Forgiveness and Reconciliation are not the Same Thing

· Frederica Mathewes-Green
Here’s a 5-minute video about forgiveness, supplying a part that is too often omitted. Everyone knows that you have to forgive, or you will not be forgiven by God; but not everyone knows that it is possible to forgive without reconciling. Forgiveness is for something in the past, and reconciliation…

Two-letter change coming

· Frederica Mathewes-Green
My address will change from www.Frederica.com to www.FredericaMG.com–adding an “MG” to the end of my name. I have had Frederica.com since 1998, thanks to friends who kept insisting I needed a website even though I couldn’t see any point in it. Well, after almost 30 years, someone would like to…

The Story of Mary

· Frederica Mathewes-Green 1 Leave a Comment on %s
This 1st-2nd century story was extremely popular in the Christian East from the earliest centuries. Originally an folk story told orally and passed from one community to the next, 140 texts have been found in 8 different languages. The story was rejected in the West, though, so it was unknown…

But What about Peter?

· Frederica Mathewes-Green
Some years ago, a Catholic friend was preparing to enter the Orthodox Church and, not long before his chrismation, he sent me an email saying, “But would I be wrong to separate myself from Peter?” Exasperated, I wrote back, “We have Peter too!” He is a saint in both churches!…

Unexpected Events in Charleston

· Frederica Mathewes-Green 3 Leave a Comment on %s
Tommy My husband, Fr. Gregory, had been planning a short trip to our home town, Charleston SC, to visit his mother, Mary (almost 100 years old), and brother, Tommy, who was battling cancer. Everything was arranged for him to drive down there Monday and return Thursday, but then he came…

Trouble with Intercessory Prayer

· Frederica Mathewes-Green 7 Leave a Comment on %s
An emailer wrote saying he felt he wasn’t good at intercessory prayer. My reply: I’m with you about intercessory prayer. I think I don’t know how to do it very well. I have a long list of names I bring before God every night, and a shorter list when I…

Praying for the Non-Christian Departed

· Frederica Mathewes-Green 3 Leave a Comment on %s
[October 19, 2023] Today is the feast of St. Varus, an Egyptian Christian martyr of the early 300’s. Orthodox Christians ask him to pray for our loved ones who have died, who had not come to Christian faith. A Christian woman, St. Cleopatra, recovered his body and buried it near…

Fear of Death

· Frederica Mathewes-Green 10 Leave a Comment on %s
A few years ago, my husband and I asked an Orthodox woodworker to make coffins for us (sorry, he has since retired). They’re beautiful, with the angelic Trisagion Prayer, “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal,” lettered all the way around. Whenever I go in the basement, I pass by these…

“Death to the World” Journal

· Frederica Mathewes-Green 3 Leave a Comment on %s
2005; Regneration Quarterly, Washington Times Death to the World High in a Russian Orthodox monastery in the California mountains, Father Damascene and Father John had a problem. They wanted to place an ad in Maximum Rock and Roll, “the most hardcore” of all the punk magazines, but were having trouble…