All contributions by: Fr. Dcn. Jan Veselak.

Articles by: Fr. Dcn. Jan

Are Cocoa Puffs Lenten?
We are again at the beginning of a fast period. This is intended to be a time of increased prayer, peacefulness and focus on fighting the passions. While each Orthodox Jurisdiction has slightly different rules about what is spiritually beneficial to eat, the focus is on simplicity. Many Orthodox... (more)

Blog entries by: Fr. Dcn. Jan

Christ is risen! Truly HE is risen!
We just finished Holy Week. If we were fortunate enough to be able to experience all the services we find that the experience can be rather intense.   I believe it is designed to be rather overwhelming. However, when we reach a state of overwhelm our nervous system will eventually shut... more
True & False repentance
As we approach Pascha we will be seeing two types of repentance. One is true and one is false. Judas represents a false repentance. St. Peter, on the other hand, demonstrates a true repentance. The difference is this: when Judas came to his senses he was stricken with guilt. His guilt is a false... more
Toxic Faith ? !
In my private practice, I see many people who are struggling with their faith. Many times the struggle is really an obsession over doing things right, perfectly or out of a profound sense of shame. Many of them believe that even after confession they are not really forgiven because they are so bad... more