Holy Trinity + Holy Cross - Sermons

In this Sunday’s Epistle reading from Ephesians 5, St. Paul says, “Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” In the Gospel reading from Luke 13, Christ heals a woman who was unable to stand upright for 18 years. In his sermon, Fr. Gregory shows how these two passages illumine one another and offers reflections on the fruits of light: goo...

This Sunday, visiting priest Fr. Alex Limberatos posed the question, “What does it take to lead others to Christ?” To answer this question, he points to St. Andrew, whom we celebrate this Sunday. He explains that St. Andrew, as well as his first teacher, St. John, exhibit great strength in hardship. Through many trials, St. Andrew depended on God and led many to Christ through his example. Even wh...

Fr. Micah begins today’s sermon by explaining the ancient Greek concept of kleos — fame, glory, or reputation — found in texts such as the Iliad and the Odyssey. Kleos was understood to be what humans truly desired, needed, and pursued. In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we find a man who is wealthy and continues to build his wealth, pursuing glory and wealth. In these accounts, we see what also dri...

In this Sunday’s Epistle reading from Romans, St. Paul addresses the topic of Israel. In his sermon, Fr. Gregory poses the question “Who is Israel?,” emphasizing its importance in shaping our understanding of God's plan for our salvation. Fr. Gregory addresses dispensationalism and Christian Zionism, explaining that these ideas are foreign to the Orthodox Church, which has always confessed that th...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we encounter two people who find themselves in hopeless situations: a man whose daughter is dying and a woman who has been sick for 12 years. Because of their faith and trust in the Lord, they went from hopelessness to joy, as the man’s daughter was raised and the woman’s sickness cured by the Lord. We too sometimes find ourselves in hopeless situations. But Christ...

This Sunday is our parish's Stewardship Sunday, and in his homily, Fr. Gregory addresses almsgiving as one of the three pillars of our spiritual life alongside prayer and fasting. He focuses on two ideas: first, how the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in today’s Gospel reading exposes what happens when we neglect these pillars, especially almsgiving, and second, how we can make a simple, pract...

On October 26 each year, we celebrate St. Demetrios the Great Martyr and Myrrh-Gusher. Fr. Gregory begins today’s sermon by introducing St. Demetrios, who was born to pious Christian parents in 280 AD. At the time, Diocletian was ruler, and many Christians were martyred for their faith. St. Demetrios was martyred at 26 years old in 306, just before St. Constantine legalized Christianity in 313. Fr...

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ raises a widow’s son from the dead. Fr. Micah explains that this passage has three powerful insights into the divine reality, which also gives us insights into our own human reality and communion. First, the passage teaches us that Christ is God. He does not call upon his Father to raise the man from death, but simply says, “Young man I say to you, arise.” And if...

On this Sunday, the Church celebrates the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, who gathered in Nicaea in 787 to defend the veneration of the holy icons. In his sermon, Fr. Gregory discusses three main topics: seeing rightly, loving rightly, and being transfigured by the one whose image we bear. First, he shows how the holy icons teach us about the restoration of right vision. Through Ch...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, our Lord tells us “As you wish men to do by you, so do to them.” Fr. Micah emphasizes the importance of this command and how transformative it can be when we follow it. Christ goes on to say, “If you love those who love you, what thanks do you have? For even the sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you hav...

Fr. Gregory begins today’s sermon by recounting a story from the French Revolution. In 1793, the revolutionaries stormed the Cathedral of Notre Dame and created a mock ritual in which they consecrated and deified human reason on the altar. This was the religious conclusion of the Enlightenment, and human logic was enthroned above faith. Though centuries have passed since then, we still live in the...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Christ says, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Fr. Micah believes that these words can be distilled into one word, the central theme of today’s homily: patience. He gives examples of how we practice patience in our everyday lives — from fishing and farming to marriage and parenting. However, when we fol...

On this Sunday, we celebrate one of the twelve great feasts of the Church, the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. Fr. Gregory begins his sermon by recounting the history of this feast, which began in the year 629. He then focuses on the healing power of the Cross, on bringing our wounds and our sufferings to Christ. He encourages us to, instead of denying our pain, to offer it to God...

 In this Sunday’s Epistle reading, St. Paul says, “But far be it for me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” Fr. Micah explores what it means for the world to be crucified to us and for us to be crucified to the world in today’s homily. First, he addresses the phrase, “The world has been crucified to me,” explaining...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the rich young ruler who comes to Jesus and asks him what he must do to inherit eternal life, to which Jesus replies, “Keep the commandments.” The young man asks Christ which commandments, Christ names familiar ones, and the young man tells him he has kept them all since he was a boy. He asks Jesus, “What do I still lack?” Jesus tells him to gi...

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, our Lord uses a parable of servants who are indebted to their master to teach us about forgiveness, which is central to how we should live our lives as Christians. In today’s sermon, Fr. Micah encourages us to always remember the debt that we owe our Lord, and that everything we have is a gift from God that we’ve done nothing to deserve. Every Sunday, we gather tog...

St. Paul tells the Corinthians in today’s Epistle reading, “We are fools for Christ’s sake.” St. Paul was very respected, a Pharisee of Pharisees. However, when Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus, all human prestige became “rubbish” compared to the surpassing worth of knowing the Lord. In his sermon, Fr. Gregory addresses this statement and the concept of foolishness, which has deep Bi...

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ walks on water to approach the boat where the apostles are being tossed by a storm, afraid. Christ says, “Take heart, it is I.” Peter asks Christ to call him out onto the water. Christ calls him, and he begins to walk toward him on the water. However, when he sees the wind, he becomes afraid and begins to sink. He cries out, “Lord, save me.” Christ pulls him out o...

On this Sunday, we hear the account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand from Matthew 14. A great multitude followed Christ into a remote place, where he healed and taught until late in the day. The disciples urged him to send away the crowds to find food. However, Christ proposes a different solution: “You give them something to eat.” They offer their meager five loaves and two fish, and Christ mu...

On this Sunday, the healing of blindness is a primary topic. However, Fr. Micah doesn’t speak on blindness or seeing, but rather on being seen by the Lord. In today’s Gospel reading, Christ gave two blind men their sight, a great miracle. However, a great wonder, too, is that the Lord saw them. The one who created the universe sees us, and he loves us — in our pain, struggles, hopes, joys, and des...

On July 20, we lift up the memory of the prophet Elijah, translated into Greek as Elias. To celebrate, Fr. Gregory recounts St. Elijah’s story from the Scriptures, which extends across six chapters. This story is not merely a record of a miracle worker, but the journey of a man who walked with God, wholeheartedly devoted to him, during a time of national crisis and spiritual confusion. In sharing...

In both today’s Epistle and Gospel readings, we hear the importance of obedience to Christ’s commandments. Fr. Micah focuses on that which Christ commanded more than anything else: “Fear not.” He emphasizes three of humanity’s most prevalent fears and shows us how we can overcome them,fulfilling Christ’s command to fear not. First is loneliness, which we can overcome by loving others and by accept...

 In today’s Epistle reading, St. Paul says, “Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” In this paradoxical statement, we learn that true freedom comes by submitting ourselves to Christ in love and obedience. Fr. Gregory emphasizes that we all serve something or someone, and without Christ, we serve sin. This slavery to our passions, in which our desires are our tyrants, l...

In this week’s Epistle reading, St. Paul tells us that he boasts in his weakness. Fr. Micah focuses on this concept in today’s sermon, showing us how we encounter God in our weaknesses. When we experience weakness, brokenness, and trials, we’re able to lay aside our egos and ask God for help. In the stories of the men and women of the Scriptures — including St. Peter, whom we celebrate on this Sun...

In today’s Epistle reading from Romans 2, St. Paul says, “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.” Fr. Gregory, in his sermon, asks “How can a person be a doer of the law without being a hearer of it? How can a person know what’s right and wrong?” The answer, St. Paul says, is that “the requirements of the law are written o...