Holy Trinity + Holy Cross - Sermons

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear of a man with great wealth and a man named Lazarus who lay at the rich man’s gate. The rich man feasted sumptuously, and Lazarus desired to be fed from what fell from his table. The reading seems to imply that the rich man didn’t notice Lazarus or ignored him. The sin of the rich man wasn’t being rich, but rather that he did not love Lazarus. As we heard in today...

In today’s Gospel reading, St. Luke recounts the story of Christ’s healing of a demon-possessed man, and Fr. Gregory shows how this man’s story shows the shape of the Christian life. When Jesus meets the man possessed by demons, he is naked and living among the tombs. The people have tried to restrain him, but nothing has worked. However, after Jesus heals him, the people see him sitting at the fe...

On this Sunday, we commemorate the Seventh Ecumenical Council, and Fr. Micah begins today’s sermon with the story of St. Stephanos, who became a monk at 16 years old and later gave his life in honor of the sacred icons. He explains that the Fathers of the Church felt that icons and icon veneration is not merely aesthetic or didactic, but an essential doctrine of Holy Orthodoxy. Why are the icons o...

In today’s sermon, Fr. Gregory speaks about his pilgrimage to Romania and tells stories of Romanian saints and martyrs. In this Sunday’s Gospel reading from Luke, Christ says, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” Fr. Gregory explains that, though it seems impossible to fulfill these commands of Christ, the testimonies of these saints and martyrs in Romania a...

In today’s sermon, Fr. Micah focuses on three moments from the Gospel reading from Luke. In the first moment, Christ tells Simon Peter to let out the nets again after the apostles had been unable to catch any fish all night long. Simon Peter responds, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing, but at your word, I will let down the nets.” This moment teaches us about obedience, even when it’s c...

After celebrating the victory of the Holy Cross last Sunday, in today’s sermon, Fr. Gregory reflects on one of the simplest and most fundamental acts of our faith: making the sign of the cross. He examines the sign of the cross historically, practically, and theologically, and he shows how the sign of the cross is Galatians 2:20 made visible on our bodies: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading from the third chapter of John, Christ is speaking to Nicodemus in the night, and he says “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” In his sermon, Fr. Gregory explains why Christ brings up this strange episode of the bronze serpent, showing how it helps us understand the condition of the human heart and how it is healed...

On this Sunday, we commemorate the miracle of the Archangel Michael at Chonae. Fr. Micah gathers the children to tell them this marvelous story and to teach them about Saint Archippos, the young man who dedicated his life to prayer and asceticism at Chonae. Using St. Archippos' story, Fr. Micah encourages the children to be brave and to call upon Christ for help in times of need.

In today’s Epistle reading, St. Paul concludes his first letter to the Corinthians with several exhortations: “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” Then, he gives a concrete example of this. He says that Stephanas and his household have “devoted themselves to the service of the saints.” In his sermon, Fr. Gregory focuses on what it...

Fr. Micah begins today’s sermon with the ending of the Gospel reading: “With men, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” Though this is a simple saying, Fr. Micah argues that most of us deeply struggle with this in the manner we live, because we live as if we can do anything. Fr. Micah then turns to what precedes today’s Gospel reading, when Christ tells us how we must become...

In today’s sermon, Fr. Gregory reviews the parable from today’s Gospel reading in which a servant who owes 10,000 talents — equivalent to billions of today’s dollars — is shown compassion by the king and forgiven his debt. However, after he is forgiven, he goes out and finds a fellow servant who owes him 100 denarii, a real debt, but one that is almost nothing in comparison to the 10,000 talents....

Fr. Gregory reviews what happened during the Transfiguration. He explains that Christ did not change, but his disciples were changed and able to see the glory that had been standing before them for three years. Christ revealed the glory of the uncreated light so that, when the apostles saw him crucified, they would know that his suffering was deliberate and voluntary. Fr. Gregory then points out t...

 In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the account of Christ walking upon the water and pulling St. Peter out of the waves. Today is also the feast day of the Holy Martyr Phocas the Gardener, one of the most beloved saints of the early church. This saint is known for walking upon the water, lending his help to sailors in fisherman in need of saving. Fr. Micah recounts St. Phocas’ story, a story of gr...

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear of Christ’s compassion on a great crowd, teaching and healing them. When evening came, the apostles ask him to send them away that they may find something to eat. Christ responds, “You give them something to eat.” He asks them to give what little they have into his hands. After he multiplies the loaves, he gives it to the disciples to give to the crowds. Fr. Greg...

Today’s Epistle reading from Romans 12 describe a way of life that Fr. Gregory sums up with the Greek word philotimo. This word is translated as “love of honor,” but it has no true equivalent in the English language. This Sunday is the feast day of St. Paisios, who spoke of philotimo and embodied it radiantly, and Fr. Gregory draws from his teachings in today’s sermon. Using the rich meaning of ph...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, our Lord tells us to, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Fr. Micah poses the question, “What are these good works?” He asserts that the key to this question is found in the passage that follows, when Christ says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law and the Prophets. I have...

In this Sunday’s epistle reading, St. Paul gives us one of the most beautiful descriptions of the Christian life: “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Fr. Gregory emphasizes the verse that follows, though, which says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” He explains that the fruits of the...

In today’s sermon, Fr. Gregory focuses on a specific part of the Epistle reading in Romans 6 in which St. Paul says, “Just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.” He expounds on the phrase “yield your members,” explaining that “yield” here means “to offer,” and “members” refers to our body. Fr...

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ commands us to not be anxious, and Fr. Micah presents the question, “How are we to not be anxious?” In the beginning of today’s Gospel reading, Fr. Micah asserts, we find the answer. Christ says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness.”...

In this Sunday’s sermon, Fr. Gregory presents the question, “Is nothing sacred?” Beneath that, he says, lies another question: “Do we have eyes to see what is holy?” To answer these questions, Fr. Gregory focuses on the topics of reverence and the fear of God. Reverence, he explains, is approaching and handling holy things in a holy way. The fear of God is avoiding evil out of love for God and the...

Today, on the Feast of All Saints, Fr. Micah teaches the children about what it means to be a saint. He points out that “saint” means “holy” — that which is set apart for God. While Christ is the one who is holy, he overflows with holiness and shares it with all creation. Fr. Micah explains that the saints receive the same grace and holiness we’ve all been given, but they have preserved it, not tu...

Fr. Gregory points out several characteristics of the Holy Spirit and the way in which it descended on the church. First, he points out that the Holy Spirit descended on a community, creating a visible, ordered, worshipping, and sacramental body called his church. The Holy Spirit does not scatter us into private spirit lives, but gathers us into the church. The Holy Spirit creates unity without de...

On this Sunday, we celebrate the fathers of the church who gathered at the First Ecumenical Council and defended the faith that the Son of God was indeed the Son of Man, not a creature as Arius taught. Fr. Micah explains that the liturgy and worship of the church not only confess this truth but also glorify Christ’s humility. He expounds on this humility, this divine humiliation, that is a fruit o...

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the Samaritan woman, St. Photini, who encounters Christ at Jacob’s Well. Fr. Gregory recounts the story and emphasizes a phrase near the end, in which Christ says, “The hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” Fr. Gregory draws from the teachings of St. Symeon to explain what it means to worship...