St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church

St. John Orthodox Church

Motivated By Love

by

As Christians we are called to love God above all: with our entire mind, soul, and strength. However, as a result of Man’s rebellion and Fall in the Garden of Paradise, our inclination is not towards loving God, but towards pleasing ourselves. Even St Paul confessed, “For what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that I do.” (Rom 7:15) Beyond the struggle to do the right thing, is the struggle to do the right thing for the right reason. Of course, the best reasons are for the love of God and ... [Read more]

Edifying Quotes

by

Spiritual Antibodies In addition to prayer, the reading and study of holy texts, like the word of God in the Gospels, and the life and work of the holy elders, is of crucial importance. They help so that our mind gets nourished with spiritual meanings that can displace the meanings of anger, envy, greed, and such other base emotions. Through the reading of divinely inspired literature we create spiritual antibodies that can combat destructive spiritual viruses.* ~ Metropolitan Athanasios of ... [Read more]

Laurel’s Journey to Orthodoxy

by

My father was raised Catholic by his Irish immigrant mother. His father, who was a kind and spiritual man, never attended these services. My mother was raised Presbyterian. When my parents began dating, my father had many unanswered questions about Catholicism, including the demand that my mother convert in order for their marriage to be recognized by the Catholic Church. Because of this, they were married in a Presbyterian church in Cleveland, Ohio and soon moved to Seattle where my father ... [Read more]

Motherhood: A Blessed Vocation

by

One Sunday in May each year is set aside as a national holiday to celebrate motherhood. It is fitting that our nation dedicates a day to celebrate and honor our mothers. Motherhood is a most beautiful vocation–one that can be compared with that of the martyrs, monastics, and teachers of the Faith. In motherhood, aspects of all three of these vocations are required if one is to fulfill the awesome responsibility of bringing a new life into the world, nurturing it and guiding it towards the ... [Read more]

Colleen’s Journey to Orthodoxy

by

The story of my journey to Orthodoxy is not one involving a major conversion. Instead, since I was born into the faith, my journey has been discovering how important the Orthodox Faith is in my life. My mom took me on my first pilgrimage when I was three-years-old, to a women’s convent in California. Although I don’t remember this pilgrimage, it was the first among many pilgrimages that I would take with my mom and family. The first pilgrimage I remember was a trip to a women’s monastery in ... [Read more]

Janet’s Journey to Orthodoxy

by

My journey to Orthodoxy begins with a large family tree of Christian relatives. Attending church was the best part of my week even as a toddler. I had a tiny Bible that I ‘read’ constantly. It was my treasure until my own daughter “baptized” it, which made it no longer readable. My first church was the First Methodist Church. As a teen I attended the Methodist Church and the Latter Day Saints Church (part of my Dad’s family have a century long history in the LDS). I was like a dry sponge, ... [Read more]