The Orthodox Vine

As we begin the Triodion period, we are reminded of two ways of praying. One that God hears and the another which he doesn't. 

What God expects from us.

Christ desires to come to us. Let us remove the things in our lives that block his path to our hearts.

You’re invited to the Great Banquet. How will you respond?

Sermon on Galatians 5:22

Sermon on the parable of the Sower. 

God is love. And we are called to be his love in the world.

A recording of our catechism class discussing the Creed and the old and new Covenant that God made with human beings. 

The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this...

We often talk about how much God loves us. But how much do we love God and how can we grow that love?

There are few gospel readings where we hear Christ giving us a stern warning. The reading from Matthew 18:25-35 is one of them. If we are to be true Christians and children of our Father, we must have the compassion and forgiveness of the King in the parable and not be like the wicked servant.  The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle a...

A sermon on the commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. 

In this session from our Orthodox Faith and Life catechism class we discuss the Orthodox Icon of the Nativity and reflect on the meaning and universal significance of the Incarnation of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.  

We all fear something. But fear is not a natural condition of human beings but something that entered into us when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Ultimately, all fear is rooted in the fear of death. In the gospel reading from Matthew 14:23-33, we see how fear leads to doubt and this makes it difficult to keep and increase our faith. But there's a way to overcome both fear and doubt and trust and live...

Sermon on the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos

A recording from our Orthodox Faith & Life Catechism Seminar

Love for Christ makes a person truly human. Without knowing Christ and loving him, we remain incomplete beings. This love for Christ is something that must be developed so that faith might also grow. The key to growing in both love and faith is humility. If we do not humble ourselves before God who humbled himself before us, then God will humble us by allowing us to suffer in order that this devel...

A recording of the first lecture from our Orthodox Faith & Life catechism class discussing the unknowable essence of God, how God reveals himself as Holy Trinity, and how we can know God through the participation and experience of his energies. We also discuss the reason why God created the world and his plan for human beings which he never revoked even after the fall of Adam and Eve.  

The first class of our Orthodox Faith & Life catechism seminar where Fr. Ninos explains the Orthodox approach to catechism as beyond learning with our minds but, more importantly, cultivating an Orthodox phronema (mindset) so that love for God and the journey of union and life with Christ can occur in accordance to one's struggle in the spiritual life within the arms of the Church. 

We can spend our short lifetime on this Earth worrying about our bodily health only and neglect the health of our souls. The sickness and wounds of the soul that are caused by sin will be eternal, if left untreated. But if we desire it, they can be healed through our repentance and the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as we heard in the gospel reading today.  At that time, getting into a boat J...

Matthew 5:14-19 The Lord said to his disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prop...

Sermon on the Sunday gospel reading from Matthew 6:22-33. What is the purpose of our eyes? How do we use them to increase our spiritual vision? How does that affect our daily lives?

Today's Sunday Gospel reading is from Matthew 4:18-23.  At that time, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other...

The Sunday of All Saints Gospel reading and sermon.

Pentecost is the day when true unity between human beings was made possible through The Church and through the Holy Spirit our path to reunion with God was opened.