Jacob and His Well: Baptism for the Nations

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, May 6, 2018 Acts 11:19-30; John 4:5-42 In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Christ is risen! Today let us begin by contemplating the meaning of water. The Gospel we read today is focused quite literally on water, in which Jesus meets with the Samaritan woman at Jacobā€™sā€¦

A Covenant in Flesh and Spirit

Circumcision of Christ / Feast of St. Basil the Great, January 1, 2017 Colossians 2:8-12; Luke 2:20-21, 40-52 V. Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today is the eighth day from the Nativity, and on the eighth day from birth, newborn Jewish boys were circumcised. The Lordā€¦

Christians are Naturalized Citizens

The following is the naturalization oath that makes someone a citizen of the United States when immigrating from another country: I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend theā€¦

Christianity is Not About Your Spiritual Life

Sunday after Theophany, January 10, 2016 Ephesians 4:7-13; Matthew 4:12-17 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. ā€œTo each one of us is given the grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.ā€ This phrase from Paulā€™s epistle to the Ephesians is appointed for us toā€¦

Can the Virgin Mary “save” us?

Today I read the comments on this YouTube video. I know, I know—YouTube comments generally are the lowest form of discourse on the Internet, and I wasn’t terribly surprised to see that someone thought that the musical line “Most Holy Mother of God, save us” was “blasphemous.” (He preferred to hear his blasphemy in Latin, apparently.) I must admit to being a bit baffled,ā€¦

The Beginning of Baptism

Sunday after Theophany, January 12, 2014 Rev. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick A recording of this sermon can be heard via Ancient Faith Radio. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen. Today is the Sunday after the Great Feast of Theophany, and even though the feast is now past, we are still within theā€¦