Holy Trinity + Holy Cross - Sermons

Today, on the Sunday before Epiphany the Gospel comes to us from Mark 1:1-8. Scholars consider Mark to be the oldest Gospel writer and the inventor of the genre of the Gospel, the idea of a story about Jesus. Father Gregory shares a history of the meaning of the word Gospel so that we might appreciate Mark's intent to the people with his radical announcement. Saint Mark is announcing a new Gospel...

Today, on the Sunday after the Nativity, the Gospel comes to us from Matthew 2:13-23. The second chapter of Matthew corresponds to the Old Testament book of Exodus. This pericope begins with the wise men departing after worshipping the Christ child. The wise men traveled from the East in faith, like Abraham and Joseph the betrothed. Father Gregory shares with us that faith has to have a follow-thr...

Today on the Sunday before the Nativity, the Gospel lesson is taken from Matthew 1:1-25. In this pericope, we hear the genealogy of Jesus Christ and all generations beginning with Abraham. We also hear the fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah 7:14, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). Fr. Micah reflects on the name Emm...

Today, on the 11th Sunday of Luke, the Epistle reading comes to us from Ephesians 5:8-19. In this pericope, St. Paul encourages the faithful to walk as children of light and take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness. We are to awake and arise from the dead and receive light from Christ. Fr. Micah shares the truth that many persons are asleep as they walk through life. They are not aware of...

Today, on the 10th Sunday of Luke, the Gospel reading comes from Luke 13:10-17. In this pericope, Jesus encounters a woman with a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. She was bent over unable to straighten herself. Fr. Micah shares a practical message which frees us from our infirmities and allows us to see others and pray with wings. First, we must do as the woman does and come to church. Seco...

Today on the 13th Sunday of Luke the Gospel reading comes to us from Luke 18:18-27. A ruler comes to Jesus seeking the answer for eternal life and learns that his possessions are like chains binding him to this temporal life. Fr. Dcn. Tikhon reminds us that we cannot do anything without God and we should never be secure in ourselves or our possessions. In our preparation for the Nativity of Christ...

Today we celebrate The Entrance of the Theotokos into the temple. This Feast commemorates Joachim and Anna's offering of Mary to God in the temple as a small child. Joachim and Anna were elderly, faithful Israelites who realized that all we have is a gift from God. They had no children of their own, therefore each of them prayed for a child they could offer to God for His service. Joachim and Anna...

Today on the 11th Sunday of Matthew the Epistle reading comes to us from I Corinthians 9:2-12. Father Gregory shares with us Saint Paul’s way of thinking, influenced by his core belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The first-century Romans were status-conscious and aware of the rights bestowed on different classes of people. Christians were set apart from the Roman world because they were not cla...

Today in the Orthodox Church we commemorate the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Saint John, like many prophets and Apostles, had moments of doubt and even questioned God. Father Ernesto shares several examples of this from Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Luke, and II Corinthians. It is a false cliché to think these holy men followed God without questioning Him and experiencing internal issues. In their s...

Today’s Gospel taken from Matthew 14:22-34 accounts for us the well-known miracles of Jesus and Peter walking on water. Peter is obedient to Christ’s call and in faith steps out of the boat to meet Our Lord on the water, but becomes distracted by the wind and begins to sink. In his moment of helplessness, he calls out to Christ, “Lord, save me’, who immediately reaches out His hand and brings Pete...

Today we celebrate the Dormition of the Theotokos, one of twelve Major Feasts in the Orthodox Church. In the Gospel reading taken from Luke, Martha feels abandoned and approaches Jesus criticizing Him and her sister Mary for not doing what they are supposed to do. Our Lord answers her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good p...

Today on the 7th Sunday of Matthew the Gospel lesson comes to us from Matthew 9:27-35. Therein we hear about two blind men following and calling out to Jesus, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” Although the two men were blind, they recognized Our Lord to be the Living God and were healed because of their faith. In his homily Father Micah asks the question, are we able to see the Light of Christ tha...

Today, on the 6th Sunday of Matthew, Father Gregory shares with us in his sermon that The Church is Christ extended throughout the ages. He conveys in his message that each of us as Baptized Orthodox Christians have been given gifts from God and make up the Body of Christ. Both the Epistle, which comes to us from Romans 12: 6-14 and the Gospel, taken from Matthew 9:1-8, connect for us the idea tha...

Today on the 5th Sunday of Matthew the Gospel reading comes to us from Matthew 8:28; 9:1. In this pericope two demoniacs were surprised that their malice and power of fear over others was terminated by Jesus. Father Paul shares with us an encouraging message of how we can overcome unwanted fear, that is synonymous with anxiety and worry, of which we have no control. Life has a way of producing man...

Today on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the 4th Ecumenical Council the Gospel reading comes to us from Matthew 5:14-19. The Church recognizes seven Ecumenical councils, guided by the Holy Spirit, that preserved the authentic Faith of the Apostles. In the Gospel reading, Christ tells His disciples, that they are the light of the world and their light should not be hidden but set on a hill for al...