The Punishment of God and a Miracle of Saint Basil of Ostrog

By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

God does not punish sinners because it gives Him gratification to destroy men. If that gave Him gratification, He would not have created man out of nothing. He punishes man out of more important constructive reasons, of which two are most apparent to us: First, that by punishment He corrects them and leads him on the true path of salvation; second, to frighten others from sinning. St. Isaac also thinks this when he says, "The just wise man is similar to God, for he punishes man, not to reproach him for his sin but either to correct man or to instill fear in others."

Holy Prophet Habakkuk as a Model for our Lives

Holy Prophet Habakkuk (Feast Day - December 2)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

The Prophet Habakkuk was the son of Shaphat and of the tribe of Simeon. His name means "warm embrace." He was a contemporary of the Prophet Jeremiah and is dated between 650 and 672 B.C. His actions revolved around Jerusalem, after the period when the Babylonians defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish, and extended their domination into Palestine. His book consists of three chapters and is distinguished by its remarkable literary grace. The first chapter consists of a dialogue of the Prophet with God, in which the Prophet tries to unravel the manner in which God directs history. The second chapter is the response of God that justice will prevail, and that the just man will live thanks to his trust in God. The third and last chapter includes a doxology of the Prophet for the final triumph of God.

An Interpretation of the Beatitudes of Christ (4 of 9)

...continued from part three.

By His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos

of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matt. 5:6).

The fourth beatitude of Christ refers to hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, the righteousness that fills a person.

We know what physical hunger and thirst mean. They are unbearable situations for humans. The human body, in order to satisfy the processes necessary for life, must accept the right foods. It also needs the necessary fluids for the body to operate, which for the most part consists of water. When the body is deprived of adequate food and fluid, then it reacts, creating a feeling of hunger and thirst.

In this beatitude it is not physical hunger and thirst that are blessed, but hunger and thirst of the soul for righteousness. Righteousness can be understood in many ways: virtue in general by which one is united with God, or even partial justice as opposed to greed and injustice. In both cases, the result is the same, namely the union of man with God and love for people.

Holy Prophet Micah as a Model for our Lives

Holy Prophet Micah (Feast Day - January 5 & August 14)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

The Prophet Micah was born in Moresheth, which is why he is called "the Moreshite". He belonged to the tribe of Judah and is among the twelve lesser prophets. Micah lived in Jerusalem from 748-696 B.C. during the reigns of kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, when the Kingdom of Judah suffered from continuous invasions from the Assyrians. He was almost a contemporary of the Prophet Isaiah. His book, written in the Hebrew language, is distinguished for its eloquence and clarity of phrases and consists of seven chapters. The first three chapters announce the destruction of Samaria. In the next two he prophesied the incarnation of the Word of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.