Homily on Lazarus and the Rich Man St. Luke 16:19-31 [Bottom line up front: actions have consequences; when we do something less than God’s complete will, we suffer. Not because God wants to punish us, but because love is the foundation of all creation and the plan for redemption; when we work against this plan, […]
ON THE FIRST SUNDAY of the Great Fast our Church celebrates the triumph of Orthodoxy, the victory of true Christian teaching over all perversions and distortions thereof—heresies and false teachings. On the second Sunday of the Great Fast it is as though this triumph of Orthodoxy is repeated and deepened in connection with the celebration of the memory of one of the greatest pillars of Orthodoxy, the hierarch Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, who by his grace-bearing eloquence and the example of his highly ascetic private life put to shame the teachers of falsehood who dared reject the very essence of.Orthodoxy, the podvig of prayer and fasting, which enlightens the human mind with the light of grace and makes it a communicant of the divine glory.
Homily: The Sower – Surviving the Coming Storm
October 27, 2013 By
Homily on the Sower: Surviving the coming stormSt. Luke 8:5-15 There is a storm coming and I am not sure we are ready. God sowed His seed here in the Blackstone Valley. It grows within the heart of everyone here. Like a garden in the spring, there are beautiful shoots waking up to the possibilities […]
Homily: Loving vs. Commodifying (St. Luke 6:31-36)
October 13, 2013 By
Summary of the Gospel (“The Rules”) Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Offer yourself without expecting anything in return. Love your enemies. This is the way God is (and you should be thankful for that!). Introduction: missing the point It is hard for us to live the way we should. From […]
Class: An Introduction to the Mysteries
October 9, 2013 By
Our Faith: Orthodox Christianity at St. Michael’sWoonsocket, Rhode Island The Mysteries Questions for consideration: does God just work through ideas and the heart, or does He work in the physical world, too? How about mankind? Is there such a thing as a blessing? A curse? How do they work? Background. God is un-created. He made […]
From our Parish Service Book: Twelve Things
October 9, 2013 By
Twelve Things I Wish I’d Known:Learning how to Live and Love Orthodox Worship Welcome to the God-protected, God-loving parish of St. Michael’s! Here are some things that we hope will increase the profundity of your worship experience here, whether you are an experienced member of this parish, a visitor from another Orthodox parish, or this […]
Ten Things Everyone Should Know about the Divine Liturgy: An Introduction to Orthodox Worship
October 8, 2013 By
Ten Things Everyone Should Know about the Divine LiturgyAn Introduction to Orthodox Worship 1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind… (St. Matthew 22:38)The most striking thing about Orthodox worship is that it is not about you; rather, it is about the one thing needful (St. Luke 10:42). For example, […]
From our Bulletin: Five Disciplines to Change Your Life
October 8, 2013 By
Five Orthodox disciplines that will confer quick and lasting benefits to your life: Daily private prayer for others and hesychastic meditation; takes as little as ten minutes a day – ask me how! Tithing/Orthodox Christian budgeting; reprioritizing and making your money work for you rather than the reverse! Making your home a peaceful and holy […]
Homily: Why is it so hard to build a good marriage (and parish)?
October 7, 2013 By
Homily on Saint Luke 5:1-11; Fishers of Men So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into […]
Homily: the Cross and the Sun
September 29, 2013 By
The Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross The Cross: A marketer’s nightmare On the morning of the feast (Friday morning), I challenged you to think and pray on the implications of having the Cross as our standard. It isn’t the kind of thing that a marketing team would come up with. After all, who […]
Class. How did we get here?
September 25, 2013 By
Opening Scripture: First General Epistle of St. John, Chapter One. Summary of Scripture: The invitation to Orthodoxy is an invitation to fellowship with Christians so that your joy may be full. Today’s Lesson: How did we get here? Questions for consideration: What(or who) brought you to Orthodoxy? What brought you to St. Michael’s? What is […]
