November 2024 – An Orthodox Priest Abroad

A Great Oddity, a City for Beavers*

When we were preparing for their arrival, Nora and I kept asking my parents what they wanted to do or see while in Europe. We entertained ideas of short trips to other countries—Mom wanted to go to Corfu in Greece—but we all settled on staying within Italy. Less time in transit, more time exploring. WhatContinue reading “A Great Oddity, a City for Beavers*”

What Is Impossible?

This week we celebrated the feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the temple. This is one of the three great feasts—the other two being the Nativity of the Theotokos and the Dormition of the Theotokos—whose stories are not told in any of the four canonical Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The storyContinue reading “What Is Impossible?”

Family Vacation

Many of my most cherished childhood memories come from our family vacations. Most every year, for a couple weeks, Mom and Dad would load all four of us into the station wagon with our Coleman pop-up camper in tow and take us on an adventure. Well, for us they were all adventures. Sometimes the tripContinue reading “Family Vacation”

Thank You for Your Service-AND Your Example

The best thing that could be said about the first battle there was that it had been a stalemate. Though the British Eighth Army had stopped the Axis Powers’ Eastward advance toward Alexandria, some fifty miles away, the month-long battle the previous July had cost them 13000 casualties and the commanding general estimated that theyContinue reading “Thank You for Your Service-AND Your Example”