“Everything is in the power of the one who believes” (Mark 9:23). These are the words of truth and such great consolation and encouragement that the Lord offers us this day. St. John of Kronstadt says of these words, “Do you see what power the lord gives to faith and to the faithful?” God desires […]
2nd Sunday of Lent – Orthodox Homily on Our Lenten Journey
We’ve all heard the expression, “carpe diem (seize the day).” We feel good about ourselves when we get that project accomplished, get those tasks and errands done that we’ve been putting off—they’re sometimes drudgery to do them, but we feel good for having gotten them done. If you think about it, though, these ‘accomplishments’ often […]
37th Sunday after Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on Forgiveness
We hear in the Matins of Cheesefare Monday the following words: The door of divine repentance has been opened. Let us enter with fervor, having cleansed our bodies, Observing abstinence from foods and passions in obedience to Christ Who has called the whole world to His heavenly Kingdom, Offering to the Master of all this […]
36th Sunday after Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on the Last Judgement
Today is the Sunday of the Last Judgment. Many in today’s world prefer to refrain from discussing topics like Judgment, sin, hell. The erroneous thought is that God, being a “God of love,” would never condemn anyone to eternal judgment. Many consider the very idea of judgment a great stumbling block to the Christian faith […]
35th Sunday after Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on the Parable of the Prodigal Son
The holy prophet Amos prophesied, “’Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos 8:11). We live in an age when this prophecy could apply equally to […]
Orthodox Homily on the Feast of the Meeting of our Lord in the Temple
“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s […]
34th Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on Publican and Pharisee
The Triodion, the three weeks before Great Lent, begins with the Sunday of the Parable of the Publican and Pharisee. This is the special time of preparation God affords us to get our spiritual house ready to make the most of the holy season we’re about to enter with Christ. We start thinking now about […]
33rd Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on Zachaeus
Zaccheaus was a tax collector, a sinner. In our Lord’s day, the tax collectors weren’t only responsible for collecting the taxes due to Caesar but were also notorious extortionists, demanding from those who could not afford it more than was due in order to pocket some for themselves. Zaccheaus was such a man—notorious, ill liked, […]
32nd Sunday After Pentecost – Orthodox Homily on the Good Teacher Gospel
The ruler in today’s Gospel reflects one who’s outwardly kept the commandments of God: he’s kept himself from adultery, he’s not stolen, he’s not cheated his neighbor or born false witness, and, he’s honored his father and mother. In the eyes of the world, this is a ‘good,’ upstanding man. He’s got all these things […]