Every Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to person or event, with the sequence of these commemorations designed to prepare us for a deeper participation in Christ’s passion and resurrection. This Sunday is dedicated to the life and work of St. John of the Ladder. Saint John was an ascetic, a spiritual athlete, and a […]
A Plea for Pastoral Gentleness
March 17, 2015 By
Thoughts on the calling of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew Matthew was a tax collector. When Jesus gave him the invitation to “follow me”, he responded with hospitality. He opened his house to the Lord, his disciples, fellow tax collectors, and unspecified sinners. Just to make sure everyone had a good time, this was […]
Homily on the Cross (notes)
March 15, 2015 By
St. Mark 8:34-9:1 Context: Christ has told his disciples about his coming passion. Peter rejected it; and Christ widened the coming persecution to include Himself. He had done this in his greatest homily saying “Blessed are you, when people revile you, and persecute you, and shall say terrible things about you falsely, for my sake.” […]
Homily on St. Gregory Palamas (notes)
March 8, 2015 By
What God do you meet in those moments of transcendence? Humans are built with the ability to enjoy and bask in the glory of God (brief warmth of sun after a long winter) Was meant to be a permanent reality; but we chose another way But we still have moments when we feel a special […]
The Triumph of True-Worship and Defeat of Iconoclasm (and why it matters)
March 1, 2015 By
The Triumph of True-Worship and Defeat of Iconoclasm (and why it matters)A Homily on the First Sunday of Lent: the Triumph of Orthodoxy Note about length of services. This is traditionally a time of catechetical instruction, so sermons may be longer than usual. Your priest will do what he can to ensure that this is not […]
Homily: Repentance, not Fundamentalism
February 1, 2015 By
https://youtu.be/uyNc1lKK3fE?t=23m7s Notes for a Homily on the Publican and the Pharisee (St. Luke 18:9-14) What was the purpose of this parable? Best to look at the context. In this case it isn’t hard. Here is the sentence right before the parable, in which St. Luke gives the context and purpose of Jesus’ words: “And […]
A Vanishing Christian Virtue: Commitment
January 25, 2015 By
[Excerpted from the Homily on the Sunday of Zacchaeus.] There are three main steps in the life of the Christian – all of them are necessary. A Need. A sense of the gap between how things are and how they should be. This is often caused by a sense of shame, guilt, or helplessness. Repentance. […]
Homily on Stewardship (the talents)
September 29, 2014 By
Homily on the Talents: What is (getting to) Heaven Like?St. Matthew 25:14-30 Main point: What do do with the riches God has given us? Multiply them! How? By investing all those riches in spiritual activities that provide a strong return on investment and having enough self-discipline not to waste them on activities that cause spiritual […]
Homily Notes for Pentecost: How to Acquire the Holy Spirit
June 9, 2014 By
How to acquire the Holy Spirit Come to Church and follow the Orthodox Way. A fruit of the Orthodox Way is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. Won’t happen; can’t happen outside of Church. Look at the icon; look at the scripture It is not an individual gift, meant for our personal satisfaction. Reinforces the […]
