Tag: Sunday Homily

I See You! Sunday’s Homily

· Fr. Barnabas Powell 1 Leave a Comment on %s
On this Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, we are confronted with the message that we must never neglect the marginalized in society AND the confrontation that all of us must be changed. Both parts of the Message of the Gospel MUST be our work and our calling. The purpose of the Faith is to CHANGE YOU!

Take Up Your Mat and Walk! Sunday Homily

· Fr. Barnabas Powell 1 Leave a Comment on %s
On the Sunday of the Paralytic, we are confronted with the invitation of Christ to hear His invitation to be healed and then act on His healing. Why is this society suffering from this mad chaos? What’s wrong? We seemed to be paralyzed by chaos! What is the sickness? What’s wrong with this culture? It has every bit to do with the broken will of humans gripped by sin.

The Enemy is Fear – Sunday of the Myrrh-bearers

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
Fear makes us do foolish things and it causes us to miss out on what God has for us. Fear makes us less than who we really are. But when we face fear and confront fear and not allow fear to stop us, we are given the amazing revelation of the Victory of Jesus over that which makes us most afraid – death. The Myrrhbearers and Joseph and Nicodemos all confront theā€¦

The Peace of Palm Sunday – Sunday’s Homily

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
On this Palm Sunday, as we prepare to walk with Christ during His final days before His voluntary passion on the cross, the Normal Orthodox life is one of peace that passes understanding. It is this heavenly peace that Christ gives us that keeps all the external chaos and troubles of life away from our hearts as we rest in Godā€™s love for us.

There’s Only One Purpose For A Cross – Sunday’s Homily

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
The fact that humans are so very aware of our own mortality means that the fear of death drives much of our intoxication with our passions. But at the center of Great Lent, the Church gives us the image of the Cross to drive us to embrace another way of living that is prepared for death. If you are going to follow Christ in any serious way, you must be willing toā€¦

Bring Every Thought Captive to Christ – Sunday’s Homily

· Fr. Barnabas Powell 1 Leave a Comment on %s
On this Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, we are confronted with the mystery of God being BOTH Unknowable AND Knowable, and this mystery invites us to the awesome reality that we can be in true communion with the God Who loves us and comes among us. This spiritual discipline of taming our thoughts allows us to avoid the terrible tragedy of neglecting our Great Salvation. P.S. I know there are focus problems.ā€¦

You Shall See Greater Things – Sunday’s Homily

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
On this Sunday of Orthodoxy where we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy and the restoration of the Holy Icons, we are invited by Christ to see greater things because God becomes visible for our salvation. Our great Faith is meant to enchant the world with greater things, and we are meant to make the invisible visible through the great Normal Orthodoxy of the Incarnate God Who comes to recreate the world andā€¦

Forgive and Be Forgiven – Sunday’s Homily

· Fr. Barnabas Powell 1 Leave a Comment on %s
On the Sunday of Forgiveness, we are confronted with the reality that if we don’t forgive we won’t be forgiven. That’s because a heart gripped by grudges, bitterness, and unforgiveness cannot receive forgiveness no matter how much it is offered by our Loving Lord. A clean heart is able to let go of past wrongs and is also able to receive forgiveness and be healed of the spiritual illness of untamed passions.ā€¦

The Trembling Fearful Day of Judgement – Sunday’s Homily

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
The purpose of the Sunday of the Last Judgement is to arrest you in your rhythm of life to remind you that there is going to be an ultimate Judgement of your life, and it will be a judgment of how your life was shaped by eternal values and how you put those values to use in treating others. But make no mistake, bad theology produces an enslaved person gripped by theā€¦

Transform Your Desires! Sunday’s Homily

· Fr. Barnabas Powell
The Orthodox Faith is not merely a behavioral modification philosophy but a Way of Life that transforms. The Faith teaches us that it is our desires that will determine our healing. If you allow the Faith to heal and mature your desires, you’ll finally be who you are created to be. And you’ll finally understand WHY the Church calls us to the Arena of the Virtues called Great Lent.