Vasilije Prota Tomic - Page 6 of 18 -

What does Orthodoxy means to us

Feb

24

2017

John 1:43-51 During Lent, as we go about free from our “cholesterol-related concerns,” we are more inclined to re-examine ourselves and our lives. The purpose of the fast is precisely in getting us to reevaluate things and events, or at least to evaluate them from a different angle. We usually live buried to the neck, ...

Beware lest your liberty become a stumbling block to those who are weak

Feb

4

2017

(1 Cor. 8 : 8 – 9 : 2) Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Corinthians raises the question of our behaviour before others, in other words, the question of witnessing our faith or unfaith. The motive here is an issue that was important in the life of the early Church: should one eat the ...

God want us to confess our faith

Jan

21

2017

Luke 8: 5-15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16) These are hard words indeed, and hardly pleasant to our ears which ...

The fulness of time

Dec

26

2016

(Gal. 4 : 4 – 7) The nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ The reading of the epistle for the Nativity is the shortest of all apostolic readings. It consists of only three sentences in four verses. In these four biblical verses the most joyful news to mankind is to be found. Let us read ...

God has anointed us and put his seal on us

Dec

10

2016

(2 Corinthians 1:21-24, 2:1-4) Apostolic reading warns us and reminds us to keep our promise to God and our oath that we would belong to the Lord. “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His ...

Poverty and wealth, the poor and rich

Nov

19

2016

Luke 16:19-31 The reflection on poverty and wealth and the poor and rich should not leave anyone indifferent. No one among us can say, “This does not apply to me, there are wealthier and more selfish people than myself in this world.” Even if this were true, there are definitely people who are poorer than ...

As you want others to do to you, you also do to them likewise

Nov

4

2016

Luke 6:31 “And just as you want men to do, you also do to them likewise.” (Luke 6:31) Even if we see a hint of selfishness in being good for our own benefit, how wonderful it would be if we were able to abide by this evangelical truth! There would never be any disagreements not ...

Do not ignore God’s invitation

Oct

23

2016

(Matthew 22: 1-14) The Holy Gospel invites us and warns us that no one has an excuse. It is about God’s invitation, sent to all of us to come to Him, to approach Him. Christ illustrated this invitation in the story about a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. As all of ...

All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution

Oct

7

2016

(2 Tim. 3: 10-15) When we listen to the Gospel readings at every holy Liturgy most of us experience them as complete entities. However, the readings of the Epistles often seem as though they have been pulled out of a wider context and we feel that an introduction is necessary for the sake of better ...

About the widows while leafing through the Holy Script

Sep

24

2016

We have recently buried a Serbian woman. At the funeral, which was very large, beside our church singer and me, no more than three Serbs were present. An insignificant person, you would think. I was likely tempted to think that too until I entered the home of one of her sons after the burial. There ...