Yesterday, March 18, was the anniversary of the repose of Fr. Thomas Hopko. I meant to post this in honor of him. Fr. Thomas Hopko, of blessed memory, was a shining star in our modern Orthodox world. Yesterday, St. Vladimir Press sent out a lovely email to honor him. They posted this excerpt from his… Continue reading Memory Eternal
Last week I posted the final of the 55 Maxims of Christian Living. Father Thomas Hopko created this list for a podcast he did in 2008. I decided early on when I created this website that I would do a focus on them each Monday. I did my first Maxim Monday on March 19, 2018.… Continue reading Farewell to Maxim Mondays
The end is here! I really cannot believe we've reached the end of the 55 Maxims of Christian Living by Father Thomas Hopko, of blessed memory. It has been such a blessing to me to work through these maxims for my blog. Reading through each and then doing some research to try and fill out… Continue reading Maxim Week 55!
Next to the last Maxim. Wow! This is a good one. When we fall, get up immediately and start over. As often as we fall, we stand up again. And we will fall. It says in Scripture that the wise person, the wise man, falls seven times a day, that means a lot, but he… Continue reading Maxim Week 54
Endure the trial of yourself and your own faults and sins peacefully, serenely, under the mercy of God. This is very important. St. Seraphim of Sarov said: “To have the Holy Spirit is to see your own wretchedness peacefully, because you know that God’s mercy is greater than your wretchedness.” St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a… Continue reading Maxim Week 53
Focus exclusively on God and light. Never focus on darkness, temptation, and sin. That’s classic teaching. Fill yourself with good things. Don’t be mesmerized by dark things. Don’t meditate on evil things. Meditate on good things, and God will take care of the rest. Fr. Thomas Hopko I can think only of the verses I… Continue reading Maxim Week 52
The count down to completion begins! Four more after today! Whatever shall we do with our Mondays? For now let us lean in to what Fr. Thomas Hopko has to say today in Maxim 51. It is a good one! Really good! Have no expectations, except to be fiercely tempted to your very last breath.… Continue reading Maxim Week 51
Wow! I can't believe we only have five Maxims left after this week. It has taken quite awhile to get through them all, after the big break last winter. It sure has been fun, hasn't it. We might need to have a little celebration when we get to the end! Today... Be merciful with yourself… Continue reading Maxim Week 50
Have a daily schedule of activities, avoiding whim and caprice. Again, the Holy Fathers teach us that idiorhythmia, capriciousness, whimsicalness is the cause of all of our downfall. We have to be disciplined. We have to have a rule for ourselves, and try and follow it. Of course, the rule is not some kind of… Continue reading Maxim Week 49
Do nothing for anyone that they can and should do for themselves. It is not charitable to do things for others that they should be doing for themselves. We rob them of their life when we do that. So we should help people to do what they have to do themselves and not do it… Continue reading Maxim Week 48
Kindler of Joy! 