YouTube channels that are related to the Christian faith and that have impacted me in a positive ways continues. Today’s article is about the channel Called to More.
The channel’s about page mentions that its aim is to form and encourage a generation of Catholics to #liveforheaven. “Called to More is a not-for-profit media apostolate based in Ireland. We create videos, articles, and a podcast for Catholics to deepen their relationship with Christ and His church.”
Tackling a wide variety of interesting topics related to the Catholic beliefs and Christianity in general, the Called to More YouTube channel can be of great help to everyone who is looking to learn a few things about improving their walk with God.
It’s that time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that time of the year when, if God wills it, we spend quality time with family and/or friends, that time of the year when we try our best to show kindness and love to our brethren. It is Christmas.
We live troubled times, but we should not lose hope. I hope you had a decent or at least manageable year, and I wish you a Merry Christmas! May God bless us, everyone!
“What is God’s Will for my life?” is a question Christians have been wrestling with for centuries. Every Christian who wants to live a life pleasing to God has wondered what God wants him or her to do throughout every stage of his or her life.
Because it is a question I’m still trying to find answers for, I’ve sought online the wisdom of various people from different Christian denominations, and I now want to share with you a few videos in which clergymen try to offer guidance on this topic.
Let’s start with Orthodox Christianity.
The first video is of Fr. Andrew Smith from The Holy Annunciation Church:
God’s Will for Your Life – A Sermon at Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church, Brisbane
Following are two videos from a sermon of Fr. John Vass from The Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church:
Orthodox Sermon – What is God’s Will (Part 1)
Orthodox Sermon – What is God’s Will? (Part 2)
Let’s move on to the Coptic Church. In the following video, Fr. Anthony Messeh from The St. Mary and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church speaks about the topic in a conference:
Fr. Anthony Messeh – What is God’s Will for My Life?
From the Catholic Church, I have chosen the following two videos. The first one is a short clip of Fr. Mike Schmitz, who sums up how to never miss God’s Will for your life, as a Catholic:
Fr. Mike Schmitz: “How To Never Miss God’s Will For Your Life” | SEEK2015
The second Catholic video is one of Sister Maris Stella of The Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia. She talks about how to discern God’s plan for your life.
Discerning God’s Plan For Your Life
And finally, I’ve chosen 2 videos from Protestant & Evangelical Christianity. The first one is of Pastor John Piper. He lists a series of steps about how to find God’s Will for your life, as an Evangelical Christian.
Desiring God – John Piper – How Do I Find God’s Will for My Life?
And I will close this article with a video on the same topic from the popular Protestant website GotQuestions.org:
How can I know God’s will for my life?
Let me know what if you found any of these videos helpful in the comments. Also, I invite you to share your thoughts on the topic of finding God’s Will for your life, what are your ways of seeking it, and anything else you’d like to share on the subject.
Would you say that the information I presented is correct? Share your thoughts and feel free to add any information you consider I missed in this explanation of Christianity.
