The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is quickly explained, then we talk about the important and frightening words: “Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” Our Lord is giving us an immutable principle, which we can use as a sort of mnemonic device to judge everything we do. This is difficult without much change, and the Apostle Paul offers the way to accomplish this massive task of proper trading: “I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God”
Category: Audio homilies
The longer explanation of the Parable of the Sower, the purpose of life and how to be good ground – Take heed therefore how ye hear!
The parable of the sower is a rare parable, in that it is explained by the Lord Himself. This explanation is actually longer than most people think and we discuss what His other words, which are not part of the traditional reading, mean. These include “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel” and “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” Together with the parable, the explanation teaches us the basic purpose of life and how to be “good ground”.
And the Lord … said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still." – The mystical and very practical meaning of these words. 3rd Sunday of Luke
Only the Lord has the authority to tell us to “weep not”. There is an epidemic of dysfunctional sadness in the world today; it is being treated by many partial solutions that often increase the despair and emptiness: medications, entertainments, passions. After His command to the Widow of Nain, the Lord mystically gives us the path we must travel in order to fulfill His command to “weep not” – “And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still.” There is no other path that leads to true happiness. We explore the mystical meaning of these words, also incorporating an epistle read today: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” and “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”, and offer many practical suggestions on what we must do to live according to these words. the only key to happiness is here. The World does not have it; only Christ does, and through the healing of the Widow of Nain and the exhortation of St Paul to the Galatians, the path to it is clearly explained.
That the whole evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.” Why do we pray this prayer, when past experience tells us that it will not be fulfilled today?
In the last litany of Vespers and Matins we pray "That the whole evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask of the Lord." Why do we pray this prayer, when past experience tells us that it will not be fulfilled today? Do we mean what we say, or are these just words? We look into the meaning and intent of this prayer and why it is so important. We should understand what we pray, why we pray and what we must do to indicate to the Lord that we mean what we pray.
A Spiritual reflection regarding Prayer of an Orthodox Christian priest in front of a late term abortion clinic during the Dallas 40 days for life campaign.
The personal experience of an Orthodox Christian and priest praying in front of a late term abortion clinic during the 40 days for life campaign, Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011. This is difficult and heavy prayer because outside, on the street, things look normal, but inside some lives are terminated, and many other lives are perhaps irrevocably damaged in terrible ways. A spiritual reflection, including whether we should pray for “them” or “us”, and that a Christian must feel responsible for all sin and act upon his inner impulses from the heart, and about praying “one hour”, and personalizing the “Akathist for a Woman Who Has Aborted a Child”
The reason for the golden rule: “Ye shall be the children of the highest for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil”. Second Sunday of St Luke; Luke 6:31-36
Everybody knows the Golden Rule, but few understand is essence. Many feel it is a command based upon common sense, and others even believe it is a way of changing the behavior of others. The reason for it is given plainly by the words of our Lord: “Your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” We explore the great privilege we have as Christians to become Children of the Highest, and why the fulfillment if the Golden Rule is indispensable for this to happen
Sanctity Of Life Sunday. Christians Must Not Accept Abortion and Sexual Immorality Being Redefined 2011
Excerpt:: …I want to tell you that as a Christian, you must not allow the times to influence you. Right now we are in the midst of the rewriting of language; even "God" means something different now than it did only a few years ago, and "Christian" means something different. Now, there are those that say that: You can be a Christian and be pro choice; You can be a Christian and abort your child; You can be a Christian and be a practicing unrepentant homosexual. These things are not possible, brothers and sisters. You can be a Christian and be guilty of any sin and repent from it. You can be a Christian and be weak in some area of your life, maybe even for a long period of time, and struggle against this weakness. But you cannot be a Christian and give in wholly to the way of the times and believe: That one can be pro-choice and that it is correct for a woman to take that which is in her womb, a human being created in the image and likeness of God, and kill it. …
The First Great Catch of Fish Compared with the Second – Luke 5:1-11 & John 21:1-14
The first great catch of fish, in Luke 5:1-11, occurred at the very beginning of the ministry of Jesus with His apostles. It must be read in conjunction with the second great fish of 153 fishes, which occurred after the resurrection, and was His last earthly meal with His apostles (John 21:1-14). There are many beautiful morsels here! After sampling this beautiful smorgasbord, we must not miss the most important aspect of this story: 1. the command to “let down the nets” applies to everyone, and 2. after the disciples saw the power of the Lord, they left all and followed Him. If we do not learn these two things from these stories, we have learned nothing.
The abyss of humility of the Greek Syrophonecian woman – Mark 7:24-30
LISTEN NOW Synopsis: The abyss of humility of the Greek syrophonecian woman is seen when she answered our Lord's curt dismissal with the words "Yeah Lord, but even the little dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." We need to acquire this kind of humility! We look at her humility and also two… Continue reading The abyss of humility of the Greek Syrophonecian woman – Mark 7:24-30
What does this mean – God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we have this treasure in earthen vessels?. Exaltation of the Cross.
On this Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross, two of the epistle readings (2 Corinthians 4:6-15 and Galatians 6:11-18) relate directly to the cross. St Paul states emphatically: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” What does it mean to “glory” in the cross? People glory in many things – wealth, attractiveness, popularity, political correctness, having a good marriage, job, etc. None of these things is glorying in the cross. We answer this important question, and also why we who are “new creatures” because of the cross “have this treasure in earthen vessels”.