I’m Busy
In one village, there lived a large family – a husband, a wife and four children. All his life the master of the house worked hard to meet the needs of his near and dear.
Every Sunday, his wife took the children to the church service. However, the head of the family refused to go to church. When his wife asked him why he did not go, he used to say, "You go. And I'm busy."
The master of the house had a habit. Whatever the man started doing, major or minor, he would say, "Lord, help me!" or "With Lord's help!" Without these words, he did not proceed to any work. Therefore, during his long life he turned to God a large number of times, and a large number of things he did with God's help.
And now it is time for the man to die.
– Let me call a priest, – cautiously suggested the wife, – so that you could confess and take communion.
After his wife's words, the man thought. For a moment, the whole life rolled back in his mind’s eye – at work and worry. He remembered how many times his wife had suggested him going to church, and how many times he had excused himself saying he was busy.
Suddenly, the man made an effort, with great difficulty got out of bed and said to his wife:
- Do not call the priest. I'll go to church myself. The Lord so many times came to me, and I to him – never!
Then he turned to the children and said:
– However busy you are, do not miss a chance to come to God. Remember – God is much busier than us, but He always helps us as soon as we turn to Him!
Read also
What Is the ‘Uncut Mountain’?
On March 24, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Icon of the Mother of God “the Uncut Mountain.” It’s a name familiar to many through businesses like Uncut Mountain Supply and Press. But what does it actually mean, and why is it so popular?
Ask a Priest: Can Women Preach?
Dear Father, Bless! As you know, we have not been Orthodox for very long. My family is so happy to be part of the parish! But we are a little confused. We saw a video of an Orthodox woman preaching. She was dressed in the black robe you wear at vigil and was wearing a cross. Are women permitted to preach in Orthodoxy? We saw this in our former Protestant parish all the time, but we never thought we’d see this in Orthodoxy. Please…is this right?! Kissing your right hand, J—
St. Benedict as Hesychast
St. Gregory Palamas himself, the great defender of hesychasm, spoke of the “many Latin saints” whose lives prove that divine energies can transfigure human flesh. No doubt he counted St. Benedict chief among them.
Educating at the Icon Corner: The Rise of Orthodox Homeschooling
Amid surging conversions transforming American Orthodoxy from an immigrant faith to one of evangelization, a parallel wave rises: Orthodox families increasingly embracing homeschooling to weave liturgy, traditional values, and faith-centered learning into daily life.
The Scandal of the Icon
The Seventh Ecumenical Council declares that proper Orthodox veneration of icons demands physical greeting—kissing and bowing—as inseparable from honoring the prototype, anathematizing those who refuse to kiss them.