We Have Everything We Need to Obey Christ’s Call to “Follow Me”: Homily for the Second Sunday After Pentecost and the Second Sunday of Matthew in the Orthodox Church

· Fr. Philip LeMasters
  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…

Ascending with Christ into Heavenly Glory While Living in the World of Corruption: Homily for the Sunday of the After-Feast of the Ascension and the Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

· Fr. Philip LeMasters
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…

Overcoming the Darkness Evident in a Society Accustomed to School Shootings: Homily for the Sunday of the Blind Man in the Orthodox Church

· Fr. Philip LeMasters 2 Leave a Comment on %s
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,…

Overcoming the Paralysis of our Passions: Homily for the Sunday of the Paralytic in the Orthodox Church

· Fr. Philip LeMasters
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…

Becoming Persons United to Christ in Love: Homily for the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, Pious Joseph of Arimathea, and Righteous Nicodemus in the Orthodox Church

· Fr. Philip LeMasters
Mark 15: 43-16:8 Christ is Risen! As we continue to celebrate our Lord’s glorious resurrection on the third day and victory over Hades and the tomb, it should be obvious that we too often live as though death still reigned.  We do so especially when we fall prey to fear rooted in anxiety about how weak, insignificant, and insubstantial we are, especially in light of death.  We build ourselves up in our…