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Whose Vineyard is This, Anyway?

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost / Thirteenth Sunday of Matthew, September 3, 2017 I Corinthians 16:13-24; Matthew 21:33-42 Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. If you have something truly wonderful to share with people, how do you get it to them? How do you get this wonderful…

A Tale of Two Rich Young Men

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost / Twelfth Sunday of Matthew, August 27, 2017 I Corinthians 15:1-11; Matthew 19:16-26 Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today let’s hear the stories of two rich young men—one whose name we do not know, who encounters Jesus directly during His earthly…

How My Mother’s Life Interprets Mine

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
The following is an excerpt from a longer talk, titled “We’re All Absalom: Emerging Into Adulthood Alongside Our Parents,” which can be heard on Ancient Faith Radio. I delivered the talk at the 2017 Antiochian Archdiocese Convention for the Young Adult Ministry. The photo above is of my mother on her wedding day in 1972. Her name was Sandy, and my mother was always…

Church Work is Mostly Disappointing

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Clergy often share ministry stories and then say, “They didn’t teach me that in seminary!” One of the things that I wasn’t taught in seminary (and wish I were) is that ministry in church life is mostly a disappointment. We clergy don’t often like to talk about that. I mean, who would like to say that most of the time, the work they do,…

Holiness How-To: Imitate our Gospel Parents

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost / Tenth Sunday of Matthew, August 13, 2017 I Corinthians 4:9-16; Matthew 17:14-23 Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. For though you have a myriad of tutors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for I begat you in Christ…

The Transfiguration as Model for Ministry

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Holy Transfiguration of Christ, August 6, 2017 II Peter 1:10-19; Matthew 17:1-9 Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today we see God. Today we see Jesus Christ standing on Mount Tabor before His three inner circle disciples—Peter, James and John—and He is transfigured before them, His…

Are All Orthodox Christians Supposed to Evangelize? (UPDATED)

· Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
The following is culled from comments I made on a Facebook thread in a private group in which it was being alleged that most Orthodox Christians aren’t meant to function as missionaries. The argument was mentioned that the Lord’s command to go into all the earth and preach the Gospel was given only (or mainly) to the apostles. Allowance was made for certain rare…