Holy Trinity + Holy Cross - Sermons

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear a call to almsgiving and acts of charity. But we also hear, Fr. Micah says, a call to encounter Christ. He explains that we encounter Christ in our hunger and thirst, in our being a stranger and imprisoned, in our sickness and suffering. Christ experienced suffering, and he is there with us in ours.

 On this Sunday, we read the parable of the prodigal son, a story which prepares us for Lent by showing us the nature of repentance. Fr. Gregory explains that Lent is not a season of self-condemnation, a project of moral improvement, or a spiritual competition; rather, it is a journey home to our father’s house, where we are embraced with feasting and joy like the prodigal son.

Today is the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, and Fr. Micah opens his homily with a quote from St. Peter of Damascus: “But if repentance is too much for you, and you sin out of habit, even when you do not want to, show humility like the publican. This is enough to ensure your salvation. For he who sins without repenting, yet does not despair, must of necessity regard himself as the lowest...

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of Zacchaeus, whose desire for God led to transformation. Fr. Gregory explains that every movement of the soul begins with desire. Desire then becomes vision, vision becomes communion, and communion becomes transformation. We see this in Zacchaeus’ story, and also in the story of St. Gregory the Theologian, whom we celebrate today. Fr. Gregory draws par...

In this Sunday’s Epistle reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, we hear the words, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him, then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips that acknowledges his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Fr. Micah...

 In today’s Gospel reading, Christ begins his public ministry, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Fr. Gregory explains that repentance is a complete reorientation of the heart, mind, and will toward God. In Greek, the word “repentance” means to change one’s mind or to turn one’s whole being around. True repentance is not an emotion or passing sense of guilt, but rather it is a...

This Sunday is the Sunday before Epiphany. Epiphany commemorates the baptism of Christ, when the revelation of God was made manifest and the triune God revealed. In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 1, we hear of John the Baptist, who tells us how we must prepare to be saved. Fr. Paul, in his sermon, echoes the teachings of John the Baptist, emphasizing our need for baptism, repentance, and faith i...

In today’s sermon, Fr. Micah speaks of the first Christmas carol to ever be written, the final line of which references King Herod’s order to slaughter the male infants. Why, during this joyous time, was so much emphasis placed on death? Fr. Micah explains that this is because the purpose of our Lord’s coming was to destroy death by his death. Fr. Micah emphasizes that Christ is the Light of the F...

On this Sunday before Nativity, Fr. Gregory explains that the Church asks us to look back and remember the long journey that brought us to the threshold of Christmas. Today’s readings from Hebrews and Matthew trace the story of God’s promise — the promise of salvation, the promise of a redeemer, the promise that God himself would come to dwell among his people and make all things new. In today’s r...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, our Lord tells a parable of a man who has a banquet, and it’s implied that the man is the Lord himself. We hear of those who are invited to the banquet, but they choose not to go and make excuses. Fr. Micah challenges us to reflect on how we, too, make excuses to avoid our Lord. He encourages us to stop making these excuses, but rather to be humble and honest. Cont...

In this Sunday’s Epistle reading from Ephesians 5, St. Paul says, “Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” In the Gospel reading from Luke 13, Christ heals a woman who was unable to stand upright for 18 years. In his sermon, Fr. Gregory shows how these two passages illumine one another and offers reflections on the fruits of light: goo...

This Sunday, visiting priest Fr. Alex Limberatos posed the question, “What does it take to lead others to Christ?” To answer this question, he points to St. Andrew, whom we celebrate this Sunday. He explains that St. Andrew, as well as his first teacher, St. John, exhibit great strength in hardship. Through many trials, St. Andrew depended on God and led many to Christ through his example. Even wh...

Fr. Micah begins today’s sermon by explaining the ancient Greek concept of kleos — fame, glory, or reputation — found in texts such as the Iliad and the Odyssey. Kleos was understood to be what humans truly desired, needed, and pursued. In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we find a man who is wealthy and continues to build his wealth, pursuing glory and wealth. In these accounts, we see what also dri...

In this Sunday’s Epistle reading from Romans, St. Paul addresses the topic of Israel. In his sermon, Fr. Gregory poses the question “Who is Israel?,” emphasizing its importance in shaping our understanding of God's plan for our salvation. Fr. Gregory addresses dispensationalism and Christian Zionism, explaining that these ideas are foreign to the Orthodox Church, which has always confessed that th...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we encounter two people who find themselves in hopeless situations: a man whose daughter is dying and a woman who has been sick for 12 years. Because of their faith and trust in the Lord, they went from hopelessness to joy, as the man’s daughter was raised and the woman’s sickness cured by the Lord. We too sometimes find ourselves in hopeless situations. But Christ...

This Sunday is our parish's Stewardship Sunday, and in his homily, Fr. Gregory addresses almsgiving as one of the three pillars of our spiritual life alongside prayer and fasting. He focuses on two ideas: first, how the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in today’s Gospel reading exposes what happens when we neglect these pillars, especially almsgiving, and second, how we can make a simple, pract...

On October 26 each year, we celebrate St. Demetrios the Great Martyr and Myrrh-Gusher. Fr. Gregory begins today’s sermon by introducing St. Demetrios, who was born to pious Christian parents in 280 AD. At the time, Diocletian was ruler, and many Christians were martyred for their faith. St. Demetrios was martyred at 26 years old in 306, just before St. Constantine legalized Christianity in 313. Fr...

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ raises a widow’s son from the dead. Fr. Micah explains that this passage has three powerful insights into the divine reality, which also gives us insights into our own human reality and communion. First, the passage teaches us that Christ is God. He does not call upon his Father to raise the man from death, but simply says, “Young man I say to you, arise.” And if...

On this Sunday, the Church celebrates the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, who gathered in Nicaea in 787 to defend the veneration of the holy icons. In his sermon, Fr. Gregory discusses three main topics: seeing rightly, loving rightly, and being transfigured by the one whose image we bear. First, he shows how the holy icons teach us about the restoration of right vision. Through Ch...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, our Lord tells us “As you wish men to do by you, so do to them.” Fr. Micah emphasizes the importance of this command and how transformative it can be when we follow it. Christ goes on to say, “If you love those who love you, what thanks do you have? For even the sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you hav...

Fr. Gregory begins today’s sermon by recounting a story from the French Revolution. In 1793, the revolutionaries stormed the Cathedral of Notre Dame and created a mock ritual in which they consecrated and deified human reason on the altar. This was the religious conclusion of the Enlightenment, and human logic was enthroned above faith. Though centuries have passed since then, we still live in the...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Christ says, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Fr. Micah believes that these words can be distilled into one word, the central theme of today’s homily: patience. He gives examples of how we practice patience in our everyday lives — from fishing and farming to marriage and parenting. However, when we fol...

On this Sunday, we celebrate one of the twelve great feasts of the Church, the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. Fr. Gregory begins his sermon by recounting the history of this feast, which began in the year 629. He then focuses on the healing power of the Cross, on bringing our wounds and our sufferings to Christ. He encourages us to, instead of denying our pain, to offer it to God...

 In this Sunday’s Epistle reading, St. Paul says, “But far be it for me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” Fr. Micah explores what it means for the world to be crucified to us and for us to be crucified to the world in today’s homily. First, he addresses the phrase, “The world has been crucified to me,” explaining...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the rich young ruler who comes to Jesus and asks him what he must do to inherit eternal life, to which Jesus replies, “Keep the commandments.” The young man asks Christ which commandments, Christ names familiar ones, and the young man tells him he has kept them all since he was a boy. He asks Jesus, “What do I still lack?” Jesus tells him to gi...