This day we commemorate the beheading of St. John the Baptist. The slaughter of such a righteous man by the wicked is hard for us to accept. It causes us great grief, and so, on this day we observe a strict fast. On this same day ten years ago, thousands were killed by the wicked. […]
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.
Wedding Liturgy
September 10, 2011 By
This is a way to fold the Crowning ceremony (back) into the Divine Liturgy. Note that this “folding in” implies a minimization of duplication. It also means some vestigial things (such as the common cup) may be removed entirely. Order of Wedding Liturgy This assumes that the Betrothal has already been performed and that the […]
Homily – The Requirements of Eternal Life
September 4, 2011 By
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (Epistle)St. Matthew 19:16-26 “How must I live to enjoy eternal life?” Let’s be honest, this is not the kind of question people ask Christ or His Church much anymore. And it’s not because people don’t care about life after death. Based on the books we read and all the other media we […]
20110829 Hurricanes, Babies, and Education
August 30, 2011 By
Shownotes. Click to listen to/download.Local News: The Weather. Irene Hurricane. Need to be prepared more generally. Spiritually, you don’t prepare for specific traumatic events (and demonic assaults) that have been forecast, you maintain constant vigilance. Then we are ready for everything that comes along. This fits in with a couple pieces of traditional Christian wisdom: […]
Liturgy – Worship and the Maccabean Martyrs
August 14, 2011 By
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!Chapter Six of Second Maccabees Introduction: Orthodox Christians live and worship a certain way We are Christians. We have accepted Christ as our Savior. We have brought the Holy Spirit into our lives. We have given ourselves, mind, body, and soul, over to God. We have offered ourselves as […]
Homily – Notes on Christian Leadership
July 31, 2011 By
20110731: The Sunday of the Installation of the New Parish Board Is there any doubt that leadership is important? More than functional expertise. Lead from the front. First in… first in repentance. If leading from the rear, just pulling people back
20110729 Monasteries, Survival, & Gardening
July 29, 2011 By
Shownotes. Click to Listen. A bit late getting this podcast published. I blame the computer malfunctions that led to a loss of Friday’s work! Happy (belated) St. Vladimir/Volodymyr Day. This is a wonderful reminder that things can change, that benighted nations can find enlightenment, and that Christ really does work in a fallen world. Local […]
Homily – Liturgy as Hard Work (continued)
July 17, 2011 By
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Romans 10:1-10; St. Matthew 8:28-9:1 Those of you who know me well, may be surprised that I am not going to preach on the subject of angels and demons, and how the Incarnation of Christ marked the beginning of the end of Satan’s rule on Earth. Instead, I am going to […]
Homily – the Liturgy as Hard Work
July 10, 2011 By
Romans 6:18-23; St. Matthew 5:8-13 During the Summer, I am using the few minutes I have during the homily to deepen your appreciation and experience of the Divine Liturgy. The first two weeks, I spoke about how the length of the service was fundamentally related to its function and about how the service draws us […]
Homily – Unity in Liturgy
July 3, 2011 By
Third Sunday after PentecostRomans 5:1-10; St. Matthew 6:22-33 This Summer, during the time of shortened homilies, I am dedicating this brief time to the topic of the Eucharistic Liturgy as the “common work of a thankful people” and how it is designed to bring us into a deeper salvific and sanctifying relationship with Jesus Christ.. […]
