Romans 5:1-11; Matthew 6:22-33 There is nothing more important than learning to see our neighbors, ourselves, and all the blessings and challenges of our lives with clarity. That is simply another way of saying that we must come to see ourselves and our world truthfully in God. If we do not, our perspective will be darkened by our passions to the point that we will become blind…
Romans 2:10-16; Matthew 4:18-23 There is a clear logic to the feasts and commemorations of the Church during this time of year. Celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is followed by the Sunday of All Saints, for all who fulfill the basic human vocation to become like God in holiness do so by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit within their hearts. Pentecost and All Saints remind us…
Acts 20:16-18, 28-36; John 17:1-13 Forty days after His resurrection, our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ ascended in glory into heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father. He did so as One Who is fully divine and fully human, One Person with two natures. He ascended with His glorified, resurrected body, which still bore the wounds of His crucifixion. Our Lord’s Ascension reveals that we may…
Acts 16:16-34; John 9:1-38 Christ is Risen! Concerning the school shooting in Uvalde, His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH wrote: We pray for the repose of these innocents and that our good God will provide comfort to their survivors, who agonize and must now bury them. Now more than ever, we all must do our parts to stop the hatred and devaluation of human life that produce such horrific crimes. Everyone—governments, churches, communities, families,…
Acts 9:32-42; John 5:1-15 Christ is Risen! During the season of Pascha, the Church calls our attention to how particular people responded to our Lord, Who rose from the dead on the third day. Thomas did not believe until he saw and touched the wounds of the Risen Savior. Joseph of Arimathea took Christ’s body down from the Cross and, with the help of Nicodemus, buried Him. The Myrrh-Bearing women went to…