Doug’s Theological Thoughts

  • Epistle Reading – 2025-01-29

    ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE HEBREWS 10:32-38Brethren, recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property,…

  • Saints – 2025-01-29

    Ignatius and Nicandrus of Sinai Laurence the Recluse of the Kiev Caves Saint Laurence, Hermit of the Caves and Bishop of Turov, in the Near Caves at first lived as a hermit at the monastery of the Great Martyr Demetrius, built by Great Prince Izyaslav at Kiev near the Monastery of the Caves. Later, he…

  • Ancient Christian Prayer

    Archaeologists Say This Tiny Amulet Is the Oldest Evidence of Christianity Found North of the Alps Discovered in central Germany, the 1,800-year-old silver artifact held a tiny scroll, which researchers have now deciphered using high-resolution scans Smithsonian December 19, 2024 Experts have been able to read the scroll’s inscription without unrolling it. According to an…

  • The pillar and ground of the truth

    1 Timothy 3:15 I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

  • Gospel Reading – 2025-01-28

    Mark 11:11-23 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree…

  • Epistle Reading – 2025-01-28

    James 3:1-10 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may…

  • Saints – 2025-01-28

    Ephraim the Syrian Saint Ephraim the Syrian, a teacher of repentance, was born at the beginning of the fourth century in the city of Nisibis (Mesopotamia) into the family of impoverished toilers of the soil. His parents raised their son in piety, but from his childhood he was known for his quick temper and impetuous…

  • Gospel Reading – 2025-01-27

    JOHN 10:9-16The Lord said, “I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good…

  • Epistle Reading – 2025-01-27

    ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE HEBREWS 7:26-28; 8:1-2Brethren, it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did…

  • Saints – 2025-01-27

    Peter the Righteous of Egypt ca 300 AD The tenth-century historian Severus of Ashmumeen gives us an account of how during the Diocletianic Persecution the Patriarch was seized and thrown in prison. When the emperor was informed about this, he ordered Peter to be beheaded. This was hindered by a large number of Christians who…

  • Gospel Reading – 2025-01-26

    LUKE 19:1-10At that time, Jesus was passing through Jericho. And there was a man named Zacchaios; he was a chief collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a…

  • Epistles Reading – 2025-01-26

    ST. PAUL’S FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY 4:9-15Timothy, my son, the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and suffer reproach, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let…

  • Saints – 2025-01-26

    Xenophon & his Companions Saint Xenophon, his wife Maria, and their sons Arcadius and John, were noted citizens of Constantinople and lived in the fifth century. Despite their riches and position, they distinguished themselves by their simplicity of soul and goodness of heart. Wishing to give their sons John and Arcadius a more complete education,…

  • Evidence of the Destruction of the Temple 70 AD

    The Arch of Titus (Italian: Arco di Tito; Latin: Arcus Tītī) is a 1st-century AD honorific arch, located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in c. 81 AD by Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus’s official deification…

  • Epistle Reading – 2025-01-25

    JOHN 10:9-16The Lord said, “I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good…

  • Epistle Reading – 2025-01-25

    ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE HEBREWS 7:26-28; 8:1-2Brethren, it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did…

  • Saints – 2025-01-25

    Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople, a great Father and teacher of the Church, was born into a Christian family of eminent lineage in the year 329, at Arianzos (not far from the city of Cappadocian Nazianzos). Saint Gregory spent six years in Athens studying rhetoric, poetry, geometry,…

  • Private Judgment

    A fundament principle of Protestantism is the right to private interpretation of Scripture. But what does Scripture say? 2 Peter 1:19-21 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your…

  • Gospel Reading – 2025-01-24

    MATTHEW 6:22-33The Lord said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No…

  • Epistle Reading – 2025-01-24

    ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE Galatians 5:2-26; 6:1-2Brethren, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk…

  • Saints – 2025-01-24

    Venerable Xenia of Rome, and her two female servants Saint Xenia of Rome, in the world Eusebia, was the only daughter of an eminent Roman senator. From her youth she loved God, and wished to avoid the marriage arranged for her. She secretly left her parental home with two servants devoted to her, and set…

  • Peter’s home in Bethsaida

    A 1,500-year-old mosaic believed to be above Peter and Andrew’s home, in Galilee, Israel, in October 2021. Archaeologists had uncovered for the first time mosaic floors from a lost, legendary basilica reportedly built over the house of Jesus’ apostles Peter and Andrew in biblical Bethsaida. The inscription refers to donor “Constantine, the servant of Christ,”…

  • Gospel Reading – 2025-01-23

    MARK 2:23-28; 3:1-5At that time, Jesus was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did,…

  • Epistle Reading – 2025-01-23

    ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21; 4:1-3Brethren, our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brethren, whom I love…