Hill Country Homilies

On the Sunday of the Last Judgment, Bp. Irineos looks at the Gospel account of the Last Judgment and discusses how the bases of the judgment align with Holy Scripture and how we understand being judged according to our deeds while understanding that we are saved by the mercy of God and not on the merit of our works.

Bp. Irineos looks at the Parable of the Prodigal son from the perspective of the son and his elder brother. While much of the discussion of this parable focuses on the prodigal son, an important warning must be understood in the envious deeds of his elder brother.

On the occasion of Zacchaeus Sunday, Bp. Irineos discusses the Gospel account of Zacchaeus's encounter with Christ and how his repentance relates to the preceding account of the rich young ruler.

On the day the Church remembers St. Maximos the Confessor, Bp. Irineos praises this simple monk's refusal to surrender to heresy even at great person cost and physical torture.

The Gospel Reading for the Healing of the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11–19) is instructive on many different levels. Bp. Irineos examines today's reading as a tale of ingratitude, as a foretelling of the acceptance of the Gospels by the Gentiles, and as an allegory for the dealing with false teaching from those who claim to follow Christ. Glory to God who provides for our instruction in His Holy Gospels!

On the Feast of Theophany, Bp. Irineos discusses how both the Jewish purification rites and the baptism of John were preparations for our baptism to salvation in Christ. Exploring the Holy Mysteries and their grace imparting properties, Bp. Irineos responds to those who live a non-sacramental faith or question the need to receive the sacraments frequently.

On the Sunday after Nativity, the Epistle Reading is Paul's defense of his apostleship made to the Galatians. (Galatians 1:11-19). Bp. Irineos explains how the Church understands this passage, and compares the effects of Paul's encounter with the Divine Christ to modern claims of interaction with God. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For...

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, we affirm the ancient festal celebration of the Nativity of Christ. In the Gospel reading, we hear of the journey of the Magi, who prefigure the opening of the Church to the Gentiles and the calling of the entire world to Christ. Let us glorify the birth of God in the flesh, who redeems fallen man and in the flesh destroys the devil.

On the Sunday of the Genealogy, Bp. Irineos discusses how the Gospel reading for the genealogy acts as a proof of the humanity of Christ, a call to the remembrance of our forefathers, and a promise that we may all be sons of God.

Looking at the epistle reading for the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, Bp. Irineos reminds us that being changed by baptism, we are called to mortify our passions and live our life in Christ.

In today's homily, Bishop Irineos examines the Gospel account of the woman freed from her infirmity of 18 years, and looks at what this account tells us about the sin of envy, and how we often condemn ourselves of this very sin. Luke 13:10-17 10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bow...

On the Feast Day of St. Nicholas of Myra, Bp. Irineos shares the life of the saint and discusses how he is a grand example to us all of charity, zeal and love!

The blind man healed by Christ on the road to Jericho represents the blindness of all mankind which in rebellion turned away from the true light of God. Bp. Irineos looks at today's Gospel reading and discusses the symbolism of the account, the misuse of this story and how we can find the light of Christ.

Today's reading is the Parable of the Rich Young Ruler. Bp. Irineos explores various aspects of this parable, how it is often misinterpreted, and important points we should take from the reading.

As we embark upon our Nativity Fast, Bp. Irineos talks briefly about the symbolism of the Nativity Fast and offers three concrete suggestions for having a profitable and edifying fast.

For the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, Bp. Irineos explores several aspects of the parable, contrasting the two people in the parable, explaining what is meant a "a great gulf fixed" and discussing why it is repentance in this life that will lead us to Paradise.

Why did the Gadarenes, after witnessing the healing of the demoniac, send Christ away rather the show him praise and worship? Bp. Irineos looks at the fear that motivated the Gadarenes to reject Christ and how the same fear binds those outside the Church even today.

Inspired by the Gospel reading for Sunday, the Parable of the Sower, Bp. Irineos looks at Christ's explanation of the parable, and particularly the seed that fell among thorns, which Christ explains are "the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity." Bp. Irineos discusses specifi...

On the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, Bp. Irineos discusses the decision of the council on the veneration of the Holy Icons, and responds to the accusation that icons violate the second commandments prohibition on "graven images." We'll look to the original Hebrew and Greek texts to see what the second commandment actually prohibits and how icons and religious art in...

In the Gospel reading for the Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross we read "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. " How do we do that today, though? Bp. Irineos encourages the faithful to carry their crosses through asceticism, through action and through their outlooks. Following Christ is not just a state of mind. It's how we witness to the w...

Are you spiritual? Whatever you may say about your spiritual nature, you dwell on this earth in a tangible, physical form. The physical is not some second rate state to be despised in favor of the spiritual. At the Liturgy for the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross, Bp. Irineos contemplates how God used tangible, physical things for our salvation and how Christ bequeathed to the Church the Holy M...

On this 17th Sunday after Pentecost, which is also the Sunday before the Elevation of the Cross, Bp. Irineos discusses the two Gospel readings, both of which foreshadow something to come. In the Gospel of John we see reference to Christ's coming crucifixion through the reference to Moses and the Serpent of Brass. In the account of the Canaanite woman, we see the foreshadowing of the spread of the...

While visiting St. Simon Orthodox Mission, Bp. Irineos preached on the Gospel account of the lawyer who tried to trick Jesus by asking him the greatest of the commandments. Bp. Irineos discusses Christ's answer and how the first great commandment leads necessarily to the second.

A discussion of the PG-13 version of the parable of the wedding feast, and what it means to us that an invited guest was then cast out!

About 90 minutes before the Liturgy on August 26th, Bp. Irineos received word that his father had reposed after a brief illness. Since many Orthodox in the United States have relatives, like the bishop's father, who have not been received into the Church, Bp. Irineos talks about how we understand the state of the heterodox, and why we must remember that the sure path to salvation is found within t...