Give Me A Word

In this homily for the great feast of Pentecost, Fr Vincent Temirov demonstrates how Pentecost, like Pascha, is about the transformation of the human condition. In Christ’s Resurrection, we die and are resurrected with Him; at Pentecost, our new resurrected nature is shaped and molded by the Church and is filled with the Holy Spirit. It is our responsibility then, to ensure that we continually ope...

On this Sunday before Holy Pentecost, the Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur gives some historical background on the feast of Pentecost and how it was celebrated in ancient Israel, primarily as a celebration of the giving of the Law. Connecting this to the feast of Ascension, Fr Bogdan points out how Moses ascended Sinai to bring back the gift of the Law to Israel, and Christ ascended to Heaven to give us the g...

The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield opens his sermon on the feast of Holy Ascension by calling us to recognize how unique and powerful the Orthodox view of the human body really is. The accounts of our Lord during the 40 days after His Resurrection leading up to His Ascension all involve physical actions–partaking of food, traversing a road, touching the wounds left by the nails and the spear, and fina...

The story of Christ’s healing of the man born blind, read on the last Sunday of Pascha, is far from a simple account of one of the many miracles our Lord performed. The Very Rev. Alexander Rentel explains that this story is also a radical warning to the spiritually blind, those who are incapable of seeing the glory of the Lord because of their blind belief in their own knowledge and righteousness....

On the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, Fr Vincent Temirov highlights how gentle the Lord’s interaction with her was–He called her to purify herself first by confessing her sins, and then offered her “living water”. In this same way, we are called to repent of our sins to remove all obstacles which hinder us from partaking in the life of Christ.

At the Divine Liturgy on the day of Commencement for the Class of 2023, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon (OCA) called all in attendance, especially those preparing to begin their ministry to always accept the will of God. This acceptance is the beginning of humility, a virtue that enables us to escape the sins that ensnare us.

Why does the Orthodox Church take care to note the exact midpoint between Pascha and Pentecost? Fr Bogdan Bucur shows us how this celebration is meant to help us understand the deep connection between Christ’s Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. We cannot truly taste the resurrected life of Christ without the Holy Spirit working in us. Father Bogdan invites us to consider what it means...

The Sunday of the Paralytic coincides with the commemoration of Saint Alexis Toth this year, and the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield weaves together the missionary work of St Alexis, the need for help expressed by our post-pandemic catechumens, and the healing help our Lord gave to the man lying by the pool for 38 years, encouraging us to see the common thread of the Lord’s great saving work for His pe...

When we look at the story of the Myrrhbearing Women, we see that they offered the best of what they could to the Lord, despite the detraction of the disciples. Likewise, advises Fr Bogdan Bucur, we must always strive to offer the best of ourselves—even if it feels like we don’t have much to offer to God, inviting Him to move and work in us. The Lord accepts us even in our sinfulness, turning our h...

On Thomas Sunday, Fr Vincent Temirov encourages us to remember the apostle Thomas not only for his initial doubt in the Resurrection of Christ, but more so for the heartfelt confession he made upon encountering the risen Lord. “My Lord and my God” is one of the most complete acknowledgements of Christ and His nature in the Gospels; we are called to contemplate our Lord’s Resurrection, so that we t...

The Paschal Sermon by St John Chrysostom highlights a central tenet of our faith as Christians, that death has been overcome by Christ’s Resurrection. For we Christians do not take the popular stance that somehow death is just a natural part of life or something to just be accepted, says Fr Bogdan Bucur. Death is most unnatural and most certainly not God’s ultimate intention for us—instead, He inv...

When we hear the Gospel readings and sing the hymns of Holy Thursday which say so much about the betrayal and inhumanity of Judas, we must also heed the inherent warning, says Fr Bogdan Bucur–without humility of heart and trust in the glory and goodness of God, we too fall away from Him as did Judas. We must lament our sinfulness yet approach with hope, knowing that the Lord’s mercy overcomes all...

On Palm Sunday, we see our Lord arrive in Jerusalem as king - not as an earthly king, exulting in his own power, but as our Lord, God, and Savior, humble yet mighty, fulfilling all prophecy about the Messiah. The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield points out that the disciples spread their coats on an unbridled, wild foal, which was considered unclean by Jews of that time, and Jesus enters Jerusalem on th...

We hear the story of the raising of Lazarus and are encouraged, says Fr Bogdan Bucur, to see it as a sign: the Lord has come to raise all of us from the grave. This is the saving plan of God from all eternity, that we would come to know Him and live. In spite of our hardness of heart, forgetfulness, and frequent unbelief, our Lord, Jesus Christ weeps with us, mourning the broken state of creation,...

The life of St Mary of Egypt is awe-inspiring, but also, Fr Vincent Temirov says, comforting. A woman who had immersed herself into a life completely alien to the life in Christ was still able to hear, be changed, and come to repentance. There is no sinner that the Lord would not forgive, as long as we ourselves are willing to clear away any obstacles to our own repentance. We must each identify o...

By the time we come to the Sunday of St John Climacus, the priest’s petitions for the catechumens have expanded to include prayers for those preparing for holy illumination. The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield points out how the themes for the Lenten Sundays are a guide and instruction to those preparing to fully join the Orthodox Church, culminating in the ultimate lesson, that the only way to become...

On the feast of the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon gives a powerful homily highlighting the true meaning of the role of the Most Holy Theotokos in the lives of all people. As we ponder the self-emptying act of the incarnation of the Son of God as man, we also ponder her self-emptying willingness to bear God in her womb. The feast of Annunciation is a rem...

In his homily for the Sunday of the Cross, the Very Rev. Alexander Rentel summarizes the first half of Great Lent, demonstrating how the the first two Sundays celebrated the beauty and truth of Orthodox theology, as taught by St Gregory Palamas and the defenders of Orthodoxy against the iconoclasts. This theological reflection leads us to the Cross, the most perfect revelation of God. From here on...

When Orthodox Christians gather to pray for their beloved friends and family who have fallen asleep, we are encouraged to meditate on the words of our Lord, “the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” (John 5:25). The Very Rev. Alexander Rentel explores this Memorial Saturday gospel reading and reminds us to hear the voice of...

On the Sunday of St Gregory Palamas, the gospel reading relates the story of the paralytic who, after being lowered through a roof by his friends to be healed by Jesus, was told, “Your sins are forgiven you.” The Pharisees grumble inwardly, thinking “Only God can forgive sins.” Fr Bogdan Bucur points out the irony of their complaint - in their lack of faith, the Pharisees are not able to see that...

On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, Fr Vincent Temirov reminds us that the triumph of Orthodoxy is not a triumph over other people, but the triumph of the divine truth in the hearts of those who belong to the Orthodox Church, who proclaim the truth revealed by God in its integrity. There is more to being Orthodox than simply holding the right doctrine; we carry out our Orthodoxy, our right glory and worsh...

Preaching on Cheesefare/Forgiveness Sunday, the Very Rev. Alexander Rentel imparts a message that we would all do well to bear in mind for the entirety of Great Lent - fasting is about growing in love for others. We give up our focus on food and entertainment and strive to grow closer to God and our fellow man.

The gospel reading for the Sunday of the Last Judgment, or Meatfare Sunday, contains the Lord’s clear message for us: the way of salvation is partaking in the love of God through love of one’s neighbor. In telling us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and heal the sick, Christ is calling us to follow His example, as he has fed and clothed and nourished us with His own Body. Dn Vitaly Permiakov...

Pride, anger, lust, envy, gluttony, avarice, sloth - the classic list of “seven deadly sins”, or passions. These passions, according to the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, are not something “injected from the outside”--they are misused, distorted versions of the virtues we all seek to make our own. As we prepare to enter the season of Great Lent, Fr Chad urges us to contemplate the myriad ways in whic...

The Sunday of the Publican of the Pharisee marks the beginning of the incorporation of the hymns of the Great Triodion in our church services, leading us through Great Lent to Holy Week and Pascha. Fr Vincent Temirov tells us how the Church prescribes specific Gospel readings to prepare our minds and hearts in the three weeks leading up to the beginning of Great Lent, starting with the story of th...