1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Matthew 19:16-26 The Scriptures are full of warnings about the temptations faced by those who receive the praise of others. The Lord Himself said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” (Lk. 6:26) Those false prophets of the Old Testament told corrupt kings or others in positions of power precisely what they wanted to hear in…
Matthew 18:23-35 The Lord often taught in parables, which are very short stories that convey a particular point. They can spark our imagination and challenge us to see ourselves in a new light. Christ’s parables call us into question and get to the heart of the matter of where we stand before God. The first servant in today’s parable begged for more time to pay an…
1 Corinthians 4:9-16; Matthew 17:14-23 Many biblical characters are memorable because of the honesty with which they are portrayed. They were people who encountered Christ with all the weaknesses and faults that we still possess today and who serve as models for how to open our lives to His healing mercy with integrity. Unlike people in any time or place who want a religion that goes no deeper than appearances in…
Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28 There is nothing more fundamental to our faith as Orthodox Christians than the good news that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Our Lord entered fully into our world of brokenness and pain and was as dead and buried as anyone else lying in the grave; but since He is God, Hades and the tomb could not contain Him. Because He…
1 Corinthians 1:10-17; Matthew 14:14-22 We gather today during a very rich period of the life of the Church. Even as we continue to celebrate our Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, we continue in the Dormition Fast in preparation to commemorate the falling asleep in Christ of the Theotokos and her assumption into heaven as a whole person. When something is transfigured, it is changed into a more beautiful or glorious…