9th Sunday after Pentecost Homily on both the Epistle reading and Gospel lesson from 1 Corinthians 3:9-17 & Matthew 14:22-34 In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Saint Paul and Saint Matthew offer today for us three images of the Church, three symbols through which we can view the Church and our role within the Church. These three images are not exhaustive, of course, because nothing can exhaust the infinite God and His Church. Nonetheless, these symbols are very helpful. A sermon delivered during the Funeral of Irina Gozick In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
If there is one thing Orthodox Christians are good at celebrating, it is celebrating death. The central event in the history of our salvation was death. Death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 7th Sunday after Pentecost Sermon on the Epistle reading from Romans 15:1-7 In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Today’s Epistle reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Christian community in Rome comes from a section of about 2-3 chapters where Paul talks about what it means to live together in a mixed community. In the first century, the Roman Christian community consisted of Jews and pagans. As such, they had very different views on life in terms of morality and proper worship of God. As Christians, however, their views had to be transformed, had to be enlightened, and in some cases had to be changed. 6th Sunday after Pentecost on the Gospel lesson from Matthew 9:1-8 In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Last Sunday we heard Christ healing two demon-possessed men in the land of Gergesenes, which was on the shore opposite of the town where Jesus resided. After He healed the two men, and cast the demons into the pigs, who swiftly rushed off the cliff and drowned in the sea, the people of the land came, in fear and astonishment, and asked the Lord … to get out. |