Sermons at St. Nicholas

On the eighth day of Pascha, Fr. Tom reminds us to heed the signs which point us to the Eternal Day.

As we enter into Holy Week via the Triumphal Entry, we are reminded that there is cause for great joy - Jesus Christ is the King over all and ever shall be!

Is there anything upon which our faith is contingent? Fr. Tom reminds us that, while we may not always have certainty or the privilege of seeing the Lord as the disciples, our prayer will be the seal of our faith.

What must we remember when we bow before the Holy Cross? Fr. Tom reminds us that the central call of the cross is to die to ourselves.

Listen as Fr. Tom reminds us that the Sunday of Orthodoxy is about so much more than icons alone . . . it is about the triumph of truth.

Leading into the Great Fast, Fr. Tom urgently calls us to remember that all of the fasting in the world is useless if we neglect the weightier matters.

Being judged by God is far more than a legal pronouncement. Listen as Fr. Tom reminds the faithful that God's judgment has much more to do with our purification and our becoming truly human.

Fr. Alexander Rentel, Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America brings us a preparatory message in anticipation of Great Lent: observe the religious practice of the Church like the pharisee, but beg our Lord for the humble heart of the publican.

As we inch closer and closer to the Great Fast, Fr. Tom harkens us back to the basics - that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, even those of us like Zacchaeus.

Listen as Fr. Tom encourages all seekers to follow in the path of the Canaanite woman.

Exhorting us from the Parable of the Talents, Fr. Tom reminds us that - as true members - we must use our gifts to build up the Body of Christ.

As we read the story of blind Bartimaeus, Fr. Tom reminds us that when we know who Jesus truly is, and ask His mercy, He will heal us.

Fr. Tom unpacks the Epistle reading to show the importance of doctrine for our understanding of Christ, ourselves, the world, and everything.

Leading into the feast of Theophany, Fr. Tom calls to remembrance the Forerunner and how he points us to repentance in order to see clearly our Savior in the Holy Trinity.

Fr. Tom calls to remembrance all of the ways that Christ fulfills the prophecy of the Old Testament - especially how He fulfills the role of King David.

On the Sunday before the Nativity, Fr. Tom reminds us of God's promise all throughout the Scriptures - that He is faithful and that we enter into His salvific plan as the Savior enters into our humanity at Christmas.

Fr. Tom calls us to consider the invitation of the Gospel: union with one another and union with God Himself. Invariably, we all make excuses to God's invitation - what's yours?

Fr. Tom draws from both of the Scripture readings to tell us about the inner life of God and how it plays out in our interactions with one another.

If true unity is only found in the Church, then we must ask ourselves, "what can I give up to submit myself to Christ and His Body?" Listen as Fr. Tom calls us to remember our unique individuality, but not to the exclusion of our connectedness to one another.

Fr. Tom implores us to understand the parable of the Good Samaritan from a different perspective and ask ourselves, who is the Samaritan? Who is the one left for dead on the road?

On the Sunday of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers, Fr. Tom reminds us of the constant, unseen warfare that surrounds us. How are to understand the role of the Angels in our lives? Do we remember that they are our constant helpers? While this is true, we're not to forget that nothing will override our personal free-will and that we must choose always to be a discip...

Special guest Fr. John Mikita from Holy Ascension Church in Mount Pleasant, SC encourages us to recall the light of Christ when we face spiritual darkness. Fr. John also warns us that to encounter Christ is to have to choose between the darkness we're comfortable with and the change to which He calls us.

Who or what receives our worship? Is it material things, the creation, or is it the Creator? Fr. Tom exhorts us from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus that we must order our lives around the Divine and live it out by loving those who are Lazarus to us.

Will we live as believers or unbelievers? The line of demarcation can be thin! Fr. Tom argues from the Scriptures and the lives of the saints that we must constantly choose to live out our baptism as the holy and set apart people of God.

The multitudes pressed to hear the Word of God; will we do the same? Fr. Tom teaches us that the Word of God, both the Incarnate Eternal Word and the Holy Scriptures, lead us to life, joy, and ultimate meaning in every action we take as Orthodox Christians.