Holy Trinity + Holy Cross - Sermons

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, our Lord uses a parable of servants who are indebted to their master to teach us about forgiveness, which is central to how we should live our lives as Christians. In today’s sermon, Fr. Micah encourages us to always remember the debt that we owe our Lord, and that everything we have is a gift from God that we’ve done nothing to deserve. Every Sunday, we gather tog...

St. Paul tells the Corinthians in today’s Epistle reading, “We are fools for Christ’s sake.” St. Paul was very respected, a Pharisee of Pharisees. However, when Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus, all human prestige became “rubbish” compared to the surpassing worth of knowing the Lord. In his sermon, Fr. Gregory addresses this statement and the concept of foolishness, which has deep Bi...

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ walks on water to approach the boat where the apostles are being tossed by a storm, afraid. Christ says, “Take heart, it is I.” Peter asks Christ to call him out onto the water. Christ calls him, and he begins to walk toward him on the water. However, when he sees the wind, he becomes afraid and begins to sink. He cries out, “Lord, save me.” Christ pulls him out o...

On this Sunday, we hear the account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand from Matthew 14. A great multitude followed Christ into a remote place, where he healed and taught until late in the day. The disciples urged him to send away the crowds to find food. However, Christ proposes a different solution: “You give them something to eat.” They offer their meager five loaves and two fish, and Christ mu...

On this Sunday, the healing of blindness is a primary topic. However, Fr. Micah doesn’t speak on blindness or seeing, but rather on being seen by the Lord. In today’s Gospel reading, Christ gave two blind men their sight, a great miracle. However, a great wonder, too, is that the Lord saw them. The one who created the universe sees us, and he loves us — in our pain, struggles, hopes, joys, and des...

On July 20, we lift up the memory of the prophet Elijah, translated into Greek as Elias. To celebrate, Fr. Gregory recounts St. Elijah’s story from the Scriptures, which extends across six chapters. This story is not merely a record of a miracle worker, but the journey of a man who walked with God, wholeheartedly devoted to him, during a time of national crisis and spiritual confusion. In sharing...

In both today’s Epistle and Gospel readings, we hear the importance of obedience to Christ’s commandments. Fr. Micah focuses on that which Christ commanded more than anything else: “Fear not.” He emphasizes three of humanity’s most prevalent fears and shows us how we can overcome them,fulfilling Christ’s command to fear not. First is loneliness, which we can overcome by loving others and by accept...

 In today’s Epistle reading, St. Paul says, “Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” In this paradoxical statement, we learn that true freedom comes by submitting ourselves to Christ in love and obedience. Fr. Gregory emphasizes that we all serve something or someone, and without Christ, we serve sin. This slavery to our passions, in which our desires are our tyrants, l...

In this week’s Epistle reading, St. Paul tells us that he boasts in his weakness. Fr. Micah focuses on this concept in today’s sermon, showing us how we encounter God in our weaknesses. When we experience weakness, brokenness, and trials, we’re able to lay aside our egos and ask God for help. In the stories of the men and women of the Scriptures — including St. Peter, whom we celebrate on this Sun...

In today’s Epistle reading from Romans 2, St. Paul says, “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.” Fr. Gregory, in his sermon, asks “How can a person be a doer of the law without being a hearer of it? How can a person know what’s right and wrong?” The answer, St. Paul says, is that “the requirements of the law are written o...

This Sunday, the Sunday following Pentecost, is the Sunday of All Saints. In his sermon, Fr. Micah reflects on what it means to be a saint, to be holy. He emphasizes that Christ shares his holiness with us, and his life is the life of the saints. The saints, like Christ, exhibit humility, overcome the evil one, have compassion for all, pray without ceasing, and are often obedient unto death. Thoug...

On this Sunday, we celebrate the First Ecumenical Council, which occurred in Nicaea in 325 AD. Before addressing that council, Fr. Gregory first addresses the Council of Jerusalem, which established the foundation of our conciliar tradition in the Orthodox Church. This council, the account of which we find in Acts 15, was convened to address the question of whether or not Greek gentile converts mu...

Description: In today’s Gospel reading, Christ gives sight to the blind man, which Fr. Micah relates to our own blindness. In the fall, there was a blindness that came into creation — not only an inability to see God, but to see his image in our neighbor. When we are baptized, we are given new eyes, just as Christ gave the blind man new eyes. And yet, because of the passions, which are rooted in s...

In today’s sermon, Fr. Gregory focuses on the Epistle reading, which says, “For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.” He addresses the question, “What does it mean to be a Christian and a church member?,” with three key points. First, we must resolve to be functioning church members, und...

In today’s Gospel reading, on this Sunday of the Paralytic, we begin a three-week theme of water. The paralytic lies next to a pool, the Samaritan woman goes to the well of Jacob, and the blind man goes to the pool of Siloam. Fr. Micah briefly retells the story of the paralytic, emphasizing his answer to Christ when he asks if he wants to be well. He answers, “Lord, I have no man to put me into th...

On this Sunday, we commemorate the myrrh bearers. In his sermon, Fr. Gregory addresses three questions: (1) Who were the myrrh bearers? (2) What did they do? and (3) What does all this mean for us? Fr. Gregory introduces the ten myrrh-bearers — eight women and two men— and explains their connection to Christ and his ministry. Then, he tells their story, a story of courage, faith, love, selflessnes...

On this Sunday of Thomas, Fr. Micah reminds us that we celebrate the resurrection not just on Pascha, but on every Sunday throughout the year. He emphasizes the centrality of the resurrection of Christ in our Orthodox faith, and he encourages us to truly celebrate these 50 days following Pascha, these days of salvation, resurrection, and joy leading to Pentecost. To celebrate Christ’s resurrection...

In today’s sermon on Palm Sunday, Fr. Gregory focuses on the Epistle reading from Philippians 4. Within this passage are three things essential to our journey through Holy Week — and our journey through life: joy, forbearance, and peace through prayer. Fr. Gregory references a book called The Happiness Hypothesis, written by Jonathan Haidt, demonstrating how the conclusions of his research dovetai...

On this Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Lent, we remember St. Mary of Egypt. Fr. Micah begins today’s sermon by telling her story — a story of great repentance and great mercy. From a young age, St. Mary of Egypt lived a life of indulgence in the pleasures of the flesh. When she tried to enter the sanctuary of a church, she was prevented by an invisible force. She looked to the icon of the Mother of G...

In today’s Epistle reading from Hebrews, we hear of Melchizedek, a figure introduced much earlier in Genesis. Fr. Gregory tells the story from Genesis in which Melchizedek, who is identified as both a king and a priest, appears to Abraham. After this story, Melchizedek is not spoken of again until Psalm 110, a Messianic Psalm written by King David, which says, “The Lord has sworn and will not chan...

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ tells us that, if we wish to follow him, we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses. Today, the Sunday of the Holy Cross, Fr. Micah emphasizes this denial of ourselves — doing that which we don’t want to do, and doing it out of love for the other. Christ shows us what this love looks like in its perfection. He took up his cross, he tasted bitterness, he went d...

On this Sunday and all Sundays of Lent, we celebrate the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great rather than the more common liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Fr. Gregory explains that the beginning of the liturgies are the same, but after the Gospel and homily, the biggest difference between them is the anaphora prayer. The anaphora prayer in the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is both a teaching and meditat...

In today’s Gospel reading, Phillip tells Nathaniel, “We have found him, he of whom Moses has spoken, Jesus of Nazareth.” Nazareth did not have a great reputation for piety, and Nathaniel asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Instead of trying to explain, Phillip simply says “Come and see.” Fr. Micah points out that the phrase “come and see” is very profound in that it points to the indes...

On this Forgiveness Sunday (also referred to as Cheesefare Sunday), the church commemorates the exile of Adam and Eve from Paradise. They had complete freedom in the Garden of Eden to choose obedience to God, to choose to not eat from the tree. However, they chose to eat of the tree and not keep this original fast. Fr. Gregory explains that Lent, which beings after Forgiveness Sunday, represents o...

On this Sunday of the Last Judgment, the Very Rev. Archpriest Andrew Stephen Damick visited Holy Trinity + Holy Cross and gave a sermon on what the Last Judgment means. Many imagine a scary courtroom when they think of the last judgment. However, Fr. Andrew points out that the last judgment is about putting things right, putting things in order. This will be a pleasant experience for some and an u...