The Holy Spirit

Greetings to all who have visited my blog in the past and have wondered what happened to me. We have recently transferred from Japan to Camp LeJeune, NC where I'm back serving with the Marines. I've been very busy with moving in, setting up the house with my wife, and getting used to my new job so I apologize for taking so long to update this and for not letting you know where I am and what I'm doing.

In case you didn't notice, in my profile I no longer serve as the Archdeacon to the Archbishop of the Armed Forces in the CEC. I have recently resigned from that position and for the moment am still a priest in that communion. I am, however, actively engaged in dialogue with the Antiochian Orthodox Church. That's all I'll say about that for now..., more to come later.

In keeping with the spirit and intent of this blog, however, I thought I would post a little devotional tidbit I found in a book called "Through the Year with the Church Fathers" by Presbytera Emily Harakas. The quote below speaks about what the Holy Spirit does in the earth since He has been "poured out upon all flesh." It therefore speaks of what the Holy Spirit is doing both outside of and within the Church.

"The Holy Spirit is not absent from any created being, especially not from one which in any way participates in intelligence. For being God and God's Spirit, He embraces in unity the spiritual knowledge of all created things providentially permeating all things with His power, and vivifying their inner essences in accordance with their nature. In this way He makes men aware of things done sinfully against the law of nature, and renders them capable of choosing principles which are true and in conformity with nature.
The Holy Spirit is present unconditionally in all things, in that He embraces all things and provides for all, especially for those who by their holy way of life have made themselves fit to receive His indwelling and deifying presence."

St. Maximos the Confessor