Today is the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers of Christ. The Lord calls on us this day to recall his earthly forefathers through whom God the Father prepares the way for the holy Incarnation of His Word, the Logos, through whom all creation was made and through whom the whole creation will be made new, […]
27th Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on St. Nicholas
Today is the Feast Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker—one of the greatest Saints of the Church. Sadly, the image of St. Nicholas most people know today is in the form of Santa Claus, an over-indulgent and completely secular figure who’s in the business of making himself the focus of Christmas and taking away that […]
26th Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on Advent
One of the most beautiful and favorite classical music of Advent, this time of preparation for Christ’s holy Nativity, is Bach’s popular cantata “Sleepers awake!” The title refers to a common theme of the Holy Scriptures, and, therefore, of our Orthodox Faith, particularly during this season of preparation for Christ’s coming, the meaning of the […]
25th Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on the Rich Man
In the uncertain times we live in, it can be even more tempting for some to put their trust in their financial well-being, on creating for themselves the illusion of ‘security,’ of thinking, that if I just can hide away enough surplus, well, then nothing of this world will be able to touch me. The […]
24th Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on the Merciful Samaritan
Today we’ve entered upon the ascetical journey that will take us to the Feast of the Incarnation. As we begin that journey, we’re presented this day with the opportunity to renew and deepen our life in Christ, to grow in our love of God and neighbor, to strengthen our commitment to living out the Gospel—to […]
22nd Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on Demons and Halloween
Christ’s last commandments to His Disciples, the Holy Apostles, before His Ascension was “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matt. 28:19-20). The Apostles and their descendents have carried out this holy mission since that time, […]
21st Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on Rich Man and Lazarus
Today’s Gospel challenges us in its soberness: We see one man who suffered in this life, saved, and another man, who had everything in this life, condemned. This image is such a challenge because we live in an age where many assume they’re good (by their own definition of what ‘good’ is) and, therefore, ‘automatically’ […]
20th Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on Parable of the Good Soil
Christ’s parable today challenges us to consider how we receive His Gospel. He compares us to the seeds sown here in this parable—some fell on the wayside, some on the rock, some among the thorns, and some on the good soil. Like many priests, I like to garden—cultivating a garden is not so dissimilar to […]
18th Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on Loving Your Enemies
Today we’re challenged by Christ to “love our enemies” and to “lend without hoping to receive anything in return.” But before we can begin to understand the “how” of such commands that are so contrary to the way our world works today—the way we’re all trained to think in the world—we have to understand what […]