Sermons from St. Herman's

While at Saint Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, Fr. Matthew Howell gives a retreat about Family-Based Youth Ministry based on the book of the same name by Mark DeVries. In Lecture 3, he presents the vision of Family-Based Youth Ministry. He talks about what this looks like in a church and how a parish can leverage the power of the "extended church family" to deve...

While at ⁠Saint Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox Church⁠ in Twin Falls, Idaho, Fr. Matthew Howell gives a retreat about ⁠Family-Based Youth Ministry⁠ based on the book of the same name by Mark DeVries. In Lecture 2, he talks about the seemingly untapped power of the nuclear family in nurturing children and young adults to mature Christian adulthood, especially highlighting the importance of consistent...

While at Saint Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, Fr. Matthew Howell gives a retreat about Family-Based Youth Ministry based on the book of the same name by Mark DeVries. In Lecture 1, he talks about the problem in youth ministry: how children are isolated from the mature Christian adults--even within church programming--that they need to grow up and mature in their Christia...

On the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee , Fr. Matthew Howell explains what it means when we say we are now in the period of the Lenten Triodion. He then spends most of his time preaching against pride, judgment and criticism of others, exhorting everyone to remember that we are all recovering, broken humans who need more encouragement than contempt. Epistle: 2 Timothy 3:10-15 TIMOTHY, my so...

On the Sunday of the Canaanite Woman, Fr. Matthew gives the context for the reason why Jesus would not answer the woman immediately when she spoke with him. He ends by encouraging people to remember her virtues of faith, perseverance, humility and her simplistic yet fervent prayer: "Lord, help me." Epistle: 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1 Brethren, you are the temple of the living God; as God...

This is the homily given at the funeral for Doug "Moses" Penn on February 12, 2024 by Fr. Matthew Howell at Saint Herman Antiochian Orthodox Church in Wasilla, Alaska. Fr. Matthew talks about Doug's deep repentance and his life of prayer, and says that we should emulate the effort that Doug gave in his spiritual life to draw near to Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven.

On the day when a member of the St. Herman Church community reposed, Fr. Jason Falcone preaches during the divine liturgy about the Parable of the Talents exhorting everyone to capitalize on the time and grace received from God to work out our salvation. Quoting heavily from St. Nikolai Velimirovic, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Basil the Great, he explains how the expected return is proportional t...

On the Sunday of Zacchaeus in the Antiochian Archdiocese, Fr. Matthew Howell preaches about how Zacchaeus had a strong desire for Christ that led to action, and how we should not let our desire for salvation devolve into merely wishful thinking but should take action on it through heartfelt repentance. Along the way he references Al Capone, Muhammad Ali, and Gotham City. Epistle: 1 Timothy 4:9-15...

On the feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple , Fr. Matthew Howell talks about the humility and obedience of Christ and His mother, Mary, and the patience of Righteous Simeon and the Prophetess Anna. Epistle: Hebrews 7:7-17 BRETHREN, it is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. Here tithes are received by mortal men; there, by one whom it is testified that he lives. O...

On the Sunday of Zacchaeus at St. George Orthodox Church in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Fr. Matthew Howell relates Zacchaeus to his favorite sayings from basketball coach Monty Williams: "Everything you want is on the other side of hard," and "It's not a got-to; it's a get-to." Epistle: 1 Timothy 4:9-15 Timothy, my son, the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For t...

On the day on which the Orthodox Church celebrates the memories of St. Savva of Serbia and St. Nina of Georgia , Fr. Matthew Howell uses the readings from the leavetaking of Theophany to talk about how these two saints evangelized their respective countries as a fruit of their repentance and adherence to Christ. Along the way, Fr. Matthew shares what happened to Christ's robe after His crucifi...

On the day after Theophany when the Orthodox Church celebrates St. John the Baptist's role in the feast, Fr. Matthew Howell explains what the word "Synaxis" means in relation to this and other feasts like it. He goes on to talk about the unique role that St. John the Baptist plays in the history of salvation, especially how he is the only prophet who uses his hand to prophesy the Mes...

During the Vesperal Divine Liturgy for the Paramon of the Feast of Theophany, Fr. Matthew Howell offers a couple thoughts about what it means to follow St. John the Baptist's exhortation to "bear fruits worthy of repentance." He connects this idea to the Old Testament reading heard earlier in the service from Isaiah 1:16-20: "These things doth the Lord say: Wash yourselves; make...

In a special episode, Fr. Philip McClanahan, the pastor of St. Athanasius Antiochian Orthodox Church in Sacramento, California, gives a homily at the burial of Khouria Sally Howell (the mother of Fr. Matthew Howell).

On the Sunday before Christmas, known as the Sunday of the Genealogy , Fr. Matthew Howell explains that the importance of Christmas is that because of the Christ's Incarnation, God is with us physically, and therefore we can be with God in body and spirit. He explains how Christ enters into a messy family tree and redeems it, and gives hope to those who have difficult families. Along the way,...

On the second Sunday before Christmas known as the Sunday of the Forefathers , Fr. Matthew Howell uses the parable of the Heavenly Banquet to talk about the importance of attending the Divine Liturgy. Epistle: Colossians 3:4-11 Brethren, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, e...

Near the end of the baptism of Sofia Dopirchuk, Fr. Matthew Howell explains why he doesn't mind when babies cry during the baptism. Epistle: Romans 6:3-11 Brethren, all who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness...

During the liturgy for the feast of St. Herman of Alaska , Fr. Matthew Howell uses as a basis for his sermon a line from one of the Old Testament readings from Great Vespers the evening before:  "He shall take holiness for an invincible shield" (Wisdom of Solomon 5:19). Fr. Matthew talks about how St. Herman, in the austere setting of Alaska, took holiness for an invincible shield agains...

After Great Vespers for the Feast of St. Herman , Fr. Matthew Howell talks about all the first world issues and problems we face and reminds us that St. Herman didn't face any of those technological issues. Fr. Matthew points out that technology will not save us--not that we should shun it--but that we should be thankful for what we have and even be thankful for the sufferings that we endure,...

On the 10th Sunday of Luke in which the Orthodox Church presents the story of Christ healing on the sabbath a woman who was afflicted with a spirit of infirmity for 18 years, Fr. Jason Falcone delivers a homily at St. Herman Church about the relationship between the feast of Christmas and the healing of this woman. He talks about how God's incarnation in Jesus Christ heals all humanity as show...

On a day on which the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos is transferred to a Sunday due to unique circumstance, Fr. Matthew Howell uses the Old Testament readings from the feast to discuss the issues of contentment and gratitude. He talks about how the temple was filled with the glory of God, and then ponders about the word "filled" to lead to the topic of contentment (as in, I am fu...

While preaching about the parable of the Good Samaritan, Fr. Matthew Howell talks about feeling "contractually obligated" to help a passerby whose car was stuck in the ditch. He goes on to elaborate how we, as Christians, are contractually obligated to love our neighbor simply because we claim to be followers of Christ. We should, however, move beyond "contractual obligation,"...

While discussing the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Fr. Matthew Howell talks about an article by Stephen Post that he read about a phenomenon called the "Giver's Glow", which refers to the euphoric feelings one receives when volunteering or giving money to charity. He then ties this to the glow of God's glory or the glow of the fires of hell that will surround us when we di...

On the feast of St. Raphael of Brooklyn (celebrated by the Antiochian Archdiocese on the first Saturday of November), Fr. Matthew Howell talks about how St. Raphael was a lifelong learner who used his extensive intellect and education to connect with and draw people to Christ and His Church.

Using the gospel reading about Jairus and the woman with the flow of blood, Fr. Matthew Howell talks about our need to have spiritual urgency and healthy desperation that turns us to Christ. He also talks about how this applies to both our personal spiritual lives and to the life of a parish community that needs to have some urgency in carrying out its mission to "baptize all nations" wh...