Be Transfigured Ministries: Recent Episodes
Reverend Father Athanasios C Haros
Orthodox Christianity is a way of life, not a religion. Too often we relegate our belief in Christ to a mere mental exercise. Be Transfigured! And Live a New Life in Jesus Christ.
When God promised, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink,” He was inviting us to come inside the Church and He would quench our thirst for God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God is everywhere, but He is inside the Church in a special way. The physical presence of God has been promised since He first told Moses He would be waiting for us inside the Church.
On Mothers’ Day we turn to the Church as our mother. Like our earthly mothers, the Church knows what is good for us when we are sick. We may not like cure, but just like our mothers’ cure-all, the Church offers us the sacraments and the life of the Church to heal us. We should learn to trust the Church like we trust our mothers, and we will be made well. A life of prayer, fasting, caring for the poor and the sacraments of the Church, are all for our healing.
When Christ first appeared alive with His Apostles after his resurrection, Thomas was absent. The Apostles said, “We have seen the Lord,” but Thomas needed to see for himself. Eight days later Thomas saw Christ with his own eyes and believe. Christ said, “You believe because you have seen. Blessed are those who believe but who have not seen.” The Church has spread through the centuries because the Church stands in the world as eyewitness to the Resurrection of Christ. With our faith and courage, and God’s grace many more will believe in the Resurrection of Christ because of our eyewitness to them. We believe because others share their eyewitness. The Church will continue only if we share our eyewitness. It is up to us.
There were thousands of people gathered in Jerusalem who witnessed the glory of Jesus Christ. They witnessed Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Despite seeing His glory with their own eyes, they didn’t understand God’s glory. We sit in Church. We see the glory of God. We proclaim our faith in Him. Still, like the ancient crowd we just don’t understand Jesus for Who really is. Now is our chance to witness God’s glory and change our life to be with the King of Glory.
Sometimes we doubt our faith. Sometimes we doubt that our faith is strong enough to ‘get us over the finish line’ so that we can grow closer to Christ. Sometimes we have ‘just enough’ faith to come to Christ and ask for help. In those moments, Christ gives us what we need to be stronger in our faith in Him. In those moments Christ helps us in our weakness, and always gives us what we need.
When we gather as the family of God, we have the blessing to bring people to Christ who need His help and healing. When Christ saw the faith of four friends of a paralyzed man, He healed the man and forgave his sins. Our responsibility to God is bring people to the Church so they can be healed and forgiven.
On Forgiveness Sunday, the Gospel teaches us that God will only forgive once we have forgiven others. This is difficult when we fight about who was right and who was wrong. Since all since is against God, then forgiveness comes much easier. If we can forgive for reconciliation rather than right or wrong, then we unite with each other and God. Then, and only then, we God forgive us.
The Parable of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25 can confuse us into believing that our actions will save us. Our judgment isn’t about the works that we do, our ability to love others as if we are loving Christ. Even our giving to the Church should be out of love for God and not out of duty.
When someone who has wasted everything and lost everything, or has strayed away from God, chooses to return in repentance, it is a blessing to witness. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is much more than just a story about repentance. It is also a story of the ‘one left behind’ and being too cold to be joyful over another’s repentance. You never know when you will meet a prodigal son returning to God. It is just as important to welcome others home as it is to repent and return home.
There are special days in our life when we feel so happy and content that we can’t imagine life getting any better. Saint Symeon had such a day when he saw Jesus Christ. “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace.” The Church invites us to consider what it might take for our hearts to be filled with so much peace and joy at seeing Him that we are ‘ready’ to die.
We say ‘thank you’ all the time, but we rarely live a life of gratitude. Being truly thankful requires a life-change, more than just a few words. When we want to thank God, we come to His Church, bow and worship Him, and live a new life of gratitude.
When we hear the human lineage of Christ in Matthew 1.1-25, we hear about our human ancestors. The ‘list of names’ reminds us that God has never walked away from us, no matter how far we have strayed away from Him. The Feast of Christmas is a celebration of God’s saving act of becoming human and saving us. The story of our ancestors is a story of faith. It is a story of those who kept returning to God no matter how often or how far they may have strayed. It inspires us to return to Him and celebrate Christmas and our salvation.
When we think of the Holy Canons of the Church, we most often think of them as ‘laws’ to be followed. They should be followed but not because they are laws. In the story of the women bent over for eighteen years, Christ reveals the true purpose of the Law. Following the laws and Canons of the Church frees us from the burden of sin. When we allow the Holy Canons to change our hearts, we change the way we think of Christ and the Church. Fast, but not because it is the law. Fast to change your heart. Fast to be free from sin.
When faced with the choice to give up our wealth or follow Christ, most of us choose our wealth and walk away from God. Until we are willing to separate ourselves from money and wealth we cannot have eternal life. This is impossible without God’s help.
When we are blessed to have more than we need, it is a challenge for our soul. In the Parable of the Barns, the rich man died without ever using the ‘good things’ that God had given to him. What are we doing with all the good things that God has given to us? We always focus on ourselves, but God wants us to think about others more than ourselves. The best way to learn to care about others is to Tithe to the Church. It was the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Church.
We have all been given many good things from God. What have we done with them? Have we used the good things that God has given to us for others or kept them for ourselves. In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazaros found the in Luke 16.19-31, the rich man who kept everything to himself was in hell when he died. When we consider our stewardship to God’s Church, will we find ourselves in the torment of hell because we did nothing with God’s good things? We must act now!
When God’s blessings come, we don’t always understand them for what they are. In the Parable of the Sower found in Luke 8.5-15 we learn that God’s sends out His Son for all people, but not everyone is able to understand God’s grace fully. In every situation, good and bad, God’s grace is for everyone.
When we are faced with struggles we wonder sometimes where is God? This is especially difficult in times of disaster or tragedy. The Gospel tells the story of the burial of the only son of a widow from Nain. She was not alone. God had compassion on her. We are never alone. God is always with us.
Christ went to the Synagogue and read from Isaiah and said, “Today this is fulfilled in your hearing.” Christ speaks to us today, not just in the past. Every year on the Ecclesiastical New Year, we are reminded that Christ came to heal us, to cure us, and to save us. Let’s make this the “acceptable year of the Lord.”
When thousands were gathered around Christ in the desert, the Disciples expected the Lord to send them away so they could feed themselves. Instead, Christ said, “They do not need to go away. You give them something,” and thousands were fed with just a few loaves of bread and two fish. Christ fed the crowds through the Disciples. He can bless others through us when we allow Him to use us as He used the Disciples. We become agents of God’s grace to help others.
When Christ saw the faith of the friends of the paralytic, He said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” Christ didn’t heal the man until He wanted to show His power to forgive sins. When we are united in the faith of Christ, our sins can be forgiven by God. When we pray each day, rather than praying for our physical health, we should pray for the forgiveness of our sins and the sins of others.
When we battle against God we cannot benefit from His power. When God healed the Gergesene Demoniacs, the crowed was angry with God. Instead of thanking God, they fought against Him. God has the power to protect us even from demons, but only if we stop fighting against Him.
Last week the Church commemorated the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Christ promised the Holy Spirit would guide the Holy Apostles into all the truth. Christ appointed the Apostles to shepherd the Church to heaven. The Apostles ordained Bishops and throughout history, the Bishops of the Church have served as shepherd leading us to heaven. The only thing that gets in the way is that we need to follow. Only goats do whatever the want. Sheep follow the shepherd.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
It is too easy ignore the work of God when we choose to remain blind. Christ reveals Himself to us through His works and grace, but when we prefer to remain blind to Him, we refuse to believe in Christ.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
When Saint Photini met Christ at the well in the heat of the day, her heart was totally exposed to Him. In her dialogue with God, she felt His love and grace instead of shame. She immediately went and invited everyone she knew, “Could this be the Christ?” They came and had the same experience. Now it is our turn to go and invite others to “Come and see Christ in the Church.”
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Because Joseph of Arimathea courageously approach Pilate and asked to bury Christ, the Myrrh Bearing women were able to see where Christ was buried. Because the Myrrh Bearing women went courageously to His Tomb to anoint Christ, the entire world heard the Good News of Christ’s resurrection. Now it is our turn to act with courage and let everyone we know about the Resurrection of Christ and bring the Good News of a better life.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
One of the daily prayers of the Church begs for God’s compassion. We can only beg for His compassion when we have faith in the power and love of God. God has shown us everything we need to understand His power to save us and to have compassion on us. Now that we have experienced His power and compassion, it is our turn to be a witness to His power so others can have faith in His compassion and power.
When we come to Church, no matter what day, we are always looking to ‘get something’ from God. Unfortunately, we never ask ourselves what we are coming to Church to give to God. On Palm Sunday we hear about a woman who showed such profound love for God that she spent an entire year’s wages on ointment to wipe His feet. That is the sort of love we should want to show to God.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
When we think about our relationship with God in heaven, it can be easy to focus on ourselves. We tend to want the best seats and the best treatment in heaven. We forget that Christ teaches us to want more for others than for ourselves. The message of the Gospel, and the ultimate goal of Great Lent is for us to learn to put others ahead of ourselves.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
During Great Lent we are not simply following rules. We are learning to deny ourselves. We are learning to take up our Cross. We are learning how to follow Christ. If we spend life focusing on ourselves, we will never take up the struggle of our cross. The Church focuses on the Cross so that we can learn how to live as Christ wants us to live.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
The Sunday of Orthodoxy is a celebration of the truth of God’s incarnation. It is much more than the celebration of paint and art. Holy Icons are a crucial reminder that God has become human so that we commune with Him. Holy Icons are a reminder of the truth that God has brought us the hope of salvation, through living in communion with God.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, March 12, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
People do good things for three reasons. Some do good to avoid punishment. Others do good to earn rewards. The best reason to do good is because we love God. Doing good to get a response from God is contractual. Love is not a contract. When we are judged by God on Judgment Day, He wants to see our hearts so filled with love that we do good, not hoping God sees us, but simply because we love.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son teaches us that we are all called to return to God. He is waiting for us every time we walk away from the Church. Every time we walk out of Church we are faced with temptations of the world. The sooner we return to God and His Church, the better our chances to be welcomed home by God. Then, when others return who we have seen in a long while, we must fight the temptation to judge them. God welcomes them back just as He welcomes us back.
It is so easy to list the sins of everyone around us. The prayer of the Pharisee was focused on the sins of others rather than his own sins. It was the prayer of the Publican who understood his need for God’s mercy. Being preoccupied with following the rules of the Church for the sake of pride and ‘following all the rules’ is not going to be a blessing to us. In the Gospel of Luke 18.10-14, Christ uses the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee to teach us to live the life of the Church without pride. The life of the Church is meant to transform our hearts, not meant for us to keep score with each other.
When Christ was asked which love was the most important, He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." If we want to live according to God’s greatest commandment we must learn to love how God wants us to love. We can’t love the way God wants on ‘day one’. It takes time to learn how to love.
When we want to be in Church, we plan in advance. When we want to see Christ, we also need to plan. Just like Zacchaeus planned in advance to see Christ, we need to clean our hearts, make plans for him, and be ready for Him. We do this by confessing our sins to the Church and restoring our broken relationships. There will be no room for Christ if our hearts are filled with bitterness and sin. Now is the time for us to plan to see Christ and welcome Him into our hearts.
When Christ healed ten lepers, including one foreigner, He taught us that His grace and healing is for everyone. God sent the ten to the priests, to the Temple, to show the priests they had been healed. They were sent to show that Christ was sent to heal everyone, not just the inner circle.
After His Baptism by John in the Jordan River, Christ proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We are called to repent, or to return to the beginning, before sin took over our life. We are called by Christ to return to a time when the Light of Christ filled our hearts and our life centered around Christ and His Church.
As we consider our annual New Year Resolutions this year remember the message of the Gospel. “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” The first message of the Gospel according to Saint Mark is the message of repentance. This year, change the way you think about life. Make everything about your salvation.
For generations the Jews waited for their savior. We wait for Christmas each year with great anticipation. The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of our savior. He has come so that our pain and suffering is only temporary. Let’s celebrate the great joy and gift He has given us. No more waiting.
When God invites you, He wants you to attend by choice. He won’t force us to attend Church. His desire is that we want to be with Him in Church and in Heaven. Attending Church is not about checking off a box of obligation. We can ‘find time’ for anything we desire. God invites us to want to be with Him. The day will come at the Judgement when we won’t have a choice. Let’s desire it now, so we can be ready for Heaven. Ask God to give you the desire, and you will find yourself wanting to be with God.
You don’t have to be blind to be blind. Instead of looking at the sins of others, we need to start looking in the mirror. Unfortunately, we are blind to our sins, but insist on watching others. In the Gospel of Luke 18.35-43, we see a blind man who could see God. The crowd that was walking with Christ was blind to God’s love. The time has come for us to blind to the sins of others and look in the mirror to see our sins and commit to be better.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, November 21, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, November 14, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
When we die, we will find ourselves in one of two situations. We will be in the presence of God in either situation. We will either experience His presence as comfort or torment. We will experience God’s presence either has heaven or hell. The choice will be ours, but the choice must be made now, before we die. Once we die, there is not changing our fate. The time to change our hearts is now, today.
When we are surrounded and tormented by demons in our life, God has the power to the send them away. In the world there are many tempting alternatives to in which we place our trust in these times, such as the “Evil Eye”. Real power is Christ, no blue glass eye. Don’t waste your energy on anything else.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, October 10, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
We all ask God for things, but God does not always give us what we want. Having wants is not necessarily a bad thing. When what we want is not what we need, we need to trust God more than we know. God may not give us what we want, but He will always give us what we need. We need to learn to pray for God’s will. Begin and end every prayer with the words, “If it is Your will.” Then trust that God knows what we need.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, October 3, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Maybe the most difficult commandment from God is for us to love our enemies and those who do not love us in return. It takes real courage to love those who love. The Golden Rule requires Christian courage. We all need love. None of can survive without love. When we can figure this out, then we can have mercy on others.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, September 26, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
We are all at different stages of our spiritual journey. The Orthodox way of life can be complex and difficult to determine just is the best way to practice our Orthodox Life. We cannot just ‘pick and choose’ like a cafeteria. The Tradition of our Church is to have a spiritual father who is guiding us in our daily life. Our spiritual father knows us. He knows our challenges. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He knows how to guide us to make the best use of the Orthodox Tradition.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, September 19, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, September 12, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Christ made a promise that everyone who believes in Christ will have eternal life. Just as He promised in the Old Testament when Moses was leading the People of God in the wilderness, God promises us that if we look at Christ on the Cross with faith, we will have eternal life. Even if we are wounded by life, God’s promise is power and His Cross is life.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, September 5, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
We check the price of everything before we choose to invest our time and money. The same thing goes for heaven. We want to know how much it will cost for us to get to heaven. In the Gospel of Matthew 19.16-26 we hear that wealth stopped a rich man from following Christ into heaven. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” For the rich man, it was not worth his money to follow Christ. He loved his money more than God. For others it could be power or prestige or social position. Anything that we love more than God is the price of heaven. God wants us to ‘give up’ everything we love more than Him, and follow Him into heaven. Sound impossible? “With God, all things are possible.”
We all want to know. We have been asking from a young age. Without thinking, too often we think we can’t know what heaven will look like. The problem is that God has already told us what to expect, every time He was asked. “The kingdom of Heaven is like…” Heaven look the same as when we forgive each other, no matter how small or large our sin might be.
On the Feast of Transfiguration, the Church celebrates the Light of Christ. On Mount Tabor Christ appeared as bright as the sun, but the disciples were not harmed because God protected them. God allows us to see His Light as much as we can bear. The world is competing with God by showing us images of light of destruction. On the day the world celebrates the Transfiguration of Christ, the world displayed the light of destruction over Hiroshima. Let’s end summer by focusing on the Light of Christ rather than the light of the world. Then we can take the Light of Christ out into the world to bring hope and love to the world.
When Christ invited the first disciples to follow Him, He called them to a job. He called them to become fishers of men, to bring people into the Church. Today we are called by Christ to bring people to Christ. We are not just supposed to bring them into our community, but into Christ. The disciples dropped everything and followed Christ. Together they went, and Jesus healed many. Together with us, Christ can heal those we bring back to Him.
When we accept the invitation to become saints, we must also accept the challenge of a life willing to give it all up for God. We must live the life of the Church which has been guided by the Holy Spirit since Pentecost. A life of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is meant to help us take up our cross and become saints. It is not an easy life, but it is the life of the Saints.
The world is thirsting for God. The Feast of Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to guide the Church into the whole truth. We all have something in our life that we are chasing after, but we remain thirsty. Christ offers Himself as the source of rivers of living water if we believe. Instead of offering people the world which will never quench their thirst, offer God to those who are thirsty.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, May 23, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
When Christ healed the man born blind, many refused to believe. It was easier to think the man was never blind, than to believe he was healed by God. Without desire to believe, we will refuse even to believe what we see with our own eyes. When we choose to believe our eyes, then we will change our lives to live with God.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
When we allow ourselves to remember that God already knows the pain in our hearts, we can confess our sins to Him. Then God will open Himself to us and show us His grace and mercy. We don’t have to hurt anymore. When we confess our pain to Him, He will fill our hearts with gushing rivers of Living Water from the Holy Spirit.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
When the Paralytic admitted to Christ that he didn’t have anyone to help him enter the water and be healed, Christ healed him. When we entered the waters of our Baptism, Christ healed us. The Paralytic went and praised God after he was healed. Most of the time we go through life and ignore God. We have the chance to be healed at every Divine Liturgy when Christ offers us Holy Communion. Let’s not turn our back on God any longer. Let’s live prepared to receive Holy Communion, and live forever.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Going through life we learn that where we look will guide our attention. If we want our life to follow Christ, then we must turn our attention to Christ. It requires courage and faith to not be distracted by the temptations of the world.
After Christ was raised from the dead He appeared to the Apostles. Since Thomas wasn’t present, he did not believe the witness of his fellow Apostles. Eight days later when Christ appeared to them again, this time with Thomas to see for himself. This time he believed. Christ gave to His Apostles everything they needed to believe in His Resurrection. He will give YOU everything you need to believe. All you need to do is be present in the Church to see and believe.
Palm Sunday bridges Great Lent to Holy Week with a Feast about our King. The only problem is, just as the Jews then betrayed Christ during Holy Week, we betray Him everyday when we live as if we are our own king. This can be the year we change and allow Him to be our King, not just in word but in deed.
A father brought his son to Christ saying, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit…. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” (Mark 9.17-18) When Christ challenged his faith he said, “I believe. Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9.24) It was then that Christ healed his son. When we ask God for something, we won’t always get what we want, but we will always get what we need. When the father asked Christ to strengthen his faith, God gave him what he needed. Stop asking God for special treatment. Instead, ask God to strengthen your faith. Then you will have a better understanding what God wants for you.
When four friends bring a paralyzed man to Christ, it was because of their faith that Christ healed him and forgave his sins. Christ wants for us to have enough faith to bring others to Him. Do you know others who need the healing touch of God? Then put your faith into action and bring them to Christ.
We celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy with a grand celebration of Holy Icons. With great pride we hold our icons high, but the Sunday of Orthodoxy is much more than just a historic celebration. We are celebrating the truth of God. Holy Icons are proof that God came as a human being to save us. We have seen Him, and now we invite others to come and see Him too.
As we prepare for Great Lent, it is crucial we forgive others. No matter what, if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us. When we fast, without putting on a show, we learn to live as God wants us to live. When we give to others, we learn to put our treasure in heaven instead of on earth. Our salvation depends on these three elements that make up Great Lent. Forgiveness, fasting, and giving is the triad of Great Lent.
When we are judged by God, He will judge us not just by what we do, but how we see. Do we see God in the faces of others? Do we see God in the least of society? That is the challenge of Matthew 25.31-46. It isn’t just about serving others. It is about seeing God in them.
In the Gospel of the Prodigal Son, we learn about the pain of change. Until it hurts more to remain where we are, we won’t change. Once change hurts less than remaining the same, we won’t return home. The good news is once we turn to return to the Father, He finishes the journey for us. We won’t remain in pain when we return to the Father, but first we must realize that it will hurt less to return to God.
As we consider our New Year Resolutions, it is important to remember that God has done everything that He asks of us. In commemorating the Circumcision of Christ, a physical reality of Christ, the Church reminds us that God has complete the Law where we were and are lacking.
It isn’t always easy to be merry at Christmas. For many families Christmas this year is a time of pain and suffering. The Birth of Christ, our Savior, is worthy of celebration. This is why the traditional greeting for Christmas is ‘Christ is Born; Glorify Him!’ It perfectly captures the truth that we glorify God no matter how merry we feel. We glorify Him because He has come to save us with His perfect timing.
On the Sunday before Christmas every year the Church hears a long list of names of the generations of Christ. From Abraham until Joseph the Church reminds us of the righteous ancestors of Christ described in the Old Testament. When you combine them with the saints of the New Testament we get a complete picture of the family of Christ, our family. Our ancestors in the Lord have two important things in common. None of them were perfect but all of them were committed to God. That is the story of the Church. We may not always get it right, but we are always committed to God.
It can be difficult in today’s world to find time to focus on God. It has become too easy for us to skip our prayers or to be late for Church. During our Nativity Fast, the Church has offered to us the blessing to pay attention to God. When we allow the life of the Church, we have opportunities to focus on God, not just following the rules.
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, our minds are on the idea of giving. We will feast and have plenty of leftovers. We may even give others our leftovers so they also can eat. We fool ourselves if we think that giving after we have had everything we need is generous. Giving from our leftovers isn’t being generous. It doesn’t matter even if our giving is huge amounts. If we only give after thinking of ourselves, we are no better than the Rich Fool in Luke 12.16-21.
We tend to go through life focusing on what we want and when we want it. Even in sickness we tend to demand from God that He heal on our terms. Experience teaches us that not everyone is healed. The difference between what we want and what we need is God’s to tell. Accepting the difference is humility. We need humility in our healing.
As Christians we are faced everyday with responding to God. We see God healing others. We watch God bless others. Too often we respond with jealousy rather than joy. Every day we are forced to choose God or to choose ourselves. In the story of the healing of the man with legion demons, the crowd rejected God because following Him meant losing their herd of pigs. They chose their pigs instead of God. We must stop pushing God away like the crowd.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, October 11, 2022, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
As God revealed in the miracle at Nain as described in Luke 7.11-16, God has chosen to come and visit His people with His own body. With His physical touch, Christ brought the son of the widow back to life. We are the temple of the Living God because God has visited His people. Through our Baptism and Holy Communion, we live in communion with God. We may have forgotten, but we can reconnect to Christ today and He can restore us from within.
When we stop asking, “What’s in it for us,” and allow God to use us for His Church and His Gospel, we experience miracles. We have been given gifts and talents from God not for our use, but for God to use to preach to others. We receive the grace of God when we are His voice and His hands and feet to reach others. Invite someone to Church! Then watch God’s grace overflow the Church.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, September 13, 2022, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
God came down from heaven to lift us up to heaven. If we believe in Him, we will be raised up to heaven by Christ. We have to learn to stop looking down on everyone as if we are the ones who are perfect. When we do not believe in Christ, we are already condemned. Many go through life experiencing hell because we refuse to see God’s love and spend all our time looking down on everyone around us. We need to come down and life each other up to heaven.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, September 6, 2022, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, August 30, 2022, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
As we learn in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18.23-35), God’s first position is to forgive the debt of our sin. We owe Him so much that we could never live long enough to repay Him. He still forgives, but there is a catch. He will only forgive us if we forgive others first. That’s right. If we refuse to forgive others, He will refuse to forgive us. If you want to be forgiven, if you want to be in heaven, you must first let go of the past and forgive others.
When we turn to God in prayer and fasting, our hearts are changed to better understand God’s desire for us. Faith the size of mustard seed is enough to move mountains, but every seed needs to be nurtured to produce. When we pray and fast, our faith is nurtured. When we bring ourselves and others to Christ for healing, our prayer and fasting helps us understand to accept God’s will.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, August 16, 2022, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
If we are inside the Church building, we are safe from the turmoil outside the walls of the Church. When we are baptized into the Church, we are safe with the protection and peace of God. The longer we stay outside the Church, the more we lose our focus, and we begin to sink in sin. Don’t stay outside too long. When we need God, He brings us home to his Church because He knows we are safe in the Church.
There comes a time when we need our own little miracle from God. The story of the healing of the two blind men in Matthew 9.27-35 is a gift from God for us today. When we allow God’s mercy and grace to work in our lives to open our eyes to our shortcomings. It is too easy to walk through life with our comfortable blinders, but once He opens our eyes, then our relationships can be healed. Ask God for mercy and He will open your eyes. Then you can be blessed to see clearly and be healed.
We have all received gifts from God. Saint Paul taught us the gifts should be used, and we should use them with faith. Whether we have received the gift of teaching, or organization or even giving, our gifts should be used for the glory of God. They should be used with faith, with love, and with mercy.
There are many immigrant stories of people who leave everything behind to come to America for a better life. Our ancestors risked losing everything for something better. Christ says, “Seek first the kingdom of heaven.” We must be willing to risk everything to reach heaven. Heaven is only destination worthy of risking everything because it isn’t just a better life, it is the best life.
The world is at war with the Church, trying to convince us what is good and what is not good. The world believes that life is disposable. The Church teaches that life is sacred. When we choose to follow Christ, and leave behind the world, it begins with not allowing how the world thinks to influence the way we think. The world will not wait for us to ponder the pros and cons of following Christ. We must choose immediately to leave the world behind and follow Christ. We must choose to live a NEW LIFE with Christ.
On the Sunday of All Saints, the Church directs out attention to those holy men and women, many of whom we will never know, to honor their holy lives. The Saints were those who put God ahead of all things in their lives. Christ gave us two very important ways to become Saints. We must confess Him in front of others, and we must love Him above all other things and people. If we are going to live as Saints, like God has called us, it begins with imitating the Saints.
On the Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost, the Church commemorates the Sunday of the Holy Father of the 1st Ecumenical Council which was dedicated to the unity of the Church. Shortly before His crucifixion, Christ prayed for us to be one as the Trinity is one. If we are going to be like God, then we must be committed to unity, not just in the name we call ourselves, but in the way we think about God. We must be committed to the oneness of mind with the Church.
On the Sixth Sunday of Pascha, the Church recalls the healing of the man born blind. Known as the Sunday of the Blind Man, it is truly about faith. The Blind Man saw Christ as God with his heart. The Pharisees refused to see Christ as God, not because they eyes didn’t work, but because they thought it was easier to remain in their sins. Too often, we do no live as if we believe, like the Pharisees. The time has come for us to change our lives, and finally live the faith we claim.
Every few years the commemoration of the Myrrh Bearing Women and Mothers’ Day coincide, as they do this year. It offers us a great opportunity to honor the faith and courage of women in general, and mothers specifically. Without our mothers and grandmothers and their grandmothers, going back to Eve in the Garden, we would be lost in the darkness without God. Our faithful and courageous mothers help us find God, which is worthy of all honor. Thank you mothers!
Six days before Passover, Christ was greeted with such extraordinary love of a woman, that we today could not comprehend such actions. We struggle to love God enough to come to Church on Sunday. Holy and Great Week is our chance to show God our love by giving Him our time. We may not be able to give thousands of dollars for perfume to anoint His feet, but we can give our hearts. If we want to love like Mary, then we must love God with all we’ve got.
There are two types of people in the world. Those who are aware of their addiction, and those who are not aware of their addiction. We all suffer from addiction, but we don’t always realize it. For some, our addiction is food, or money and wealth, or it may be power and prestige. There is something in life that consumes us. We are all addicted to sin, and the only way to defeat our addiction is to go through detox. Great Lent is our detox, and the chance for us to make a drastic change to our sin.
Christ invites anyone who desires to enter heaven to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. Halfway through the Great Fast the Church reminds us of our goal and the victory of the Cross. The first step is wanting to be with Him in heaven. He offers it freely, but He also tells us up front that it won’t be easy. It requires the way of the Cross, a life of struggle and self-denial, but it is worth the grace and joy of heaven. Do you want to follow Christ into heaven? Then learn how to deny yourself through fasting, take up the cross of your struggle and follow Him all way to heaven.
On the Sunday of Orthodoxy the Church celebrates not just the restoration of portable icons of wood, but the truth of the Church. We celebrate the truth belief that Christ became a human to save us, and we celebrate that we worship Him in real physical communion. We do not just think about God, we live with Him. We do not just show our icons; we show ourselves as His icons for the world. The best part is, we invite others to come and see God, because we have seen Him.
As we enter our annual journey of the Great Fast, the Church calls us to the high calling of forgiveness, fasting, and almsgiving. How we forgive, how we fast, and how we use our wealth, are all part of our spiritual journey to heaven. If we desire heaven, then we will make these three elements a priority in our lives, especially during the Great Fast. Consider making a safe online donation.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, February 22, 2022, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, February 15, 2022, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
As we begin the Triodion, the time to prepare our soul for Holy and Great Lent, we must first and foremost look to our own sins rather than the sins of others. It is too easy to focus on the sins of those around us, but until we look at our own sins, we will not leave the Church justified.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, February 1, 2022, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, October 26, 2021, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
“We have seen the Light, the true Light!” These words fill our mouths after we receive Holy Communion, but do we allow the Light to shine for others? When the blind man called out to Christ, the crowd tried to shut him out. It has become too easy for us to shut others out of the Church. The Blind Man had the Light in his heart, even though he couldn’t see. The crowd could see, but was blind to the Light. We must open our eyes to the Light of Christ, and let it shine for others to see.
The first sermon Christ spoke after His Baptism began with “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” We must learn to change the way we think about life and about the Church. The Kingdom of Heaven IS at hand. It is not just some future kingdom. The Church is the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, and we must change the way we think about why we come to Church. We don’t come just to hear a sermon and light a candle. We come to Church to commune with God in Heaven.
TRANSCRIPT
From the very moment Christ was born, the world declared war against God. Thousands of innocent children were slaughtered by King Herod because of his jealousy. God protected the Newborn Christ by sending Him with His Mother to Egypt. The war is still raging against God, and our children are still being killed. Either by drug abuse or temptation to stop believing what the Church teaches about God, the world continues to drag our children away from God and His Church. What are we doing to protect our children from this war? We must stop ignoring the war, and fight to protect our children. The only way to protect our children is to bring our children to Christ, not just GOYA and dance practice, but to Church and Divine Liturgy. The only way to fight the war, and to protect our children, is to teach them through our actions to love the Christian life. It is time to call our family back to Church!
When the Magi encountered the newborn Christ, they return home “another way” different than when they first arrived in Bethlehem. They were changed by God, no longer pagans, but worshipers of God. We are invited to be changed by God now that we have encountered Him at Christmas.
In the Gospel of the Great Banquet, we hear about the excuses used to avoid coming to Church. We hear them and we use them ourselves all the time. Unfortunately, the excuses are not enough because many simply don’t want to be with God in Church. The Creator of the Universe, God Himself, has invited us simple human beings to be with Him in Church and live with. Too bad all we do is make excuses and stay away. The time has come to want to be with God, and come into His Church.
When we look in the mirror, do we see God? We were created in the image of God, but we fall short of the glory of God. We WANT to think we are the most worthy, the most good, but God reminds us that we still lack something. We must become reflections of God, in His Goodness. God has given us His commandments to learn to live as God wants us to live, including giving everything away for someone else. We will have eternal life when we love as God loves.
In the story of the Good Samaritan, we often think about the actions we are expected to do for those in need. The story drives directly to our hearts, as we each find it difficult to spend time with others who are in need, pretending that we are too busy. If we are going to “be” the Good Samaritan, then must be willing to go out of our way to spend time with those in need. It is too easy to avoid the needs of others thinking we are too busy, but we can always do more.
When we use the resources that God has given to us to help others, they are not the ones who are blessed. We are blessed when we help the poor and others in need. The poor are blessed by God simply because they suffer, but we will suffer if we do not help with the blessings that God has already given to us. We have to choose to be on the side of love and compassion to be blessed by God in heaven. The alternative is suffering in hell if we allow our selfishness and keep our blessings to ourselves.
DISCLAIMER: There are few moments with poor sound quality. Please forgive us as we continue to improve our technology. A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, October 19, 2021, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
When we hear the Parable of the Sower of the Seeds, we are challenged not only to prepare our hearts for the Word of God, we must also become the “Sower” and share the Gospel with our neighbors and friends. Sometimes the message will fall on the path and other times on good fertile soil, but we must keep sharing the message over and over again, and for everyone to hear.
Many times, we find ourselves suffering in pain, and we think we are alone, even if we are surrounded by others. None of us is alone when Christ is in our life. When God raised the young man, the only son of the widow of Nain told in Luke 7.11-16, He showed us His love and His power. When we allow God to touch our hearts, He can heal our pain. The crowd proclaimed, “God has visited His people.” He has visited us! He has come to heal our pain.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, October 5, 2021, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
We’ve all heard of the Golden Rule as found in Luke 6.31-36, “As you wish that men should do to you, do so to them.” This perspective of doing good, so that others do good to us, is ultimately of no credit to us. It is when we do good when others do NOT do good that we are living as Christ desires. Christ commands, “Be merciful as your Father is merciful.” I call this the Platinum Rule, and it the only real way to live as a Christian.
The question of ‘Who is Jesus Christ?” has been answered with more than 45,000 different answers. If Jesus is our Savior, Who He is, matters. We call that, theology, and on the Feast of Saint John the Theologian, the Church reminds us that we have known the answer to this question for more than 1700 years. The testimony of Saint John the Theologian, and the testimony of the Church can be trusted, because it is the truth of God.
When we see the Cross of Christ, we are reminded that God has been saving us ever since Adam and Eve ate from the Tree in the Garden. From the very moment when God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden, and every day since then, God has never stopped saving us. Even today despite our daily sins, God saves us so we can have another chance to live with Him in repentance. It gives us great hope.
On the day the Church commemorates the beheading of John the Baptist, the Church asks us to strictly fast to teach us, that life not is about our own pleasure. We live in a society that promotes the lie that we can have what we want, when we want it, and how we want it. Too often we act like King Herod and strike out against the Church for trying to tell us ‘no’ when we demand something. Jesus Christ referred to John the Baptist as the greatest man ever to be born of a woman. He had his own disciples, and although he was great, he said about himself that he was not even worthy to untie Christ’s sandals. He taught his disciples, and he teaches us, that we must follow Christ rather than ourselves. Let’s be John the Baptist, and become great in God’s eye.
When it comes to dealing with the difficulties of life, it can be very easy to lose focus on Christ. It happened to Saint Peter, as we hear in the Gospel story of St Peter Walking on Water (Matthew 14.22-34) and it can happen to us. The solution is the same. We need to remain focused on Christ, and He will always hold our hand and keep us from sinking in the storm. He will walk with us, but He will not force Himself on us. He is waiting for us to call to Him, “Lord, save me.”
We live in a life preoccupied with busyness. Even when we are in Church, our minds wander to the busy things we must accomplish. In the story of Martha and Mary hosting Christ in their home, found in Luke 10.38-42, Christ reminds us of what is important. The important thing is that we find time to spend time with God, and to sit and listen to Him in His Church. We have to find time every day, not just on Sundays, to spend time with God in prayer.
One day when Jesus was in His own town, a paralytic was brought to Him for healing, but instead of healing the man, Jesus forgave his sins. The people who were watching became angry and accused Jesus of blasphemy, rather than being glad the man’s sins were forgiven. The people were hyper-focused on physical health, but had forgot, that our body AND our soul need God. They were unable to see the grace and love of God, but God knew what they needed, so He also healed the man’s body from paralysis. God will always give us what we need, but we must never forget that our body AND our soul need God to be completely healed, so that we can live with God.
The Feast of All Saints reminds us that we are all called to be saints and a life of holiness. We are called to love God more than anything else in the world, more than our family or friends or any single thing on earth. As fallen human beings we spend each day tempted to focus on ourselves rather than focus on God. Holiness isn’t easy, but Christ blesses our willingness to take up the cross of Christian life, which is embodied in the life of the Church. The life of prayer, fasting, taking care of those in need, and constantly participating in the sacraments of the Church, are all meant to help us learn to love God more than anything else.
The Feast of Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Holy Disciples and the Church, the day on which the Church was guided into all Truth. Christ said, “I am the Truth!” (John 14.6) and the Church has been given the great gift to live a life in unity with the Truth, Who is Christ. It was the Holy Spirit who open the eyes of the Holy Apostles into the fullness of the Truth, as promised by Christ before He ascended the Holy Cross. It is time we lived as if we believed the Truth of Christ, and live as if we are actually in unity with God.
In the story of the Healing of the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, we encounter a man who had lost hope in being healed after 38 years of waiting. Meeting him at the pool, Christ asked Him if he wanted to be healed. “I have no man….” showing just how much he had lost hope. What the man didn’t know, but we know, is that Christ was the man he was waiting for to be healed. Christ has restored our hope, and we are called to be “the hope” for others as the Body of Christ.
The Sunday of the Myrrh Bearing Women teaches of the great faith of women in our lives. It was the faith of the women that brought the first Good News of the Resurrection to the Disciples. It was the faith of the women that helped build every Church. It is great faith in the power of the Resurrection of Christ that leads us to being in Communion with God. It is great faith in the power of God to protect us and provide what we need to believe in Him.
Unlike the kings and queens of today, our King doesn’t just sit on a distant throne. He leads us into battle against the devil from within our hearts. Our King doesn’t enter in glory surrounded by military guards but enters into our hearts with humility. Our King never leaves our side but invites us to join Him physically forever united to Him. Our King has redefined what it means to be King and the True King of Peace. Today, Palm Sunday, we celebrate our King Who ushers in the final battle for our souls, and to free us from oppression.
Just days before Christ was to enter in Jerusalem, He shared with His disciples what was about to happen. Rather than feeling the blessing they had experienced with Christ, they were worried about what seats they were going to get in heaven. Christ teaches us through this story that we must stop worrying about what seat we will enjoy in heaven, and instead to serve others in love, without trying to always be the center of attention.
In the Gospel lesson for the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent (Mark 9.17-31), we hear about a father who brought his son to Christ to be healed saying, “I believe, help my unbelief.” God fulfilled his belief, given the father the strength he needed to understand that he needed God’s help. God helps us, but we cannot just sit and wait for God ‘do it’ by Himself. There is still something we must do to work with God because we are coworkers. When the Disciples asked why they couldn’t heal the son, Christ said, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9.29) When we work with God, our ‘part’ is prayer and fasting.
Halfway through Great Lent the Church reminds us of Christ’s invitation to deny ourselves, takes up our cross and follow Him into heaven. The Christian life is a difficult burden for us to bear, but so long as we are focused on our own agenda, we will never accept to take up our cross. When we fast, we learn to control ourselves so that we will accept the struggle of the cross, but we cannot learn to control ourselves unless we allow the Church the guide us. If we choose our own fast, we don’t learn to deny ourselves which mean we will never take up our cross and follow Christ into heaven.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
When tragedy occurs, it is natural for us to band together to help each other heal, but why wait for tragedy? Much like the story of the healing of the paralytic found in Mark 2.1-12, many of our friends and family members, our brothers and sisters, are also paralyzed. It is up to us to reach out and help them before tragedy. No amount of fasting or prostrations will make a difference if we leave those who need God outside the Church. We must bring them to the Church so they can experience the love and grace of God. Keep the fast! Read your prayers! Come to Church. Bring someone with you, who you know needs God.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, March 23, 2021, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
On the first Sunday of Great Lent the Church celebrates what is known as the Sunday of Orthodoxy. It is a day to celebrate the restoration of Holy Icons since 787AD. For us as Orthodox, this celebration is not just about allowing icons in the Church, but a confirmation the truth that God took on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. It is a confirmation that we believe and live in the way that was established by the Holy Apostles, the one who were promised by Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit would come and guide them into all truth. The Sunday of Orthodoxy is about the truth of God.
A Bible Study on St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, inspired by the Homilies of St John Chrysostom. This session was originally live stream Tuesday, February 23, 2021, in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
On Judgment Sunday, the third Sunday of the Triodion, the Church reminds us how God will judge us in the end. As described in Matthew 25.31-46, the judgement will focus on how we view others. Do we look at others the way God wants us to look at others, or do we look at others with self-righteousness? The goats, those in hell, were shocked to find themselves in hell, not because they did something bad, but because they could not look at others with the same eyes that God does. They failed to understand what it means to love God and others. Life is not about earning our way into heaven. Life is about training our heart to want to be in heaven.
The Second Sunday of the Triodion, known as the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, calls each of us to reflect upon our situation in life and experience the self-realization that we are not where God wants us to be. Then the Church invites us to deep and profound repentance to return our life to God, so that He can restore us to our original glory.