Holy Trinity + Holy Cross - Sermons

This Sunday follows the great feast of the ascension of Christ, when he was taken up into the heavens. Fr. Micah explains that many Jews of the first century could not accept Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father at his ascension. It meant that he was the living God, having unity and equality with the Father while humbling himself and becoming flesh. Fr. Micah explains that many heresies...

In this week’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of Christ healing a man born blind. His disciples ask him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Fr. Gregory gives the background to this question, explaining that both viewpoints are misinterpretations of Old Testament passages. Christ replies to his disciples that they could neither blame the man nor his parents for...

On this Sunday, the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, Fr. Micah discusses the Gospel reading in which Christ tells us that we are to worship the Father in spirit and in truth. He first explains that we humans are worshipping creatures, then addresses what it means to worship in spirit and truth. He points out that Christ himself is the truth, an the resurrection is truth. Through Christ and only beca...

oday is the Fourth Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Paralytic. Fr. Gregory focuses on the Gospel reading, in which Christ heals a man who has been paralyzed for 38 years. Jesus commands the man, saying, “Arise, take up your bed, and walk,” and the man does. Fr. Gregory points out that walking is one of our most basic forms of communication as humans. Throughout gait, posture, and speed, we form...

On this Sunday of the Myrrh Bearing Women, Fr. Paul recounts the story of these women who were the first to behold the empty tomb and initiated the spreading of the good news to the world. The resurrection is the central theme of this story. In today’s sermon, Fr. Paul emphasizes the importance of belief in the resurrected Christ, which brings us purpose in life as well as joy and peace. There are...

On this Sunday of Thomas, Fr. Micah focuses on the significance of doors in our church’s liturgical tradition. He discusses the doors of Hades that once held every generation captive. Not only did Christ shatter these doors, but he also opened the doors of Paradise to us. Fr. Micah relates this to how we experience open doors and closed doors in our lives, as a closed door causes great pain and an...

Fr. Gregory delivers the Catechetical Paschal Homily of our father among the saints, St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. "If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast. If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord. If any have labored long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought fr...

In today’s sermon, Fr. Gregory details the events of the first three days of Holy Week, from Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to the Last Supper. In the span of these three days, Jesus preaches several parables which compose the five “apocalyptic chapters.” We read these chapters during the next three days of Holy Week, and in the evenings we have the services of the Bridegroom Matins. Fr. Gregory e...

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ says, “Whosoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for many.” Fr. Micah points out how difficult it is for us to serve not just our friends, but also our enemies — to become a "slave of all." He suggests...

On this Fourth Sunday of Lent, we celebrate St. John Climacus, who conceived of and wrote the Ladder of Divine Ascent. In today’s sermon, Fr. Gregory focuses on the eighth step of the ladder: “concerning freedom from anger.” St. John Climacus associates freedom from anger with Christ’s meekness. Fr. Gregory points out that, though we often correlate meekness with weakness, the term “meek” actually...

This Sunday, at the midpoint of Lent, we celebrate the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross. Fr. Micah speaks of the beauty and power of the Holy Cross, which is the Tree of Life. He challenges us to ask ourselves, “How do we experience the Cross?” To experience the Cross as a Tree of Life, we must heed the words of our Lord. Christ tells us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to fo...

This Sunday, His Grace Bishop Neophytos Kongai, Bishop of Kenya, shares about Orthodoxy in Kenya and what we can do to support his diocese. In today’s Gospel reading, we hear about the men who lowered the paralyzed man through a roof to be healed by Christ. His Grace Bishop Neophytos Kongai encourages us to be like those men, showing the love of Christ to the helpless and carrying them to healing....

This Sunday we celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy, which commemorates the restoration of the use and veneration of icons in the church after a period of over 100 years of it being forbidden. This Sunday is also the Triumph of Orthodoxy, which recognizes universality of our faith, a faith that has spread throughout the world across 2,000 years. In this week's sermon, Fr. Gregory presents two main po...

In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord speaks to us about fasting. Fr. Micah shows us what fasting is truly about and shares practical advice as we enter into the season of Lent. First, Fr. Micah points out that fasting is not an individual endeavor, but it is about communion with one another and Christ. The Church has been fasting together for millennia, and it continues to connect the faithful all...

On this Sunday of the Last Judgment, Fr. Stephen Freeman discusses how we should view Christ’s judgment. He first expounds on the parable of the sheep and the goats from today’s Gospel reading. He explains that, within each of us, there is both sheep (the good) and goat (the bad). They are mixed within our hearts, and the judgment separates the two. In the second part of today’s Gospel reading, Ch...

This Sunday is the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, during which we hear the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Fr. Gregory expounds on the parable, showing us how we are like the prodigal son and must return to our Father. We, like the prodigal son, stray far from our Father’s house and what God intended for our lives. However, we, like the prodigal son, can make a decision to return to our Father’s house....

Today is the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, which comes from the Gospel reading in Luke 18. In the passage, Jesus gives a parable about a tax collector and a Pharisee who offered prayers to God. The Pharisee’s prayer lacked humility, whereas the tax collector's was full of humility. Jesus tells us that the tax collector was the one who went back to his house justified, rather than the ot...

In this week’s Gospel reading, we hear of Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman. Through faith in God, her demon-possessed daughter was healed. Fr. Micah shares three key elements of the woman’s faith that we can emulate. First is prayer. This is not merely a few minutes of prayer in the morning or evening, but rather unceasing prayer. Further, our prayer must not be simply for the purpose of...

In today’s Epistle reading, the Apostle Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians Chapter 6, “Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain.” Foundationally, God’s grace and love is not a right that we are entitled to or deserving of. Instead, it is a gift that we receive freely. This is exemplified from the very beginning when God brings the world into his existence....

In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus answers the question posed to him as a challenge from the Pharisees: “Which is the greatest commandment?” He says the greatest two commandments are to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. Fr. Gregory explains how we may fulfill these two commandments by referencing the Didache. This was a document from the ear...

In this week’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of Zacchaeus, the man who climbed a sycamore tree to behold Christ. Fr. Micah presents the question, “Do we see God?” Just as Zacchaeus was small of stature, causing him to have to climb a tree to see Christ, we too are small. We are sinful and must also climb trees to see the Lord, giving up our comfort and ease in the process. If it’s easy, Fr. Mi...

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus encounters ten lepers shouting at him for help. He tells them to go and show themselves to the priest, who would certify they were cured of disease. On the 80-mile journey to Jerusalem, the ten are cleansed, but only one of them—a Samaritan—shows gratitude to God. Jesus asks this Samaritan, “Where are the other nine?” In today’s sermon, Fr. Gregory speaks on the gr...

In today’s Gospel passage, we read, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” Fr. Micah, in today’s sermon, speaks to the awareness of this light, as well as the darkness that can so easily encompass us. Throughout our days, the light, the flame of divinity, is within our midst, yet we remain unaware of it all too often—in darkness. However, our eyes may be opened to the light thro...

This weekend, we celebrate the Theophany (baptism) of Christ, as well as John the Baptist. In both the Epistle and Gospel readings, we hear about more than one kind of baptism. Fr. Gregory expounds on these different baptisms in today’s sermon. First is the baptism of water, the baptism of John. This kind is one of repentance and cleansing. While it indicates a moral and spiritual revolution, a ra...

Each year, on December 31st, we reflect on the previous year and look forward to the future. Today's Gospel from Mark is about ends and beginnings. John stands at the end to prepare the way to the new. John the Baptist lived a life of asceticism and humility, pointing towards Him, who brings a peace that surpasses all understanding. Father Micah reminds us that there is strife everywhere and share...