Hill Country Homilies

Fr. Irineos uses the Gospel reading appointed for today (Matthew 9:27-35) to reflect upon Christ's unequal treatment of the men he healed and what lessons we can draw from their treatment.

Looking at today's Epistle (Romans 12:6-14), Fr. Irineos discusses how this short reading encapsulates both Christian callings and a Christian guide to living.

On the 5th Sunday of Pentecost, Fr. Irineos examines the Epistle Reading in the light of the Gospel Reading, and reflects on the danger of pulling isolated verses out of scripture in order to form universal rules.

On the Feast Day for the Apostle Jude, Fr. Irineos focuses on Jude's often overlook Epistle and one verse in particular that should give protestants and evangelicals as new lens through which to view the Church and scripture. "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith whi...

Looking at the teachings of the Church Fathers, Fr. Irineos unpacks the difficult reading from Matthew 6:22-33 and discusses how it applies to us living in the world today.

Fr. Irineos delves into the question of "what is a saint?" by looking at the readings appointed for this Sunday, the Sunday of All Saints of North America.

On the Sunday of All Saints, Fr. Irineos discusses how saints remain our model of Christian virtue and how we can follow their examples in our daily life.

On Pentecost Sunday, Fr. Irineos reflects on the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, and the founding of the Church. He also discusses how, though the Spirit may lead us into all Truth, this is only possible through the guidance of the Light of Christ.

In commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, Fr. Irineos gives an overview of the Arian heresy which led to the First Ecumenical Council, and warns us to be on guard against modern heresies threatening the Church. (Apologies for mis-speaking on some numbers (I said 321 AD instead of 381 AD and 17 instead of 1700!))

On the Sunday of the Blind Man, where we also commemorate the Holy Evangelist John, Fr. Irineos discusses how we can put the lessons from today's readings (and John's Gospel) to work in our daily lives.

Fr. Irineos reflects on the distinctives of the Gospel of John evident in the Gospel reading for the Sunday of the Samaritan woman.

On this 4th Sunday of Pascha, we remember the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda.  The story relayed in the Gospel, though has much deeper meaning than the simple glory of the miracle performed. It is easy to read the Gospel account and praise the action, or even to ponder on what miracles we may witness in our present time. But to do so is to miss the bigger point. God does not simp...

Fr. Irineos discusses the calling of the first deacons, the order in the Church and the special role of women.

Fr. Irineos reflects on the Apostle Thomas's unbelief, changed to belief with his touching of the Risen Lord, and how we remain blessed by his confession of that which his eyes did not see.

As we enter Jerusalem with our Savior and join him on the journey to the Cross, Fr. Irineos reflects on the humility of Christ in his entry and passion and urges us to intensify our preparations so that we may joyfully proclaim the day of his glorious resurrection.

Fr. Irineos discusses a few of the many layers of the Gospel reading for Lazarus Saturday. The raising of Lazarus prefigures both the Resurrection of Christ and our own bodily Resurrection at the Last Judgment.

Fr. Irineos reflects on the lessons from today's Gospel and the life of St. Mary of Egypt, and how they serve as both a guide and a comfort to us as we struggle against sin in our daily lives.

As we reach the midway point of Great Lent, Fr. Irineos talks about different feelings that we may have at this point in the Fast, and compares the Gospel command to deny ourselves and pick up our cross with the disciplines of Lent.

Today's Gospel (Mark 2:1-12) shows both the role of faith in the receipt of God's grace and Christ's focus on healing both the spiritual and physical ills of those he encounters.

On the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, Fr. Irineos discusses the historical context of the controversy over icons, their role in Orthodox tradition, and why matter is appropriate for veneration. The homily closes with a reflection on the relationship between us and the material world as viewed by secular society and by the Church..

On Forgiveness Sunday, Fr. Irineos talks about the transformative objective of Lent, contrasting it to the usual conception of Lent in our society.

On the Sunday of the Last Judgment, Fr. Irineos examines the Gospel reading to illustrate the importance of our works and our deeds at the time of the judgment of Christ, and offers assurance that we can indeed be counted among the sheep at the time of the dread judgment.

Fr. Irineos looks at the parable of the Prodigal Son from several different perspectives: the love of the Father, the confession of the Prodigal, and the reaction of the brother.

Fr. Irineos compares the prayer of the Publican and the Pharisee, and discusses the accusation that Orthodox engage in prayers of vain repetition.

Fr. Irineos uses the Gospel account of Zacchaeus to examine a model of humility and repentance that prepares us for Great Lent and ultimately Pascha.