The Shepherd. The Warrior. The King.

Faith and Trust

A thankful heart is a trusting heart, even when it seems like God isn’t answering our prayers or when things aren’t going as we had hoped. I’m sure when Joseph was betrothed to Mary, he never dreamed his life would end up as it did. https://t.co/UIgHozYUJR

— OCN (@MyOCN) December 19, 2020

Metropolitan Hilarion Presents the MosPat Perspective

A Political Structure and an Unwanted Autocephalyhttps://t.co/GwJr3KDtLc

An interview by Kathimerini with Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev). Part 2
Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev)

How did any autocephaly in Church history begin? With this or that Church declaring its desire t... pic.twitter.com/x3d7BCdljB

— Orthodox Christianity (@Orthodoxy2019) December 22, 2020

Lord Have Mercy

Greek-Constantinople priest joins Russian Church due to Ukrainian crisis (+VIDEO)https://t.co/EJ5kPzA3zZ

Yesterday, Fr. Ioannis, who was previously a fervent supporter of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, published a video explaining why he changed jurisdictions. pic.twitter.com/Gr55VAnIsE

— Orthodox Christianity (@Orthodoxy2019) December 30, 2020

Having Gratitude to Whom?

Expressing gratitude for good things is a part of certain strains of environmentalism; is it New Age in its origins? Green religion. To whom is one expressing gratitude? To one's self? To the "universe"? Is this some sort of pantheism, or an implicit desire for God?

Please take a moment today to thank God for His blessings. Pray for those who are weeping today for whatever reason. https://t.co/7XucyfyGRt

— OCN (@MyOCN) December 29, 2020

Help me to understand what that even means. Guide me to make an honest evaluation of my challenges and opportunities. Help me to set goals I can achieve and to see the opportunities for growth and Your glory even in my challenges. Amen. https://t.co/xD9Nzn2abo

— OCN (@MyOCN) December 29, 2020

Lord, thank You for the many gifts You give to me, not only at Christmas but throughout the year. Thank You that I am alive today. Thank You that I am reading this message through technology I am blessed to own. https://t.co/EDI4q6ZijS

— OCN (@MyOCN) December 30, 2020

Nativity Message from the Orthodox Metropolitan of Cyprus

https://t.co/1vmVKsUf9Y

— Orthodox Christianity (@Orthodoxy2019) December 30, 2020

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Iconography School at the Moscow Theological Academy. Part 2

Archimandrite Luke (Golovkov): “Today, many are brought to the Church through icons.”https://t.co/wBArYXsead

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Iconography School at the Moscow Theological Academy. Part 2
Archimandrite Luke (Golovkov)

The depth o... pic.twitter.com/UVeMHDsTfq

— Orthodox Christianity (@Orthodoxy2019) December 29, 2020

OrthoChristian

Biological Classification Still Controversial

If David Barash really thinks "biological classification conforms perfectly with patterns of evolutionary relationships evidenced by.. genetics," he must have missed all the literature on gene tree discordance (e.g.https://t.co/InesFpzmzC).https://t.co/LviaKqC3WO via @WSJ

— Douglas Axe (@DougAxe) December 30, 2020

Polemical?

Mysticism in the Orthodox Church
In this short video, Fr. Panayiotis explains how the Orthodox Church has preserved the Mystical aspects of Christianity, which have been mostly lost in Western Christianity.https://t.co/k7NrlhRbYj

— Trisagionfilms (@TrisagionFilms) December 30, 2020

Mysticism in the Orthodox Churchhttps://t.co/k7Nrli8NmT
"...the wise providence of God orders our affairs in many different ways and lovingly bestows on each one of us what is appropriate and profitable both for virtuous deeds and the mysteries of faith."
Gregory Palamas pic.twitter.com/EYwUJWhqbI

— Trisagionfilms (@TrisagionFilms) December 30, 2020

On Mysticism https://t.co/k7NrlhRbYj
The Lord came to send fire upon the earth, and through participation in this fire He makes divine not just the human substance which He assumed for our sake, but every person who is found worthy of communion with Him.
Palamas pic.twitter.com/FgT57GH9cL

— Trisagionfilms (@TrisagionFilms) December 30, 2020

Related:

What makes a person saintly is love.
- St Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia pic.twitter.com/yRbQX3mpTM

— Basilica.ro (EN) (@BasilicaNews) December 30, 2020

"Self-Described Conservative"

Such self-serving BS.

In a wide-ranging interview, the head of the German bishops’ conference called for far-reaching changes to the Catholic Church and criticized the Vatican’s treatment of the church in his country. https://t.co/k5vxbjijeB

— America Magazine (@americamag) December 29, 2020

#BREAKING: “Dubia” Cardinal Publicly Challenges German Bishop’s Conference on Ordination of Women.

Cardinal Brandmüller’s challenge was published in German by @KatholikenNet calling for +Georg Bätzing to account for his statements this year.

See thread for background. pic.twitter.com/chsDR4e7Ho

— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) December 30, 2020

Article on one of many statements made by the President of the German Episcopal Conference, in the name of “Synodality”https://t.co/fwTxCZKzxZ

— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) December 30, 2020

An article on this in English, from @cnalive https://t.co/NV2Cr0Ji9P

— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) December 30, 2020

Here is @Pontifex in 2020, reaffirming that women will not be ordained—even to the Diaconate.
Will the German Episcopal Conference (@dbk_online) address this public correction from Cardinal Brandmüller?#CatholicTwitter https://t.co/nYOxbu3iSM

— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) December 30, 2020

Meanwhile in Rome...

Pope Francis Issues Law Reorganizing Vatican Finances https://t.co/fzW1vPxYO6

— Edward Pentin (@EdwardPentin) December 30, 2020

Deserving of a Popular Cult

And the modern Roman saint-making machine wasn't involved in his canonization so there's that for the credibility of the cult.

But this is a take that will be unpopular among the Latin integralists: St. Thomas Becket was a victim of a theology of ecclesial authority that hadn't been fully worked out and yet was nonetheless asserted and practiced as dogma. Was a conflict between a Christian secular authority (especially in the form of a over-grasping monarchy) and ecclesial authority inevitable? Probably. Could it have been resolved by other means? What if the Church had not assisted in the development of Christian monarchy in the first place, and had chosen a different path?

I found this post from The Josias which perfectly reflects how St. Thomas Becket wouuld be portrayed by Latin integralists:

St. Thomas Becket, Integralisthttps://t.co/rNWrwLkX3y

— The Josias (@josias_rex) December 30, 2020

German Catholics Continue Their March

The head of the German bishops' conference: Rome does not understand Eucharist and Ecumenism, and has to change the catechism. Calls for a universal council. https://t.co/u51Q5SB8hW

— Ulrich L. Lehner (@ulrichlehner) December 28, 2020

Cowardice and Magnanimity

Of Cowardice And Magnanimity https://t.co/JVPaCU0kNb via @QuintusCurtius

— QuintusCurtius (@QuintusCurtius) December 28, 2020

Creation

Rebecca Cross on the creation of the universe in issue 106:

"The first moment
is this moment, this one right now. There is
nothing but me."https://t.co/o1tUnIsIIw

— Image_Journal (@Image_Journal) December 29, 2020

Medieval Dominican Chants for Christmas

Medieval Dominican Chants for Christmas https://t.co/XXrSizIKyL pic.twitter.com/koGsbURppm

— NLM (@NLMblog) December 29, 2020

NLM

Latin Icons Done by Byzantine-trained Iconographers?

St Thomas Becket (to the right of St Silvester)
Apse Mosaic
Monreale Cathedral, Sicily
c. 1184
Becket was martyred in 1170, canonized in 1173 pic.twitter.com/KIIEz1vW2T

— Amigo de Frodo (@bpdflores) December 29, 2020

Reverence, Not a Lack of Originality?

Medieval prayer recycling. ♻ https://t.co/Sow0tFSZbg

— Gregory Schnakenberg (@GSchnakenberg) December 29, 2020

A Correct Ecclesiology

Patriarch of Alexandria calls for “correct ecclesiology,” respect for boundaries of Local Churches in Nativity epistlehttps://t.co/xRh6N96QJY

The Patriarch’s epistle becomes more pointed: “The infinite Church, as the Body of Christ, has the bounds of the sacred regulations o... pic.twitter.com/qBcsLksTZd

— Orthodox Christianity (@Orthodoxy2019) December 25, 2020

Thomas Becket's Little Book?

Absolutely fascinating - https://t.co/z3EmMDNEvF

— Fr. Matthew Cashmore (@matthewcashmore) December 27, 2020

Why Is He Getting Coverage in a Latin Periodical?

Only because he is saying something with which they agree and promote?

Celebrating the birth of Jesus, Christians should remember that he is present in each person who is sick, homeless, frail, neglected or needs help, said the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. https://t.co/GOiH0VW5LM

— Pontifical Oriental Institute (@theorientale) December 27, 2020