St. Augustine - A Model of Repentance

In the late fourth century in North Africa, a boy who would one day become a saint was born. The path of sanctity, however, was not paved with simplicity or virtue for St. Augustine in the beginning.

Born in a Roman family of moderate standing, St. Augustine's parents highly valued education for their son. They did everything within their means to make sure that he went to the best schools and was able to receive the training he needed to be a highly successful rhetorician when he graduated. Though St. Augustine wasn't terribly interested in his education, he did what his parents required of him. 

Image from Orthodoxwiki

What Augustine was interested in doing during his "college years" was getting by and having a good time with his friends. In his Confessions, Augustine admits that he felt that his parents were willing to turn a blind eye to his social and moral decisions so long as he completed his education. So while he was completing his studies, Augustine was also spending his time partying with his friends, satisfying his lusts, and pulling mindless pranks. When his mother finally realized a little of what was going on and warned him against certain behaviors, especially with women, Augustine scoffed at her reprimands and continued on his destructive path.

As a student and citizen of Rome, Augustine was also exposed to a variety of philosophies and religions. It was around the time of his late-teens and early-twenties when Augustine joined the ranks of the Gnostic sect, the Manicheans, turning away from the little bit of Christian upbringing that he had been given. He also dabbled in astrology for many years and later when he had abandoned Manicheaism, was interested in the philosophy of Neoplatonism.

St. Elizabeth the New Martyr - Humility & Service

St. Elizabeth the New Martyr—once Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna, of Russia—died in 1918 at the hands of the Soviet Government. Throughout her life, despite her royal blood and wealthy upbringing, she demonstrated a dedication to humility and service.

 

Elizabeth was raised in part by her grandmother, Queen Victoria of Britain, after the age of 14, once she had been orphaned. In time, she married the Grand Duke Sergei of Russia in June of 1884. After a number of years, as she fell in love with the Church and the people of Russia, Elizabeth converted to Orthodoxy of her own volition in 1891.

When her Lutheran family initially expressed grief at her decision to convert, Elizabeth wrote to them, "I am sure God's blessing will accompany my act which I do with such fervent belief, with the feeling that I may become a better Christian and be one step nearer to God."

She later encouraged her younger sister, Alexandra Fyodorovna, to convert to Orthodoxy and marry the Grand Duke Nicholas, heir to the Russian throne, which she did in 1894. Alexandra and Nicholas later died in 1918 as the last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia.

Saint Catherine the Great - An Example of Godly Scholarship

Saint Catherine was born in Alexandria, the daughter of Cinstus or Cestus. A virgin with great beauty and wisdom, she was famous for her wealth, noble origin, and education. By her remarkable knowledge, she conquered the passionate and untamed soul of Emperor Maximin. By the strength of her discourses, she reduced to silence rhetors who wished to dispute with her. She obtained the crown of martyrdom about the year 305.¹

CC Image from Wikimedia Commons

Saints of the Church are uniquely special—they were real people, with real struggles and joys, who willingly chose to direct their lives toward Christ. Saint Catherine is no exception. Life circumstances aside, we all have things we can define in our lives as blessings. Saint Catherine was indeed blessed—as the daughter of an Alexandrian governor she was wealthy, beautiful, and highly intelligent. However, as it goes with blessings, when they are given, we are entrusted to not abuse or neglect them. Saint Catherine did neither.

Dark Chocolate and Candy Canes

This is a guest post from Anthony Jonas. Anthony is a junior in the Human Development program at Hellenic College, and a former member of the Student Advisory Board. Over the past year, he has served as the Student Administrative Intern for OCF.

“What is your favorite holiday tradition?”

CC Image courtesy of DUCKMARX in Flickr

Whenever I am asked that common question of the season, I think of plenty of family traditions and it is difficult to pick a favorite. Every year, on the weekend after Thanksgiving, my family and I go to pick out our Christmas tree. My sister and I decorate the tree with ornaments from as far back as our mom’s first grade art project. On Christmas Eve, my dad’s side of the family goes to my grandmother’s house to exchange presents before we all head over to Vesperal Liturgy together. On Christmas Day, both my mom and dad’s sides of the family come over to our house for dinner and a gift exchange. There are a lot of traditions to choose from.

As I analyze the question, “What is your favorite holiday tradition?” I feel quite foolish for coming up with a list of traditions that have very little to do with what Christmas is all about. There is no doubt that the American society has built Christmas on consumerism and 'the season of giving.' The American lifestyle has funneled our mentality to focus on shopping, Christmas music, and snow. But as an Orthodox Christian I ask myself,

“What if the malls were closed before Christmas? What if the Christmas radio station decided to not play Christmas music this year? What if we didn't have a white Christmas? Isn’t there something more?”

How to Be a Church Member and Not Just a Church-Goer

When I was an OCFer at Texas A&M University, my friends and I all attended a local mission parish, and I mean, this was a small parish—small as in we met in the back room of the priest’s house and a typical Sunday liturgy consisted of less than 15 people, most of whom were college students. In a parish that small, everyone lives by an unspoken rule: everyone does everything.

Prayers for Boring Days

Life can be filled with interruptions, anxieties, and curve balls. So much so that I often find myself asking God, "...please give me boring days."

Boring days? Depending on who you are I'm sure they look quite different.

For 27-year-old me, it's being able to go through my daily motions without encountering stressful situations. It's getting home early enough to watch my favorite shows and cook a delicious dinner. It's being able to spend time with my fiancé, laugh with my friends, and catch up with my mom and dad over the phone.