Sermons at St. Nicholas

At Christ's entry into Jerusalem, there were those who were wondering how they could be rid of Him, those who were wishing He would be a social activist, and those who worshipped Him as the Son of the Living God. Today is no exception.

On the Sunday after Theophany, the scripture readings teach us that the light of Christ shines in the darkest corners of the world. Fr Thomas reminds us that the Gospel is not simply for one culture, but for all people everywhere.

As we approach the feast of Theophany, the Baptism of Christ, John the Forerunner shows us the way to unite ourselves to Christ, crying, "He must increase, but I must decrease!"

In the incarnation, God demonstrates His love for man, not only by sending His Son, but by uniting His Divinity to humanity.

As soon as our Lord is born in Bethlehem, the Scriptures record that the evil one is working through Herod to destroy him. Fr Thomas reminds us that the darkness will always fight against the Light, but we can choose our path wisely.

The famous parable of the Good Samaritan is often relayed as a story about doing good to others. However, Fr Thomas teaches us the background of the story and why the Good Samaritan points directly to Christ as the one who heals us in the Church.

When we hear about the miracles that Christ performed for people, it can seem distant. Fr Thomas reminds us that the grace they received is the same life-giving power that we are granted in the Eucharist: the fullness of Christ.

The saying goes, "actions speak louder than words." Christ Himself condemned the Jewish religious leaders for saying one thing but doing another. Fr Thomas teaches us that, as Orthodox Christians, our actions are important because they have to align with what we claim about God and ourselves. In fact, our eternal judgment is at stake.

One of the greatest challenges that we face in our modern era is to resist the ever-changing values of the world. Fr Thomas teaches us that we receive truth, not from politics or social movements, but from the word of God which is planted in our heart by God Himself.

Jesus told His disciples that they could not cast out the demon in the epileptic boy "except by prayer and fasting." Fr Thomas reminds us that if we want to live in the midst of the Kingdom of God, we also must strengthen our faith through these essential disciplines.

The dramatic story of Peter attempting to walk on the water to come to Jesus is a reminder that God is with us in our problems even if we can't see Him. Fr Thomas teaches us that we're not called to a life without problems, we're called to be faithful through them.

In the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, Jesus reveals Himself to the provider of all good things. Fr Thomas teaches us that when we receive communion, we receive the Lord Himself, Who provides the nourishment to live the Christian life.

Fr Thomas teaches us that, because Jesus is the truth, sharing our faith in Him is at the very heart of our experience as Orthodox Christians. (At 17:00 the power went out in the church on the hottest day of the year!)

Deacon Luke Loboda teaches us that because we bear God's image, we must resist being slaves to our bodily desires, living like mere animals. Instead, we're called to fulfill the potential of holiness in us by the gift of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians, the Holy Spirit gives us a new perspective on life and that includes what we do with our time, talent, and treasure. In short, everything belongs to God. He gives it all to us as a gift and we're called to offer a portion back to Him in thanksgiving.

On the Feast of All Saints of North America, Fr Thomas reminds us of our Apostolic mission and how to meet the unprecedented challenges facing us in the 21st century.

On the Sunday of All Saints, Fr. Thomas gives clear and direct evidence from the scriptures explaining how and why we ask for the prayers of the saints who have gone before us.

On the Feast of Pentecost, Fr Thomas teaches us that our Christian life must be empowered by the Holy Spirit of God in order to be one with each other and to tell the world of the good things God has done for us.

Fr. John Parker, Dean of St Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary in South Canaan, PA, delivered the sermon on the Seventh Sunday of Pascha. Fr. John shares the story of his new leadership position at the seminary and how he grew to know the life of the seminary through daily experience. He reminds us that our knowledge of God must exceed simply knowing about Him to become instead the daily experience of God...

In the story of the healing of the Blind Man, the willfully blind refuse to believe the truth about Jesus even when confronted with irrefutable proof. Fr Thomas reminds us that we must carefully consider all the teachings and deeds of Jesus so that we can be witnesses to the Son of God.

In John 4, Jesus, the Master Teacher, shares the good news with the Samaritan Woman that He is the Savior of the World, and brings her to a life-changing faith. Fr Thomas shows us how this incredible story is the pattern for sharing our faith in Christ with anyone.

Fr Thomas reminds us of the value of learning to deepen our faith.

On the Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearers, we hear of the courage and love demonstrated by the men and women who cared for the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Fr Thomas reminds us that this is also a powerful reminder that we must never succumb to the disrespectful practice of cremation because we deeply care for the body that God created and will raise from the dead.

The Resurrection of Christ destroys death, division, and despair. And though the Lord provides proof of His Resurrection to destroy doubt in us, our hearts must be unlocked from the inside through faith.

The Gospel reading for the fifth Sunday of Lent relates the story of the audacious question posed by the apostles James and John, who asked for glorification without first drinking the cup of humiliation. Fr Thomas reminds us that this basic principle of the Christian life proves true even for seemingly mundane things that we might mistakenly think are unimportant, like going to church to worship.