Synopsis:The Caananite woman teaches us *exactly* how we should pray: with knowledge, simplicity, persistence and humility. A close examination of her encounter with Christ shows these virtues plainly, and should also show us which ones we are lacking in (definitely at least 3 of the 4!).
Category: Homilies
Parable Of The Talents. Receive Not The Grace Of God In Vain. 16th Sunday. Audio/Video Homily.
Both the epistle and the Gospel story of the parable of the talents express the same basic idea: we must, as the Epistle puts it “receive not the grace of God in vain.” The epistle discusses in great detail how we can “trade” with this grace (called talents in the parable).
Beheading of the Glorious Prophet Forerunner and Baptist John. Possibilities and clarity. Text/Audio Homily.
Thoughts concering the Kontakion of the feast of the beheading of the Forerunner, and the precious gift of clarity of thought sometimes given especially during the early morning liturgy. The beheading of the Forerunner and Baptist John teaches us about the transitoriness of life, and about courage and cowardice. We look at the Kontakion especially, and the actions of Herod, Herodias and Solome. ?The glorious beheading of the Forerunner was part of God?s dispensation that he might proclaim to those in Hades the coming of the Savior, that Herodias who demanded the iniquitous murder, therefore lament. For she loved not the law of God nor the age of life but rather this one, false and fleeting.”
The Greatest Commandment. 15th Sunday of Pentecost. Matthew 22:35-46 Audio Homily 2010
The Greatest Commandment. 15th Sunday of Pentecost. Matthew 22:35-46 Audio Homily 2010
What *is* Christianity”? Earthen Vessels. 2 Cor 4:6-15. Text, Audio Homily.
What is Christianity, brothers and sisters? It can be defined many ways. The Gospel speaks many times, giving different definitions of what it is. Today we have another way in which it is defined, for those who read carefully.
The Apostle tells us that “the God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness has shined in our hearts, to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” [2]
That’s a pretty good summary of the Gospel right there. The Lord Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to see the glory of God….
Parable Of The Wedding Feast It Is Always About Morality. 14th Sunday. Audio Homily.
The parable about the wedding feast has many layers of complex theology, and all of it is important, but as in any parable, there is something that is the most important. This is a parable about how to live the (only) way that leads to eternal life.
Feasts of the Theotokos – Dormition Explanation of the Dormition troparion.
We can learn almost everything that we need to know from listening and praying in the services.
The Dormition troparion, “In giving birth Thou did preserve Thy virginity,” proclaims our belief, that the Theotokos was a virgin before birth, during birth and after birth. And if you want to have this explained, then you do not understand. It is a mystery that we cannot understand, but the Church has been unanimous about this for well over a millennium, almost two millennia. …
The entire troparion is explained.
Parable of the Vineyard. We must bear fruit. Audio Homily 2010.
All parables have multiple meanings. Many, sucb as the one about the vineyard, had an immediate meaning intended for the original audience, and also contain instruction for all Christians. The immediate meaning and symbolism of the parable is discussed, then the most important “take home” point: we must bear fruit.
Parable of the Evil Husbandmen in the Vineyard 13th Sunday after Pentecost Mat 21:33-44. Text Homily.
All Scripture helps us to learn about God. It gives us promises. It teaches us how to live. It teaches us how not to live by giving us the opposite example. It also gives us a pattern and a role for living.
Today, in this parable about the vineyard, we can see all these things. On the surface, there is a strong rebuke of the Jews, because of their rejection of the Messiah. Some of the Jews were the ones, of course, that were the husbandmen who killed the Householder’s servants and even His son. The Jews understood this when He rebuked them. Have no doubt about it. This was one of the things that led them to plot to kill Him.
We not only see the negative example of the Jews, but also a pattern for how to live. If you look at how carefully God created the vineyard, and His continual entreating of the householders and what he required of them, you can see that this is, in microcosm, the Christian life. And you can see how to live and how not to live. And then, with a little explanation, with an understanding of the mind of the Church of what fruits are and what some of the symbolism is, you can see how this parable doesn’t just apply to the wicked Jews who killed the Savior. It applies to us, who are wicked if we do not do the work that we are called to do in the vineyard.
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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. …