LISTEN NOW Synopsis: During the Advent season, the "Meaning of Christmas" is often referenced, and most of the time, it is far from the truth, and even hackneyed and shallow. This homily does an almost line by line exegesis of the Epistle Read on Nativity and one of the Epistles read the day before, explaining… Continue reading Nativity of the Savior. The Meaning of Christmas: Abba Father. Audio.
Category: Feasts Of the Savior
Why A Chinese Buddhist Became an Orthodox Athonite Monk Christ is born! And we are not alone. Nativity 2011
This story, about a Chines Orthodox Athonite Monk is entirely appropriate for the Nativity season. Because God became man, we are not alone. This is worth reading.
Sunday Of The Holy Fathers, Saint John Of Kronstadt, and The Purpose Of The Incarnation, Ye shall be children of the Highest.
On this Sunday before Nativity, St John of Kronstadt is also commemorated, and the Gospel for him and his life perfectly describes the purpose of the Incarnation. This Gospel contains our Lord’s admonishments to love, using concrete examples, and concludes with the promise “And ye shall be children of the highest”. This is the purpose of the incarnation, and examining this Gospel along with St John’s life, which struggled to fulfill it illuminates this purpose for us, therefore, on this Sunday when we read the “Begats”, it is appropriate to delve into what is means to be children of the highest, and how and why we can attain this high calling. We also suggest another way to describe the “Golden Rule” and what should be our inner motivation for loving our fellow man, and doing anything that is good in this life.
Sunday of the Holy Forefathers. The Great Supper; An Invitation to Become, Not to Eat.
Today we hear a parable about the great supper, and I submit to you that this supper is not the one that we eat. It is one that we become. If you understand the supper in this way, then you will understand why it is that people didn’t want to come to the supper. Very few people are willing to turn down a free meal, right? This was not a free meal. This was the way of life that makes us free. The certain man, of course, is God. And that great supper is our becoming like Him so that we will know Him…
The Nativity Fast. Typikon, Why Fast, Pastoral advice. Talk and Outline.
A short talk on the Nativity Fast, on the day the fast began. The Nativity Fast and Great Lent Compared, Nativity Fasting Typikon, Fasting until the Ninth Hour, Why Fast? How does the fast apply to you? (Office parties,Family,The Belly,Prayer,Almsgiving,If you do not fast well). The outline was used in the talk.
Two Identical Definitions of Christianity. What is the way of the Cross? Important questions we must answer. Audio Homily 2010
The Epistle and Gospel for the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross both contain identical ‘definitions’ of Christianity. They both involve the cross, which is an instrument of death and of life. All Christians must voluntaily be crucified with Christ, and tak up their cross. This is explained by our Lord’s instruction that we must ‘lose’ our life to save it, and His uestions: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? We must understand this if we are to truly live the Christian life and know Christ.
Sunday before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – John 3:13-17. Audio Homily 2010
Synopsis:A line by line exegesis of the important passage John 3:13-17, with particular emphasis on how the cross and the resurrection must be thought of in the same “breath”, and how we must live because of the cross.
Homily on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross We preach Christ crucified What is the way of the cross? 1 Corinthians 1:18-24. Text Homily.
SYNOPSIS:Main points of this homily, which may express my deepest Christian feelings more than any other homily I have ever spoken: What is the preaching of the Cross? The preaching of the Cross is preaching about the way of the Cross. ** Our Lord spoke about the way of the Cross. It’s rather mysterious, really. And the reason it’s mysterious is because of our sins, because the way of the Cross is the way of life; and yet, in order to gain it, we must die. The way of the Cross is the way of joy — or to joy. But in order to gain it, we must undergo tribulation and be sad. ** This is the way of the Cross: To know that you are missing something that is so critically important to your soul; to know that you’re missing wisdom and compassion and gentleness and humility and wholeness. And that the only way to gain this is to follow Christ and to cleave to Him, to hold onto Him, no matter what. ** If your heart doesn’t ache for what you should be and what others should be, then you’re not following the way of the Cross.
Short talk on the Transfiguration
1. The story, summarized.
2. What does this teach us about Jesus Christ?
3. What does this teach us about ourselves?
4. Why did it occur when it did?
5. Why were Moses and Elias present?
6. What other event in our Lord’s life has obvious similarities to the Transfiguration?
7. Blessing of fruit, especially grapes.
8. OT Scripture for the Feast
9. The most important “take home message” scripture for the feast.
Transfiguration Human nature in the Midst of the Divine Luke 9:28-36. New Text Homily.
We say today, brothers and sisters, that humanity can meet Divinity; Humanity can see Divinity; Humanity can be part of Divinity.
In the Old Testament Moses, saw the back parts of God; he was hidden in the cleft of a rock; he didn’t see that much [1]. But now, face to face, man is with God. Jesus Christ showing He is fully God, shining as the light. …