In an episode of the television show House, a sick woman who is ill-treated by her boss plans to return to work for the same boss after her release from the hospital until she is confronted with a fatal prognosis. Facing her impending death, she resolves to do things differently in her remaining time andContinue reading “Death Changes Everything”
Author Archives: frdavid11
Contact is Inevitable
Most of my childhood baseball career was spent behind the plate. I loved playing catcher, mostly because my hero—Hall of Famer Johnny Bench—was a catcher, one of the all-time greatest. Not only did I get to see him play, but Bench taught me how to play baseball every Saturday morning on The Baseball Bunch. IContinue reading “Contact is Inevitable”
No, Luke, Don’t Trust Your Feelings
If you’ve never been around a pig farm, say a prayer of thanks. Pigs stink. A lot. So, when the protagonist of Jesus’ parable finds himself in their midst ready to eat out of their trough, he faces a certain set of awful circumstances. His reaction to those circumstances, however, is not as certain. ItContinue reading “No, Luke, Don’t Trust Your Feelings”
New Rules, Old Approach
Pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training, my MLB.TV subscription has renewed, and I can’t wait for baseball to begin a new season. No matter how the MLBPA and MLB try to ruin it for me, I cannot help but be positive in anticipation of each Major League season. This also seems to meContinue reading “New Rules, Old Approach”
Open Your Eyes
This past Tuesday, 28 November, the Church commemorated St. Stephen the New, and his story stuck with me throughout the week as I prepared for this Sunday’s sermon. He was born in 715 AD to pious Christian parents, and was named Stephen after the newly elected Patriarch of Constantinople asked God to bless him “throughContinue reading “Open Your Eyes”
Between the Lines
In America, we have devised a system for controlling the flow of traffic on the highways and byways across the continent. Our system principally utilizes colored lights, signs (both passive and active), barrier rails, and painted lines. I have found that other countries use these same means for traffic control, and for the same orContinue reading “Between the Lines”
Work Is Salvation
A few years ago, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about a growing financial trend known as FIRE, Financial Independence Retire Early, represented in the story by 38-year-old Seattle lawyer Sylvia Hall who wants to retire at age 40. To do that she is trying to amass $2 million in assets by saving about 70% ofContinue reading “Work Is Salvation”
Who IS My Neighbor?
Today we commemorate St John the Merciful, who was born in the year 555 AD on the island of Cyprus to pious Christian parents. His father was the governor of the island and saw to it that his son received the best possible education. John married and had children, but his family perished while heContinue reading “Who IS My Neighbor?”
Take Up Your Cross, and the Battle.
At age 19, James Goodson was positive that America would eventually jump into the battle against Nazism, yet he decided not to wait. He packed his bag and set sail for England. While transiting the Atlantic, Goodson’s ship was torpedoed and sunk, and he arrived in England with just the clothes he was wearing. HereContinue reading “Take Up Your Cross, and the Battle.”
Don’t Have a Fit
The stories of the Gospels are historical, they recount actual events in the lives of Jesus and his disciples. But in all of these events is a lesson to be learned, each having a significant, spiritually instructive aspect. It is easy to see the spiritual lessons in the healing of a lame man (who hasn’tContinue reading “Don’t Have a Fit”
An Orthodox Priest Abroad 