The Way: Recent Episodes
St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church
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Partake in Christ Suffering (1 Peter 4: 12-19) - Rev. Fr. Gheevarghese John by St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church
Giving a defense of what we believe is not something that most of us are comfortable with. In fact, it’s the one thing that most of us don’t like doing or will not do in terms of our Orthodox Christian faith. Personally, I have to tell you that I am not comfortable with defending my faith when questions arise or when I find myself in a situation where I have to reply to someone else’s idea of faith or religion. But I can also say that I have gotten better at it. I mention this because I want to make the point that this is not something that unique to laypeople, it is also true for clergy.
We are gathered together today: the first Sunday after the Ascension of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. We are met with the words of the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians in chapters 7 and 9. In chapter 7: 1-2, St. Paul talks about how a man and a woman should have a spouse, albeit because otherwise we might fall into sexual immorality. In chapter 7: 25-34, he talks about those who are married and unmarried. He also talks explicitly about how the unmarried can focus on God; and how the married must focus on their spouse. In chapter 9: 1-10, he mentions that he and Barnabas are not married but that the other apostles are. The content of chapter 7 and 9 are being read today, partial because it is the Sunday of Monks, but also because the Church is attempting to explain the three "journeys" that we all have in life; that is, either we are single, or we are living a celibate life (unmarried), or we are married. These are NO three different paths or roads, but a "journey" that an individual takes on the same road. The Scriptures do not point to singlehood, celibacy, or married-life as being different roads that we take that are isolated from each other; instead, it is the same road that each one has chosen to take. Although the path or road is the same, the journey has different struggles and experiences. Let me explain this a little bit further.
One thing in this life that will be constant is being treated contemptuously for doing the Will of God. In whatever way it shows itself, it is relatively hard to find a supportive group, outside of the Church, that wishes to live according to the Gospels. Often, those who influence our lives push us towards a life that is in direct contrast to a life according to the Scriptures. We may have friends or even family members who either question, mock or even ostracize us when we wish to live a good Christ life. We may not be physically attacked, but very often, our resolve to do the good which is asked of us shatters because of the influence of friends and family. The number one way this happens is when we are left out of certain circles because of our religious affiliation. This can show itself through fewer phone calls or text messages or people outright avoiding us. When we go through this, two things may pop up in our minds. We either build up resentment for those who ignore us, or we put the fault on God, though never directly.
There is a lot to say about this Gospel portion, but the most exciting point that hits most readers is that two of the 72 Evangelists could not recognize Jesus, even though they talked about Him. After having received the news that the tomb is empty and that the women received a vision from the angels that Christ had risen, Sts. Luke and Cleopas traveled from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Christ meets them on the journey, but they do not recognize Him. To be more specific, Scripture states that their eyes were held fast or shut from seeing Christ. What was the reason why these two could not recognize Jesus? It was due to their preconceived notion as to who Jesus was. For those two Evangelists, Jesus was merely a great Prophet, not the Son and Word of the Father. As it states in this Gospel portion, these two Evangelists were hoping for an earthly ruler, not the Ruler of all creation.
In the Bible, we read about building the first Temple, which is described in chapter 6 of 1 Kings. But such a Temple would not last because King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army entered Jerusalem and burned down the Temple. The Temple was in utter ruin, but in God’s time, the Temple was rebuilt with the decree of King Cyrus, under the reign of King Darius 1, as described in Ezra 5: 1-7. But again, in 70 AD, as Our Lord had prophesied (Mark 13: 3-4), the Second Temple was utterly destroyed by the Romans. After that, no attempt was made to rebuild the Temple, and it remains so till the present.
It has been two weeks after the Great Fast, two weeks after celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord. What has changed within us? Are we the same people from before the Fast? Did we not grow in our spiritual journey? Or, worse yet, did we grow during the Fast and, once it was over, choose to revert back to our old ways? This was the case for the Disciples. Even after having communed with the Risen Lord, the Disciples went back to their old lives. There is almost an immediacy regarding how quickly they went from seeing Christ and St. Thomas saying "my Lord and my God" to the Disciples getting into the fishing boat to return to their life before they met Christ.
The Eagles Training Camp begins in August, followed by the preseason and then, what the NFL calls, the "regular season." These distinctions are made because each area of football has a meaning and purpose. The training camp's focus is to identify critical plays and acclimate the players and the coaching staff to the rigor and toughness necessary for the regular season play. Although the points and scores begin to count in the regular season, the regular season has a high probability of failure without a proper training camp and preseason. Even though we are speaking of football, much of what I said relates to our Great Lent experience, which we just completed last week.
Christ is risen. This phrase is one of the most common things you will hear people say today. Even little children will be able to respond when anyone states, Christ is risen. Today marks the greatest event in history. Christ is risen. In our songs today, we sing “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by His death...” and the author of the piece is so filled with joy that he had to include, “rejoice oh beloved Church, for your master has risen.” Today is the feast of all feasts; there is nothing more significant to exclaim except that Christ is risen.
Have you ever wondered as to why Christ came into Jerusalem triumphantly, riding on a donkey? If Christ was triumphant, why does He not choose a majestic horse and chariot to go into Jerusalem? Why did Christ choose an animal which was considered unclean according to the Law of Moses? Not only that, why did He choose a donkey which was not yet tamed to be that very instrument in which He enters into Jerusalem. Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem while riding on a donkey is a calling for each of us to join Him in His glorious victory. Not as one of those who shouted “Hosanna,” but rather, the calling is for us to become like that chosen donkey.
It is typical for us to think of leadership in non-Christians organizations (businesses, associations, political groups, community agencies, companies, corporations, etc.) and our church community. Maybe we are all willing to admit that it is not the same. The prevailing assumption is that good leadership has certain distinguishing qualities across the board, such as people management, organizational skills, and content knowledge and expertise. However, there is a difference between the two. When we reflect on Christian leadership, there is a clear distinction that must be made; Christian leadership has nothing to do with the prominence of an individual or with achievement or success but has everything to do with influencing others for Christ and His kingdom. To explain this, let me point out two things.
This Gospel account is a prime example of our own prayer life; this is how we should pray. This Canaanite woman exemplifies our struggles in prayer, but more to the point, she shows us how we are to pray. Prayer, and I mean True Prayer, is something that we must struggle with. Very often in our spiritual life, specifically in the context of being in need and praying to God for help, we often feel despondent or disheartened when our prayers are not answered. God does not answer every prayer that we pray to Him in the manner in which we intend. When we pray in our times of need, we do so while looking for a specific solution or a response within a timeframe. It is always hard to accept God’s answer or His response time.
Here, in this famous Christian poem, the origins, and authorship which are in dispute, speak of the presence of Christ in our life when we feel abandoned and alone. When we think that God is not there, the reality is He is ever-present in our lives. He is working out the best for us so that in the end, our life may glorify Him. Humanly speaking, if you think the Hand of God is not present in your life, look again, and you will see that he is indeed present, but in a way that our human eyes cannot understand or perceive.
The Gospel portion for today shows off a strange encounter. For those who have studied Jewish Law, it is also an encounter that went against the Law. For any Old Testament scholar reading this, or for anyone Jew who saw this in person, they would have been reminded of the leprosy laws that are found in Leviticus, specifically Leviticus 13:45-46, which states, “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” Translating this over to the time of Christ, there were leper colonies outside the walls of the city where those who were sick with leprosy were forced to live in squalor.
If we listen closely to the hymns of the Holy Friday service, we will hear a lot of emphasis on how the Jews killed Jesus. In fact, in my opinion, it personifies them as guilty of the crime. Indeed, they are guilty; but so are the Romans, and so are all of us.
Although the Qurbana is not a chronological order of the events of Jesus Christ, it does in some way highlight His birth, the institution of the Eucharist, and close to the end of the service when the Priest presents the Holy Mysteries to the congregation, the second coming. The Priest, before turning around toward the congregation says, “From thy Altar, may there descend pardon for they servants of Son of God, who came for our redemption, and who will come again for our resurrection and for the renewal of our race.” Here, close to the end of Qurbana, people are left with a sense that Jesus is coming again. That is, Christ is coming back to judge the world and to bring his believers to His kingdom. It leaves us with a sense of hope that we will see Jesus and reign with him forever. It also gives us a sense of relief that this world is not the end of our existence; there is more, and what lies ahead is better than what is here in the present.
Today is the remembrance of all the Faithful Departed which means that next week we will begin our Great Fast. With regards to our fasting, if you hadn’t noticed, in every season there is a fast; and for many of us, we plan to “start-up” our spiritual journey during the fasts. In the preceding days or weeks before the fasts, we typically have the mindset of “I will start my spiritual journey off strong… when the fast begins.” May it never be the case that someone gives the argument saying that “I am young and wish to live life as I see fit.” For in this parable, Jesus explicitly tells us what is asked of us, which is to be prepared for His Second Coming at all times and warns us of how we should never act, which is to live as if tomorrow is a certainty.
What was it about that night that drew Nicodemus to Christ? What was so special about that night that gave Nicodemus the courage to go to Christ alone even though he was a Pharisee? Also, was it merely the fact that Nicodemus wanted to hide the fact that a Pharisee was going to meet with Christ? Or is it the fact that Nicodemus desired to have a one on one encounter with the Lord? For throughout the Gospels, Christ was always surrounded by crowds of people, or at the very least His 12 disciples. Therefore, at this moment, Nicodemus found the perfect time to be with the Lord alone, which was in the middle of the night. Nicodemus must have been a follower of Christ for he would have known that this setting is very common with Christ, for Jesus often leaves the crowds and His disciples to be alone to pray to the Father. Christ being alone in prayer is a fairly regular occurrence in the Gospels; for example, the Garden of Gethsemane. Yes, Christ takes Peter, James, and John to the Garden, but He leaves them to pray in seclusion. So, one could assume that Jesus did this often enough throughout His earthly ministry. Therefore, this is why Nicodemus decided that he would visit Jesus when Christ was going off to be alone to pray to the Father.
It is said that in time-eternity, the angels were created by God. They were magnificent and beautiful creatures; yet, they were not created in the image and likeness of God, like that of man and woman. (Genesis 2) Angels were created to minister to God. They were also created to minister to humans, as we see in their appearance in the Bible to various individuals to deliver a message from God.
Christ the Head (Matthew 14: 1-22) - Br. Predeep Chacko by St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church
In my last sermon I spoke about how Abraham had strong unwavering faith, making reference to the epistle to the Galatians chapter 4. Indeed, Abraham’s faith was strong and unwavering, but we should be mindful, not to think of faith as some sort of “supernatural” ethos that a Christian possesses to overcome challenges and trials in life. It is rather a “conviction” and “deep-rooted-belief” that God is with us—Emmanuel—and that He will not forsake us or leave us by the wayside. Moreover, faith is action. Conviction or deep-rooted-belief are made null and void if it is not proceeded by a change in behavior.
Today we remember a terrible event within the Gospels; two days after Christmas, the Church remembers the Slaughter of the Holy Innocents. This gruesome Bible passage is only found in St. Matthew’s Gospel. It is said that this event was so terrible that St. Luke, the Evangelist who offers the best historical account, just could not stomach this event and therefore skipped it altogether. One of the things that St. Matthew sets out to do is to show how the prophecies from the Old Testament were fulfilled, and therefore he shows how Jeremiah’s prophecy came to fulfill through this event.
Abraham was given a promise by God in three areas: (Gen 12) 1) the promise of the land 2) the promise that his descendants would be a nation 3) the promise that through his descendants (this nation) all the families of the earth would be blessed. Learning about Abraham and his story in Sunday School, in our reading of the Bible, and through homilies, these promises seemed like too much for God to accomplish, at least it does for us. However, Abraham knew that it was God who established a covenant with Him and that God is not a liar like men but that His words are true, always. This is why the Apostle Paul says today in the Pauline epistle, “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4: 20-22) As already stated, for us looking into this great drama between Abraham and God, we would think it is impossible for these promises to come true because we look in our own lives and consider God has limitations in what He can do. This was not the way Abraham thought. He believed that God would bring to fruition the promises that He had declared. Abraham had a strong faith and did not waver but believed. Do we have such unwavering faith in God? Or do we always doubt God?
In the Book of Genesis 3:16 God puts a burden upon women that they would henceforth give birth in pain and suffering: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children.” This punishment that is directed toward women was a consequence of Eve’s sin. So, for generations after Eve woman had to undergo a great deal of pain when giving birth. It should be duly noted that man also had to suffer by toiling the earth for food and sustenance. Therefore, both Adam and Eve had to suffer. It was not a one-sided punishment—both man and woman were both punished.
Abraham was given a promise by God in three areas: (Gen 12) 1) the promise of the land 2) the promise that his descendants would be a nation 3) the promise that through his descendants (this nation) all the families of the earth would be blessed. Learning about Abraham and his story in Sunday School, in our reading of the Bible, and through homilies, these promises seemed like too much for God to accomplish, at least it does for us. However, Abraham knew that it was God who established a covenant with Him and that God is not a liar like men but that His words are true, always. This is why the Apostle Paul says today in the Pauline epistle, “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4: 20-22) As already stated, for us looking into this great drama between Abraham and God, we would think it is impossible for these promises to come true because we look in our own lives and consider God has limitations in what He can do. This was not the way Abraham thought. He believed that God would bring to fruition the promises that He had declared. Abraham had a strong faith and did not waver but believed. Do we have such unwavering faith in God? Or do we always doubt God?
Love and obedience are two Christian virtues which we are called to obtain. When it comes to doing the Will of God, we do so through our love for Him and obedience to His Commandments. When Christ said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven…” it is because children have, utilizing their innocence, these two virtues. A good child loves and obeys their parents and acts accordingly. When it comes to our relationship with God, we have become His children. For it states in 1 John “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!... Beloved, now we are children of God…” You know if a child has been raised with love and has a love for his or her parents if he or she acts according to the will of the parent without being asked. In other words, the child does not need to be asked to do his or her chores around the house; he or she does so out of love. This same love is what we are all called to have for our Father who is in Heaven.
We have returned to a familiar situation this Sunday. Because of the resurgence of the pandemic, we must celebrate the Divine Liturgy in this limited capacity. We have, in a sense, been kicked out of Eden, though not because of anyone’s sin. This, however, gives us a great opportunity to reflect on a theme that is found amongst the Fathers. The theme of how St. Mary has become the “New Eve.”
Either if it was at our wedding or a wedding that we attended, we are quite familiar with the words of the Apostle Paul: “husbands love your wives as yourself.” (Eph 5:28) St. Paul’s idea of how a husband should love his wife as himself were not his thoughts alone, but one that he took from his Lord. Christ taught that we should, “love our neighbor as ourselves.” (Mark 12:31) Here, St. Paul takes the teachings of his Lord and applies them to marriage.
At the time of our Baptism, Holy Chrism is used to anoint us. As children, it is spread over the entire body, as an adult, it was used to mark the sign of the Cross over us. Either way, it is as St. Philoxenos writes, “Neither the wetness of water in which we are baptized, nor the oiliness of the oil with which we are anointed, remain with us after our death, but the Holy Spirit, who is mingled in our souls and bodies through the oil and water, does remain with us, both in this life and after our death.” We have been sealed eternally; we have been marked with an eternal mark that is the seal and mark of the Holy Spirit.
In the Pauline Epistle today, the Apostle Paul makes a differentiating statement. He says, “all sin is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” (I Cor. 6:18) At first glance, this portion of St. Paul’s teaching seems confusing because we may ask ourselves: Isn’t all sin a part of the body? For example, when someone is angry or behaving gluttonously, is that not in the body, just like sexual immorality?
here is a story of a priest who was advising his spiritual son. The priest asked his son “what are your plans for the future?” and the son responded, “to finish college then find a good job.” To this, the priest responded, “and after that?”, “to get married and to buy a home.”, “and after that?”, “to have children.”, “and after that?”, “live long enough to see my grandchildren.”, “and after that?” “well, Father, after all this, I think I will have done everything that I need and will die.”, and to this the priest asked, “and after that?”
In BBC’s virtual newsletter, called Future, author William Park wrote “Those we surround ourselves with have the power to make us fatter, drink more alcohol, care less about the environment and be riskier with sun protection, among many things.” (May 20, 2019) This article pointed out how our friends can be effective influencers in our decision-making in almost all keys areas of life, like health, career, family life, etc. The idea is quite simple: those whom we hang out with play a major in the positive and negative outcomes of our life. This is not to negate the responsibility that a person has in making decisions for oneself, as though one is helpless in the midst of friends; but it is to point out that such a human need—friendship—relationships—play a vital role in a person’s life successes and failures.
Was it strange to anyone else that the Bible reading for today goes from talking about serving God and mammon as well as talking about the general love of money to “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.” The entirety of Luke chapter 16 speaks about being loyal stewards with your wealth. So why is the verse on divorce added in?
The “law” was given as a tool by God to the Jews to identify sin. Before that, there was an understanding of “right” and “wrong.” One can make this inference because when God did not accept the offering of Cain, He clearly stated, “if you do NOT do well, sin lies at the door. Sin desires for you, but you should rule over it.” (Gen. 4:6) However, it was only until the 10 Commandments were given at Mt. Sinai that God codified a list of sins. This brought forth the “knowledge” of sin as specific behaviors, such as, stealing, adultery, idolatry, etc. Although the knowledge of sin was now available, sin still reigned. In other words, sin did not disappear because people now knew what was specifically right or wrong, even if they had a reference point as the 10 Commandments. On the contrary, sin continued, carrying with it condemnation.
Follow the Good Shepherd (Matthew 16: 5-12) - Br. Predeep Chacko by St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. He is God! When we are baptized into Christ and receive the Holy Myron, we receive the Holy Spirit. Meaning, the Holy Spirit physically resides in us. The Holy Spirit works in and through us for the glory of the Kingdom of God. A person, if he or she is a baptized Christian, has the Holy Spirit inside of them from the time of their baptism, until death. However, how active the Holy Spirit can be within a Christian is based upon his or her prayer life and seriousness in observing fasting, all of which lead to a deeper relationship with Christ.
We say that we are Christians, and some of us even do good deeds regularly. But what is the source of these good deeds? In this Gospel portion, we see a common sight, Christ is chewing out the Pharisees because they act according to the rule of law. In this instance, Christ states in allegory that the Pharisees keep the outside of their cups clean while the inside remains dirty. The Pharisees only do what is asked of them out of duty. Some of us may be asking ourselves, “There are so many rules and restrictions as an Orthodox Christian, now you are saying that even if I follow all of these commandments, I may still be lacking?” What could be missing which is so important?
For many of us, when we read through this portion of the Scriptures, we just look at Christ being asked to pay a tax and Him paying it through a miracle. But, what is this Temple Tax, which Christ and Simon end up paying? In the book of Numbers chapter 3, we see a mention of taxing the people with reference to the Tabernacle. More specifically, there was a census throughout all of Israel that was surveying all the firstborn. In this census, 22,000 Levites were called to be dedicated to the Lord, specifically, it states that “The Levites shall be Mine: I am the Lord”. Those who were in the 22,000 were exempt from paying this tax, while the rest of the firstborn, which was numbered 263, we're told to pay a tax for their redemption. Not only were these select Israelites exempt from the tax, but also they were allowed to draw near to the Tabernacle without the fear of death.
During these uncharted times of COVID-19, we encounter many challenges like never before. We are very worried and anxious about our health and the health of our loved ones. Furthermore, because of the political and social condition of our world, especially our country, the United States, we feel even more anxious about the times we are living in. Why do we fear? Why are we anxious? Why are we worried so much?
Here are some reasons why we should not fear, be anxious or worry:
Have you ever seen a Geode Rock? On the outside, it is a certain color but if you cut it in half various colors are formed into crystals on the inside, including completely hollow areas. The rock looks different from the inside than it does from the outside. We as humans are the same, figuratively speaking. On the outside, we are a certain color with distinct physical features, but we look different on the inside; I am not speaking in biological terms but rather in spiritual terms. That is, on the inside, we can find what we call: our personality, our spiritual life, our needs, and our desires. They are an outworking of various circumstances and situations that we have experienced in our life. Our mental, physical and emotional conditions all play a vital role in the condition of our “inside” being.
The book of Galatians says, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. (Galatians 3:16) Paul makes the point that the promise of God to the Jewish people is not only for them but also for all humanity through “the one Seed” Jesus Christ. Through the Seed, Jesus Christ, all of humanity will have an opportunity to be redeemed and saved. Since he is the Seed, he is planted and bears fruit; and we, as believers are his fruit. The plan of salvation by God for humanity can be seen in this way.
Jesus was a great preacher and teacher and his miracles were something the world had never seen before. He was also a great debater, so neither the Pharisees nor Scribes were able to stump him with any of their questions. His popularity was increasing and so he became a threat to the Jewish establishment of his time.
In the Gospel reading, taken from Mark 3: 20-30, Jesus was accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan—Beelzebub. This was an absurd suggestion because this implies that Satan was casting out Satan. In reply, Jesus said, “How can Satan cast out Satan. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.” (Mark 3: 23) The Pharisees were resorting to this type of accusation because they had tried everything else and nothing worked. Calling Jesus Satan was a tactic of desperation.
During these uncharted times, we may encounter financial hardships caused by the loss of a job, salary furlough, or salary reduction. The price of groceries and other goods has increased causing our budgets to shrink. We are hesitant to spend money as easily as before the COVID-19 outbreak because we are unsure what the future holds. Due to business closures, the economy has taken untold damage and it may take years to recover. Additionally, the unrest that our nation is experiencing has also brought on a sense of unease and worry. Life in this country does not look or feel like it did in 2019. Though life in our nation (and our world) has changed, God has not! God has not left this world to fend for itself. God has not abdicated his throne. He is still on the throne and ruler of all that is visible and invisible. Though we may face financial hardship now, and though there is unrest in the nation, God is still in charge. This should give us a sense of hope in these scary times. Hope – that God will provide. Hope – that God will not abandon us. It might seem that there is not enough but God will always provide. God will never leave us nor forsake us.
“You give them something to eat.” This command seems reasonable enough, right? I don’t know about you all, but I know how to make a mean PB and J sandwich. To feed another person is not a big issue. However, it's the number of people that trips us up. 5,000 people? That is more than 4,999 people that I am able to afford to feed. Why does Christ tell his 12 disciples to do this impossible job? Is it merely to show them His own power to provide for those in need? I do not think that this is the case. Looking at the General Epistle reading for today as well, we see another seemingly impossible task. A Christian, Ananias, having to go to the greatest persecutor of Christians at that time, Saul. Not only that but to heal Saul and baptize him and to bring Saul into the Christian fold.
Jesus is typically seen and thought of as the peaceful and gentle Messiah, Lord, and Savior. However, the Gospels also record a Jesus who is confrontational and harsh. For example, Jesus overturned the tables of the merchants in the outer court of the Temple. (Matthew 21, Mark 11) He also directly confronted the Pharisees regarding their pride and hypocrisy. (Matthew 23: 1-12) He cursed the fig tree that had no figs. (Matthew 11: 12-25) After all, Jesus was not really the “nice guy” we thought he was.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/take-responsibility-for-your-faith
Racism, prejudice, and hatred: as a nation and global community, we have been speaking, posting, and protesting against such evils because the knee of a police officer murdered a black man. We all witnessed this horrifying incident on the news and social media. We were rightfully angry and disgusted. Many went to the streets in protest and others went to social media and expressed their feelings and emotions. We most likely sat down with our children and explained to them what was happening in the world and answered the question: “Who is George Floyd?” As a parish, we addressed the incident through our “Morning of Hope” and “Evening of Hope.” We continue to address the topic of racism, prejudice, and hatred through this homily. And will continue to address it in our parish through a Christ-centered focus. Addressing what has happened is very important. It is necessary! Being silent is not an option. How can we as Orthodox Christians, who participate in parish life and are active in the church, address these racial issues?
In the Gospel reading today we hear the words of Christ, “No one comes to me, unless the One who sent me, the Father draws him.” (St. John 6: 44) What does Christ mean by this? First, we must examine what it means to “draw.” There are a few synonyms for draw, such as: attract, captivate, and pull. These are but a few. I like the term “push.” More robustly “push us toward.” In the context of the Gospels, this means that it is God the Father who “pushes us toward” his Son. Therefore, outside of the power of God, we would not know Christ. This simply means that it is in and through God that we know God the Son. Of our power, of our own doing, of our strength, we would not know Christ. Here, when I say knowing Christ, I mean: to have a “conviction” in the core of our being that he is God, Savior, and Lord and to live this out in the life of the Church.
My family immigrated to America in 1986. From 1986 to 1992 (est.) my maternal grandfather would write letters because at that time in India, house phones were not available to everyone. At the very top of those letters my grandfather would always write three words: GOD IS LOVE.
In today’s Gospel portion, Christ calls us all to be ready and tells us two qualities of what it means to be ready. He says that we are to be faithful and wise in order to do the good that he asks us to do. But how do we learn to be faithful and wise? Are these innate qualities or characteristics that we all have? The answer is no, these are all things we learn. But the next question is from whom do we learn this? Is it possible to merely read the Bible and expect to know everything that is needed from us? If reading and understanding Scripture were that simple then there would be one Orthodox Church instead of many reform churches. In other words, the interpretation of Sacred Scriptures would be uniform if it were that easy.
What’s in your bucket list? A bucket list is a certain number of achievements or experiences that a person wants to accomplish during his or her lifetime. This idea was further popularized in American culture with the release of the movie, “The Bucket List (2007),” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Do you have a bucket list? Most of us do, even though it is unintentional. In other words, we all have a few things that we want to do before we leave this world. And in most cases that deals with us going to a certain part of the world that is unique and exotic. Or maybe we want to reach a certain position in our career or have a certain level of accomplishment in our workplace. Whatever the case might be our “bucket list” usually is numbered with “going somewhere” or “doing something.”
All throughout the Bible God represents himself through his creation. We see this in the Book of Exodus, where God speaks to Moses through a “burning bush.” In the Gospels (Matthew 3: 16, Luke 3:22) we see that the Holy Spirit is represented by the dove, which appears above Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2) we see that the Holy Spirit comes as fire and wind. I want to focus on the “wind” as God’s way of representing himself to us, the reasons why he does so, and what it means to us as people of God.
Trees! They are a big part of the imagery and experience of reading the Bible. In Genesis 2-3, Adam and Eve are given the opportunity to eat from the Tree of Life, but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, (Genesis 2:9) they were strictly prohibited from eating its fruit. Nevertheless, they eat from it, and at that very moment, they felt ashamed and hid. (Genesis 3: 6-7) It is interesting to point out that in verse 7 it says that they sewed fig leaves to cover themselves like aprons. Some biblical scholars say that since they used fig leaves, and considering this occurs immediately after they eat of the forbidden tree, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was indeed a fig tree.
In the Gospel reading today we hear that a “great light” has shone in the darkness in the land of Nebulun and Naphtali. Nebulun and Naphtali were two of the twelve sons of Jacob (Jacob is also known as Israel). It was out of the twelve sons that the history of the Jewish people begins to unfold. The twelve sons are also known as the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Acts of the Apostles, Ch. 7, verse. 51-60, records the martyrdom of St. Stephen. Here, St. Stephen rebukes the Jews of their persecution of the prophets whom God sent to them in times past, including Jesus (who of course was God.) In vehement anger the Jews that were gathered there stoned St. Stephen to death. St. Stephen called out to God to “receive his spirit.” He also asked God to forgive his killers.
Look at the history of the Egyptians and the role they played for the Israelite people. The most famous story regarding the Egyptians is about how the Egyptians enslaved the Jewish people which sparked the Exodus. Apart from that, time after time we see how Egypt was a place of shelter for certain people. During times of famine, Abraham and Jacob found shelter in Egypt. Joseph, though sold as a slave in Egypt, was practically made governor. Now we read on how Jesus along with His mother and Joseph are told to flee into Egypt to be sheltered from Herod’s attempt to kill Him. Egypt is seen as a place where the children of God go to be saved from destruction. But as for us Christians, the Church has become that salvific place where we run to for shelter against the onslaught of temptations and sins.
The Gospel reading today is the genealogy of Jesus Christ taken from St. Luke chapter three. We might wonder why the genealogy of Christ is being read on a Sunday. It is dry, and quite frankly, boring read. Nevertheless, we must look beyond the lack of narrative excitement; and understand the reason why the Gospel writer sets forth the lineage of Christ, and why the church requires the reading of the genealogy on the Sunday before Christmas.
The word JUST can be used in the English language as an adverb, that is, to describe a verb. For example, I just finished my homework. Or it can be used as an adjective, that is, to describe a noun. In the Gospel reading, Joseph is described a being a just man in his dealings with Mary. He was willing to put her away secretly, rather than shaming her in public for being with a child that was not his. At that time for a man to make such a bold consideration meant that he had a sense of justice and compassion above and beyond what the Jewish law prescribed for such a woman in that predicament. Of course, Joseph is visited by the angel Gabriel and told exactly why and how Mary is pregnant. The point here is that Joseph is described as being a just man. What does the word mean? And how is it applicable to our Christian life at present?
In the Gospel reading today we encounter the birth of John the Baptist. At the time of his birth, his family members and even friends of the family were present. The question that arises is, “what should we name the newborn?” Elizabeth, the newborn's mother, wanted him to be named John, but the others stated that ‘no one among the relatives was named John.’ This is so because it is the tradition of the east to name the baby after a relative. For example, I was named Gheevarghese, after my uncle.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/what-is-the-meaning-of-your-name
St. Mary's visit to Elizabeth (Luke 1: 39-56) - Brother Predeep Chacko by St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church
In Genesis 1:29, God gave Adam the instruction that He has given him all seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for his food. All living things are reproduced on the earth through a seed. For example, if you cut an apple, you will find a seed; and if that seed is taken and planted into the ground, watered and taken care of, then eventually it will produce fruit; and the cycle continues.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-seed-of-god
In the Gospel Reading today we encounter a Jewish priest named Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth, who are of mature age, yet they do not have children. They are, as the Gospel of Luke reports, blameless; that is, they have kept all the laws and upheld the traditions of their fathers and mothers.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/every-life-has-value
Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. KK John, guest priest at St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - Dedication (John 10: 22-38)
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What is sanctification? It is in part, preparation and in part a cleansing. In an earthly sense, we sanctify ourselves daily. When we clean ourselves and get dressed for the day, this is a type of sanctification. Before coming here to Church, I hope everyone brushed their teeth, took a shower, and put on clean clothing. Why do I hope that this is done? Because we do this for school and work, therefore we should also try to do this, if not more, when we are in the presence of the Holy Mysteries.
Have we been angry lately? If we have, today in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that we have committed murder. Have we had lustful thoughts lately? If we have today in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that we have committed adultery. Have we coveted someone’s possessions lately? If we have today in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that we have committed theft.
We see this in the Gospel reading today, where the rich man was truly, based on his obligations, a good person. But Christ was not at all impressed with his spiritual or monetary accomplishments. Christ was looking to see if he had a relationship with the Father. In Christ’s examination of the man, he exposes his obsession with money. Money is not the issue here; but rather that he saw his accomplishments and obligations greater than a relationship with God. Money here represents the man’s reliance on his earthly and religious accomplishments, rather than pursuing a relationship with God.
In the Gospel portion today, taken from Mathew 23, Jesus speaks of the Pharisees and scribes, who are the spiritual leaders of the Jewish religion. He tells of how they are predominantly concerned with their position in the community, their rank as priests and even their attire. This is a concerning matter for Jesus because the Pharisees were called to their priestly order in order to bring the Jewish people closer to God, through their traditions and practices. Instead of fulfilling this calling, they became overwhelming obsessed with their position as Pharisees and the respect and prestige that came with it. Jesus explains that they would go to gatherings/religious ceremonies and expect the best seats. Further, they wanted to be called “teacher” or in Hebrew, “rabbi,” as a form of flattery. All these examples were said by Christ in order to point out the fact that Pharisees “idolized” the position of Pharisee (and the same for scribes). In other words, they did not have a sense of humility that their position was given to them as a gift from God. Rather, they exalted themselves, becoming self-absorbed. It was a sort of worship of position, title, and rank. This was so because they found their identity in themselves…in what they did…their position, rank, and title, rather than in God. By extension rather than becoming a servant to serve the people, and bringing them closer to God, they wanted to be served by the people. They lost sight of their initial calling.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/self-absorbed-with-ourselves
Sunday homily by Brother Predeep Chacko at St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - Live the Christian Life Through Love (Luke 16: 9 -18)
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Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. Gheevarghese John, vicar of St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - Personalize the Church (Mark 2:23-28)
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Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. Gheevarghese John, vicar of St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - We Should Attempt to Understand Others (Matthew 16:5-12)
In the age of advanced information technology, where we know the “where, when, what and why” of what is happening in the world within minutes, it is hard for us to accept the words of Christ when he says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32) Here we see that it is only God that knows the hour and time of the end of the age; that is, the end of the universe as we know it.
Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. Gheevarghese John, vicar of St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - Be Perfect (Matthew 5:43-48)
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Sunday homily at St. Luke Orthodox Mission Chuch by Brother Predeep Chacko - The Believer as a Citizen (Matthew 17:22-27)
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Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. @gGheevarghese John, vicar of St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - The Waiting Period (Luke 11:9-20)
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Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. Gheevarghese John, vicar of St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - God Removes Our Blindness (Luke 6:39-42)
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Sunday homily by guest celebrant at St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church, Rev. Fr. Shawn Thomas - Humility (Matthew 21:28-32)
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In the Gospel Reading today Jesus refers to himself as the “Bread of Life.” Further, to establish his point, he refers back to how in the past God provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness after their exit from Egypt. The Jewish people were happy and overjoyed that God provided for them in their time of trouble. But there was greater trouble that they would face other than food! In fact, this was a problem that all of mankind was facing but no resolution was in sight—sin. This is why Jesus refers to himself as the “greater” bread that comes down from heaven that provides eternal life. The Jewish people could not see, or recognize, that Jesus was greater than the manna that was provided thousands of years ago.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/dont-revisit-the-past-press-forward
A quick summary of what happened in this Gospel is that the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons through the power of demons, and Jesus responds with two answers. The first answer shows the error of the Pharisee’s logic, but I want to focus on His second answer; that answer is from verses 28-30. “‘Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation’— because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” What stands out the most from this small passage is the fact that people typically misquote this section and say that, “if you blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, He (or God) will never forgive you.”
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-unforgivable-sin
Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. Abey George, guest priest at St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - Experience His Love (Matthew 15: 32-39)
In the narrative of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, presented today in the Gospel Reading, taken from Luke 9: 10-17, we can observe how the many thousands of people who were following Christ found themselves in a deserted place in the evening with nothing to eat. The disciples become ever so concerned with the multitude of people and their need for food. So, they asked Christ to tell the people to go away and get food and drink in the nearest town before the sun set. Christ’s reply to this request is interesting and should be noted. He tells them, “You give them something to eat.” It is my inference, here, that Christ was challenging the disciples, putting them in an impossible position, because they had no way of getting food (enough for everyone).
Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. Christopher Mathew, guest priest at St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church.
St. Silouan the Athonite, a contemporary saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church, writes that there are two thoughts that can destroy a Christian:
Thought 1: when a person thinks that he or she is not a sinner, or that the person becomes prideful about his or her spiritual life or spiritual accomplishments
Thought 2: when a person thinks that God will NOT accept him or her due to sin or that God will not forgive them.
St. Silouan’s words are insightful in that it provides for the Orthodox Christian a view of two spiritual perspectives. The first is someone who relies on his or her own efforts as a means to salvation. The second is someone who ends up in a state of hopelessness. The latter is what I want to focus on for today’s message.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/god-will-not-cast-you-out
In the Gospel Reading today we hear that Christ sends his disciples out two by two to preach the Good News, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers and heal the sick. Continuing on he gives his disciples a warning, coupled with good advice; that is, that they are going out to the towns and countryside as “lambs” among “wolves.” Christ says this because he knows the difficulties and challenges his disciples will face, dealing with other people and the circumstances they will face. These other people are the wolves who will try to deceive and cunningly attempt to destroy the ministry of his disciples. So, in turn, Christ tells them to be “wise” as serpents and “innocent” as doves. Different translations of the Bible use “prudent” “cunning” and “shrewd” as words synonymous with “wise.” Whatever word has used the meaning of the context remains the same: be smart about who you deal with and what situations you get involved in, but at the same time be “innocent” or “harmless” toward those same people.
In the Gospel Reading today we hear Jesus say to his followers, “You seek me because you have seen the signs…” (John 6: 26) In other words, Jesus is telling his massive following, who goes where he goes, and listen to his preaching, that if he did not perform miracles, they would stop following him. Conversely, he is saying the only reason why they are following him or showing “loyalty” (a special attachment toward someone or something) toward him is because they are getting something out of it—the signs and miracles. Meaning, they are not “accepting” Jesus for Jesus but for what he can provide for them.
Read more:https://stlukemission.org/sermons/accept-people-for-who-they-are
As we celebrate the day of Pentecost, which occurred two thousand plus years ago to the beloved Disciples of Christ, we are reminded in the Gospel reading today that we are the branches and Christ is the vine and God the Father is the vinedresser. (St. John 15: 1) As residents of this area, we are not necessarily aware of plants that have vines. We are however more accustomed to seeing trees and its branches. If we were to travel to California or a Mediterranean country we would see grapevines with its branches in abundances. Observing more closely, we would see that the vine is strong yet flexible, a thick stem that has branches, which yields its fruit.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/move-from-being-connected-to-being-empowered
That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (St. John 17: 21-23) These are the Words of Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is praying this prayer to His Father in regard to us—we who are the believers of him. In particular, he mentions that he and his father are one, and just as they are one, so also, we are one with them. This might seem like a contradiction, that is, that the Trinity and mankind could be one. But from the beginning of time, man has always searched for how there could be “unity” within “diversity.” For the Christian, at least, that quest is a reality with the Holy Trinity.
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In the Gospel Reading today we hear that Jesus had his face “set to Jerusalem.” What that means, figuratively, is that Jesus was focused on his mission: giving his life over for the salvation of the world. On his way to accomplish that mission, traveling to Jerusalem by foot, he wanted to stop by a Samaritan village with his disciples and lodge there for the evening to get some rest. The Gospel of Luke records that the village did not receive Jesus; and so the disciples James and John, upon seeing this asked Jesus if they should, like Elijah, call fire to come down and consume the village. Jesus, in reply said, “You do not know what spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy lives but to save them.” (St. Luke 9: 55-56)
In the Gospel reading today we see that two of the disciples of Jesus Christ are walking on a road from Jerusalem to a town seven miles away called Emmaus. These two men were conversing with each other about the things that took place in Jerusalem in the past few days, that is, the crucifixion, death and supposed resurrection of their Master. As they walked and spoke with each other about these things, a man appeared and began to walk beside them. It was the risen Christ. The Gospel of St. Luke chapter 24, explains that the disciples “eyes were restrained” from recognizing that it was Christ. In this unrecognizable state, Jesus played “dumb” and asked what they were talking about. They explain to him how Jesus was a great teacher and the expected Messiah of Israel, but that he was handed over to the Romans by the Jews and eventually killed by crucifixion. Their explanation of the things that occurred seem to convey to the reader that they were disappointed at the outcome, and in someway downtrodden over their experience with Jesus Christ. The unrecognizable Christ explained how the Messiah had to suffer in order to fulfill the Scriptures. Then a good distance into their travels they wanted to lodge at a hotel and invited Jesus to join them. There, Jesus broke bread with them (Qurbana), and at that moment, the “scales” (the restraint) from their eyes were removed and they recognized the Lord.
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At the last defining moments of Jesus’ life, he stood before the Sanhedrin (the ruling body of the Jewish people at that time) to be falsely condemned and put to death. During those agonizing moments, the second person in command, Peter, who, in the absence of Jesus, was in charge of the disciples and the whole Christian movement, was found denying that he had ever known Jesus to individuals who questioned him about his affiliation to Jesus Christ. This came as no surprise to Jesus, for he knew the weaknesses and fears that Peter struggles with. Despite this, Christ saw the great potential that Peter had in his contribution toward the leadership of the early Church. This was demonstrated when Christ asked Peter if he loved him three times, an obvious repercussion for Peter’s denial of Christ.
Learn more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/feed-my-sheep
In the Gospel Reading today (on the first Sunday after New Sunday) the Disciples of Christ go fishing; but their attempt came up empty. They didn’t catch any fish, not even one. In the morning, the resurrected Christ appears on the shores of the sea. Christ instructs his disciples to go fishing. They step into the boat and cast their nets on the right side of the boat. This time, they catch an abundant amount of fish and the net did not burst. When the disciples bring their catch to shore, Jesus had already prepared hot coals and on it fish and bread. The fish and bread, here, are practical, in that it was prepared for the sustenance of the disciples. Additionally, there is a symbolic meaning. First, fish represents the “kingdom of God” and how many will be brought in by way of the Gospel message. In the early church, the symbol of Christianity was a fish. Secondly, the bread represents “eternal life,” that is, salvation, hence, the use of bread by Christ as his real body.
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Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. K.K. John, visiting priest at St. Luke Orthodox Mission - New Sunday (John 20: 19-31)
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Today we are here celebrating, with pomp and circumstance, the resurrection of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. This celebration does not stand-alone; it is adjoined to the Passion, Crucifixion, and Burial of our Lord. So, as in the history of the Orthodox Church, which is often forgotten in our day, Maundy Thursday, Holy Friday, Holy Saturday and Resurrection Sunday are not seen as separate religious observances, isolated with its own purpose, but rather all three observances are seen as one, having a singular divine purpose. If such were the case, then I would postulate “all” of the religious observances of the Church, the “major” Feast Days and the ones that we might consider “minor,” are to be considered one singular divine movement from one end of the liturgical calendar to the other…from the beginning of time, to present and into the future…for is not Christ eternally begotten of the Father, having no beginning or end. So likewise, this experience of Great Lent centers on the Christ, who, as the Bible say, is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Therefore, our fasting is not confined to 50 days. Our experience of a “greater” prayer life is not isolated to this Fast alone. Our turning away from certain foods is not only for this time period; but for many of us, it is medically recommended to continue it, at least is some sort of modified way, throughout the year. The “extra” steps that we took to refrain from sinful behaviors or excessive desires is not be seen as a struggle for only Lent, but one that must be continued, probably with more intensity, after today.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/making-it-count
Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem is anything but triumphant. He rode in on a donkey to enter the gates of Jerusalem. Further, he himself knew this was the beginning of the end, at least in human terms. That is, in the days approaching, he would be betrayed by all, especially by one of his own, and eventually be killed by the plot of the Jews and the authorities of Rome. If we were to stage our own “triumphant” entry in the context of the 21st century, we would “roll in” with the best car, best attire, best shoes, and best perfume. But Christ showed us that to be triumphant has little to do with wealth, prestige, honor, power or glory. Rather, it has everything to do with “humility.” That’s right! Humility! Humility is the key to salvation--so declare the Fathers of the Church. The definition of humility is: a person’s ability to conduct themselves in all things without pride or arrogance.
Learn more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/god-sanctifies-all-things
In the Gospel Reading, taken from John chapter 9, we see that Jesus has an encounter with a blind man in the Jerusalem Temple. It seems that at first it was the disciples who noticed the blind man and asked Jesus why he was born blind, that is, was it due to the sins of his parents or of his own. Jesus answered by saying that he is blind neither because of his sin nor his parents but for the glory of God. At this moment, Jesus took mud from the ground and spit on it, making a sort of mud-paste, anointed the blind man’s eyes and then asked him to go to the pool and wash it out. The blind man was healed.
Learn more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/god-sanctifies-all-things
In the Gospel Reading today, taken from St. Luke 13: 10-17, our Lord Jesus healed a woman who had a “spirit” of infirmity for eighteen years that caused her to have a bent back. Slouching over and gazing on the ground for that long, it would be correct to assume that this woman was either in constant pain and/or had a very sad existence. The moment Jesus healed her; it would have been an exhilarating. It is interesting to note that the Lord saw her and called her toward him, so that he could heal her. She did not call out Jesus, nor does the gospel say she went toward him. The point is: Jesus saw her pain and had compassion. It would be accurate to assume that he felt sorry for the woman, or even, sympathized with her. Whatever the case, Jesus initiated the process, at least from what is written in the Gospel.
This exaltation of the cross has a direct link to the Gospel reading from the Holy Qurbana of Mid Lent. John 3: 14-15 says "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Moses lifted up the bronze serpent around the middle of the Exodus, the journey of the Israelites from slavery to their promised land. He lifted up the serpent so that those who are bitten by the snake might look at it and have life. Similarly we at the middle of our lenten journey, also lift up the cross so that those who are bitten by sin can look at it and gain eternal life by the cross.
In the Gospel reading today, taken from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 15, we encounter a gentile woman from the area of Canaan. She approaches Jesus and asks that he heal her daughter who is “extremely” demon possessed. At first Jesus doesn’t answer. Then after a few moments, realizing that she wasn’t backing down, Jesus explains that he came for the Jewish people and not for the Gentiles. The woman, upon hearing this, pleads with Jesus, by worshiping him and saying, “Lord, help me.” But Jesus answered by way of a metaphor and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She in turn provides a surprising rebuttal: “Yes, even the little dogs eat the crumbs from their master’s table,” showing Jesus how great her faith was. Finally Jesus healed the woman’s daughter at that very moment.
All physical illness is not a result of sin. Although, sometimes, with proper spiritual guidance, it could be determined that there is a connection. For example, the Gospel of John states that the man who was healed from his blindness (John 9) was not blind due to his sin but rather he was blind for the glory of God. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 13, Jesus healed a woman who had a bent back, which was due to a “spirit” of infirmity. How she got the spirit of infirmity is unclear but we can infer that it might have been due to sin. Whatever the case, the Bible teaches us that sickness can be due to our sin, that is, active participation with sinful behavior, or it could be due to our fallen nature, that is, because to us being born into a world of sin we consequently get ill.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/sin-and-sickness
Lent, we are introduced to a leper in the Gospel reading. This leper is an outcast of society, quarantined outside the city limits, and forbidden to have contact with anyone. He is treated as sub-human. Further, society has labeled him as accursed by God. Due to this ill treatment, the feelings of despair and hopelessness set in. Life seems almost not worth living. However, a possible way out of this despair seems to be available--Jesus Christ. This “healing-messiah” has been conducting his healing ministry and the leper wanted to receive healing from him.
Today for the start of the Great and Holy Lent. Christ, on the request of his mother, changes the water to wine, at the wedding at Cana. At the end of the gospel reading, the master of the wedding feast says, ‘normally the best wine is served first then the inferior wine, but here you have saved the best wine for last.’ There is a greater moral inference that lies at the heart of what Christ is attempting to express by way of this miracle, and that is: in life remember that is not how you begin but how you end that matters. For example, the wedding started with less quality wine and ended with better quality wine. Similarly, in life, we always tend to start out with a “bang,” but end up a mess.
You might be asking what does “Living in the Present” have to do with a Gospel reading that mainly deals with the idea of a “faithful” servant. As I contemplated the idea of being a faithful servant (or we can say, faithful Christian, faithful person), I asked myself the question, “What makes a Christian a faithful Christian?” Immediately, the Lord directed me to “living in the present.” That is, if a person desires to be a faithful Christian, he or she must live in the present. This means that a person is concentrated on what is happening at the moment. He or she is diligent in completing the task at hand. Future planning and contemplation are necessary but not to the detriment of the present task. Forward thinking is encouraged but not before the reality of the present is handled.
In the Gospel Reading today Christ speaks about “being ready.” Christ, in order to explain this idea of “being ready,” speaks in regard to being ready at all times. In order to do this, he makes an analogy to a homeowner and that if he had knowledge that a thief would break into his home, he would be ready to fight him off. The point is that we have to be spiritual ready at all times.
Often, we speak about “becoming ready” but I believe that it is high time that we “be ready.” As Christians we will face many types of struggles in this world. Are we ready to handle them? Or are we going to give up, or lose sight of our faith during those times?
In the Gospel Reading today it says that, “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by the Satan, and was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him.” (Mark 1: 12-13)
In the last two sermons we focused heavily on the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives by way of the second baptism, and Him providing us with wisdom and grace. Now, we are still focusing on the Holy Spirit but now concentrating on Him “driving” us to the wilderness.
In the Gospel reading today we hear about the dedication of Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem by his parents Joseph and Mary. In the latter part of the Gospel reading, after the child Jesus is dedicated, it says the following, “So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2:39-40) As Orthodox Christians, when we do all things that are according to the law, that is, take part in the Sacraments; with respect and diligence, then we are in some way, like Christ. That is, we dedicate ourselves to God by a genuine obedience to the Sacraments by our love for Christ. It is through the receiving, and partaking of the Sacraments, that we can be “filled with the fullness” of the Holy Spirit. Once that experience becomes a reality in our lives, we now are able to develop “wisdom.”
Philip was called by Jesus Christ to be his disciple. His response was positive; he was willing to follow Christ. But he wanted his friend Nathanael to join him in this newfound adventure as well. When Philip found Nathanael and told him that he had found the Messiah (the person the Jewish people had been waiting for) he was not so eager to follow Jesus. Instead, he said, “What good can come out of Nazareth?” There seems to be a great deal of speculation in Nathanael’s mind concerning Jesus. Further, he didn’t seem too intrigued with idea that the Messiah hailed from the area of Nazareth.
In the Gospel Reading today we hear about two fishermen, Peter and Andrew, who were fishing at the Sea of Galilee and how Jesus called them to follow him, that is become his disciples, by saying, “Follow me, I will make you fishers of men.” The meaning of this saying, “fishers of men” is known to the common believer. It basically means rather than catching fish, Christ will make them catch men and women into the kingdom of God, not with nets, but with the “spiritual net” of the Gospel, established by Jesus Christ.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/follow-the-christ-within
In one of the Gospel Readings ascribed by the Church for today, in commemoration of the Baptism of Christ, we hear that Christ went into the river Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist, who was considered by the early Church as the forerunner of Jesus Christ and given an honored position, second to St. Mary, the Mother of God.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/words-of-affirmation
New Year Day homily by Rev. Fr. Gheevarghese John, vicar of St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord
Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. Givargis Koshy, a priest of the Northeast American Diocese - Remember The Christ (Matthew 2: 9-15, 19-23)
2018 Feast of the Nativity - Rev. Fr. Gheevarghese John by St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3: 23-38) - Rev. Fr. K. K. John by St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church
In the Gospel Reading today, taken from St. Matthew 1:18-25, we hear about the Angel Gabriel visiting St. Joseph, and announcing to him that St. Mary, his betrothed wife, is pregnant with child and will give birth to the Son of God, who will bring salvation to all mankind. This news was not easy to “stomach” for St. Joseph. In all honesty, he had to make tough decisions that went against the conventional wisdom and tradition of his time. He should have, and could have, according to the Jewish Law, had St. Mary stoned for having a child without him. But rather than doing that, he kept everything secretly in his heart, knowing that there is a greater purpose for what is happening.
In the Gospel reading today we hear about the birth of St. John the Baptist, who would become the forerunner to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. St. John made a pathway for Christ, who would go on to the Cross, the grave and finally be seated at the right hand of God in power and glory. In the Gospel of St. Luke it states that when St. John was born, everyone asked, “Who will this child become, for the hand of God is with him.” This former question is one that is asked not only by those standing and witnessing the birth of St. John; but also by us parents today living in the 21st century.
Believing or having belief in a doctrine, theology, or moral code, etc. is often considered a condition of the mind. That is, believing is a person’s willful consideration in accepting or rejecting an idea. We might understand this as having a particular political, social, religious or economic viewpoint. For example, one might say, “I believe in conservative values.” Or conversely, “I believe in liberal ideas.” Therefore, believing is a commitment we have toward an idea or system of thought. In the Gospel reading today we read/hear about the visit of Elizabeth to St. Mary. Elizabeth says, “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (St. Luke 1:45)
In the Bible the word is normally used as a noun. For instance in the Gospel Reading today we hear about how the Angel Gabriel visited St. Mary to announce to her that she will be with child through the power of the Holy Spirit. During that visitation the Angel said to St. Mary that, “she has found favor with God.” (St. Luke 1:30) Here, the Angel is using the word as a noun. In the Greek the word “charis” is closely connected to favor. It could also mean grace or kindness.
In the Gospel Reading today, which many of us are familiar with, the Angel Gabriel is charged with announcing the good news to Zachariah, a Priest at the Temple, that his wife, Elizabeth, who has been barren since the time of marriage to her old age, would give birth to a son, who would be called John, the one to prepare the way for Jesus Christ the Messiah. Such an announcement, even by an Angel of God, could not do enough convincing for Zachariah to believe, especially since in his mind his wife was beyond the human capacity to give birth. The Angel Gabriel, responding to Zachariah, made him mute, as a form of punishment for his disbelief or negative response.
In the Gospel reading today Jesus asks, “Who do men say that I am?” His disciples surrounding him said, “Some say you are Elijah or a prophet.” Jesus then asks, “Who do you say that I am?” The majority of the disciples gave Jesus a blank stare, probably because, honestly speaking, they just didn’t know or they were a bit apprehensive on giving a wrong response. Whatever the case may be, Peter, says, “You are Christ the Son of the living God.” Because of that bold and probably surprising answer, Jesus bestows up Peter the title of rock or in Aramaic, Kepha. Indeed a title of honor. But right after, when Jesus was speaking of his forthcoming death and burial, Peter step up to Jesus and says that he will prevent him from dying. Immediately Jesus says, “Get behind me Satan.”
We have spoken much in this last year and a half about on how to speak to each other and how to use our words wisely. In the Gospel reading today Christ once again speaks to our consciousness, advising us not to insult our brothers or sisters through the use of our words.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/dont-use-insults
In modern times the term “Achilles heel”, which originated from the above mythological story, eventually evolved into defining a person’s “one” area of weakness in life.
In the Gospel reading today, taken from St. Luke 18:18-27, Jesus Christ tells the rich man that he “lacks one thing,” that is, he should sell all his possession and follow God. The rich man “lacks this one thing” because the most important “thing” in his life is money and not God. It was his greatest weakness, which he could not get a handle on. In other words, it was his “Achilles heel!” It was his area of weakness. We could even say that was the area of his life that he gave more importance than God.
A Warning Against Hypocrisy (Matthew 23:1-12) - Rev. Fr. Joice Pappan by St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church
Sunday homily by Rev. Fr. Gheevarghese John, vicar of St. Luke Orthodox Mission Church - “Press” into the Word of God (Luke 16:9-18)
Read more at: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/press-into-the-word-of-god
The “show bread,” sometimes referred to as the “shew bread,” is also called the “Bread of Presence.” This bread was placed on a table in the Holy Place of the Temple after the Sabbath; and then eaten by the Priest at the end of the week. There were twelve loaves of show bread, one each for the twelve tribes of Israel. The Priests of the temple would consume the show bread. Scholars say that originally it was an offering to God. Later on, in time, the Priest would consume the bread as the representative of God.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/enter-into-the-holy-place
In today’s Gospel Reading Jesus tells his disciples to be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Leaven is typically yeast, which is added to dough to make it rise. Without it, dough would stay flat. It is obvious that Christ is using figurative language in order to explain a point. In other words, Christ has no interest in the cooking habits of the Pharisees and Sadducees. So then, what does Christ mean? Leaven makes the dough to rise.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/beware-of-your-leaven
Napoleon once said that he could command armies because they feared him; thus, they are forced to fight for Napoleon. But Jesus neither compelled nor forced any of his followers to follow him or die for him; and still even now, after 2000+ years, millions of men are willing to give their life for him. The point here is this: Napoleon’s words did not compel his soldiers to fight for him out of loyalty but out of duty. Christ’s followers were loyal to him because his words were trustworthy; that is, they were true! They were true because Jesus had no contradiction between his words or actions. What makes the words of Christ remain forever is not the words themselves, for words alone are useless, even Christ’s; but Christ matched his words with his actions, which made his words true and in turn they remain forever. That is why in the Gospel reading were hear that “heaven and earth will pass away but the words of Christ will remain.”
Read more at https://stlukemission.org/sermons/christs-words-are-true
In the Gospel Reading today Jesus teaches us that if someone hits us on the right side of the face we should offer the other side as well. And if someone asks you to run one mile (for whatever reason) you should run two miles. Here, a literal interpretation of this passage leaves us with a sense of “condoning injustice.” How else could we explain why Jesus would want a robber to rob us of our shoes and then before he runs away offer him our watch as an additional “robber’s bonus.” And by the way, why not offer him our car so he can get back home safely. The idea sounds absurd.
In the Gospel Reading today Peter is walking to Capernaum. While on his way he encounters some tax collector who asked him, ‘does your Master pay the temple tax.’ Hesitant to say “no,” or fearful that he would get his Master in trouble (at least I assume), he says, “yes.” When Peter came into the house where Jesus was staying, Jesus having foreknowledge of his conversation said, “From who do the kings of the earth take their tax? From their sons or strangers.” Peter replied, “strangers.” It is here that the passage becomes interesting and where I want to make my thesis.
A straightforward reading of today’s Gospel passage would lead us to believe that if we pray for something, we would receive that from God. “Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, and knock and the door shall be open to you.” (Luke 11: 9-13)
Are you a hypocrite? As Christians, this is something we all think about; or, in fact, we might have been called a hypocrite by someone; or considered ourselves to be a hypocrite a few times in our life. Whatever the case may be, the understanding of what makes someone a hypocrite or not, is convoluted. Here, I will attempt to bring some clarity into this complex discussion.
In the Gospel Reading today Jesus scolds the Pharisee, Sadducees and Scribes, the “spiritual elites” of his time, by saying they were not willing to repent, or rather change their ways, when John the Baptist came to them in righteousness; however the tax collectors and harlots were willing; therefore, they will enter into the Kingdom of God. It is interesting to note here that Christ was referring to the idea of “change.” That is, how the one type or group of people, were willing to change; but the other, too stubborn and set in their ways, were unwilling.
In the Gospel reading today we hear that Christ sends out his disciples two by two to cast out demons, heal the sick and preach the Good News. (Mark 6: 7-13) Here, we are intrigued that the disciples are given the ability to cast out demons, heal the sick and preach the Gospel, primarily because these “abilities” or rather “giftings” was something they never had before; and now Christ freely gave such “giftings” so that His Mission here on earth might be accomplished. In some way or the other, we want these “giftings” too! Because as humans we want the miraculous. But we should understand that the disciples (at that time and place) were called to a specific ministry, and as such, needed those “giftings” in order to fulfill the plan of God. Even though we might not have the gift of healing, preaching or casting out demons, Christ has sent all of the members of St. Luke “out,” not necessarily “two-by-two,” but maybe “by family” or “by individual,” to do a particular type of ministry, here at this time and place. If we come to that truth—that realization—then we will make our Christian experience meaningful.
When we consider the valuable things in our life, what do we think about? Cars, houses, assets, these are the things that we consider as valuable; because the word “value “ in our American culture is closely associated with monetary worth, that is, money. For example, we would say, “What’s the value of this car?” Or, we would say, “What’s the value of this home?” But when we use the word “value” do we ever consider our very own lives. The bodies that we have, don’t they have value? What would be the cost of your arm, leg, or foot? The answer is simply: we can’t put a price on it. It’s priceless!
We were blessed with the presence of Rev. Fr. Mathew Alexander, this past Sunday, who delivered the homily which was taken from the Gospel of Saint Luke 14:7-11.
When we think of the word “feeding” what we think about is eating food. Or, it may be feeding children, if any. “Feeding” is predominantly associated with the eating of food or feeding food to others.
In the Gospel reading today Jesus says that we are to feed on Him, literally and spiritually. Literally, we feed on His Body and Blood during Qurbana. Spiritually we feed on Christ throughout the week by reading the Bible, saying the Prayers of the Church, listening to Orthodox Sermons, reading the Lives of the Fathers and other Holy Books. As Orthodox Christians, we do the former but neglect the latter. Instead, throughout the week we tend to “feed” on movies, music, and books that are not necessarily beneficial.
How can we feed on Christ throughout the week?
In the year of Our Lord, 1858, Abraham Lincoln, soon to be President of the United States of America, gave a speech that will forever be remember in the pages of American history. The title of that speech is “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-battle-of-the-mind
We were blessed with the presence of Rev. Fr. Joice Pappan, this past Sunday, who delivered the homily which was taken from the Gospel of Saint Matthew 15: 32-39. Learn more at https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-compassionate-christ
What do we normally do with leftover food? We either store it away to be eaten later, or throw it away. Whatever the case maybe, we don’t treat it the same as we did when it first came out of the pot or oven. In other words, we treat the food differently, because now it has another classification. Its importance has changed. That is, the way we look at the food has changed.
In the Gospel Reading today, ascribed by the Church, Jesus sends his disciples out two-by-two and commands them to go heal the sick and preach the Gospel. In doing so, he said to them, “The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2) This Bible portion might be very familiar to us. It has be taught and preached with regard to evangelism. But here, what I would like to accomplish is for us to contemplate on Bible passage and then see how it could be applied in our lives.
In Gospel Reading today, taken from St. John 6: 35-46, we see Jesus speaking about Himself in relation to His Father. Jesus says, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” What does Christ mean when he says, “all He has given Me, I should lose nothing?” First the question arises what did God the Father give to His Son. Biblically and theologically speaking Christ and His Father are one and the same. So whatever is in the Father; it is in the Son, and vice versa.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/look-within-yourself
When St. Paul went to Mars Hill, located in Athens, Greece to preach Christ to the Greeks (Gentiles), he did so by a alluding to the fact that the Greeks had a place in their temple dedicated to the unknown God. (Acts 17: 22-31) St. Paul preached that the unknown God is in fact Jesus Christ. After he preached, there were three categories of hearers: 1) those that rejected 2) those that have to think about it more 3) those that accepted. Here, we observe that St. Paul did his job, that is, preached Christ, and it was up to the hearers to respond.
In antiquity and at present, a seal is the joining to two parts so that they do not separate. Secondly, it is a liquid that has a symbol stamped on it that denotes that it belongs to a certain person or entity. Here, when we speak of seal, we are speaking in spiritual terms; nevertheless, the idea is the same.
On the day that we remember the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles gathered in the upper room, as recorded in the Book of Acts chapter 2, we are preparing ourselves to be “refilled” with the Holy Spirit.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/be-refilled-with-the-holy-spirit
“I set my face like a flint.” (Isaiah 50:7) Thus says Isaiah in regard to his prophetic ministry. That is, his face shall not be moved from the determination that is in his heart toward the One who has called him to be a prophet among the nations. In today’s Gospel reading, taken from Luke chapter 9 verses 51 and following, it says that, “Jesus had set his face to Jerusalem.” This famous portion of Gospel takes place in the context of the disciples and Christ attempting to stay at a Samaritan village on their way to Jerusalem. Further, the Bible states that the village did not let Christ stay with them because “His face was set on Jerusalem.”
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/set-goals-and-be-determined
After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he appears to two of his disciples in his post-resurrection unrecognizable form, while they had departed from Jerusalem and on the road to Emmaus. While on the road, they converse about the things that transpired in the weeks past concerning Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures. As they reached the city, Jesus was about to depart but the disciples asked him to lodge with them. That evening, Jesus broke bread with them, and immediately he vanished from their sight. Then the disciples spoke with each other about how their hearts “burned” while they were on the road when Jesus was speaking to them. (St. Luke 24:32)
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/building-bridges-breaking-down-walls
Love: where does it come from? Science, throughout the ages has discovered the smallest elements of life—the atom, electrons, DNA—but it has not explained where the feeling of love comes from. (There are other emotions that we feel that have not been explained, for example, compassion and forgiveness. But, here, we will deal specifically with love.) Science has attempted to explain the metaphysical (the other than physical)---love---but it has fallen short.
Read more at https://stlukemission.org/sermons/loving-jesus-christ
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus appears to his disciples for the third time after His resurrection at the Sea of Tiberias, where they are found attempting to fish. Simon Peter and a few other disciples were present. It was evening. Peter went fishing and the other disciples followed. It so happened that they caught no fish. When the morning had come, unbeknownst to the disciples, Jesus stood by the shores and told the disappointed disciples to go back into the sea and fish again, this time casting their nets to the right side of the boat. The result was amazing! They not only caught enough fish, but more than they needed.
In the Gospel reading taken from John 20:19-31, thedisciples were in hiding. Then, in the place they were hiding, with the door closed, Jesus appeared before them. Jesus doesn’t say, “hello,” or “how have you been,” but He says, “Peace be with you.” Subsequently, Jesus shows them his wounds, both on his hands and side. The disciples, hiding from the Jews, for fear of persecution, were glad to see their teacher once again. But then, after “giving peace” a second time, and giving the directive to go and preach the Gospel, He does something that is very peculiar—He breathes the Holy Spirit on them.
We don’t have to go far to the see the evidence of the risen Christ. St. Athanasius the Great says, ‘It’s not the empty tomb in Jerusalem that many people flock to and venerate that is the evidence of the resurrection. Rather, we are the evidence of the resurrection.” Are we the evidence of the resurrected Christ? When others see or hear us, would they say he or she is the evidence of the resurrected Christ?
Judas was one of the Apostles of Jesus. This means like the other Apostles, he walked with Christ, eat with Christ, etc. When Jesus was teaching, preaching and healing, Judas was there. There was a certain level of intimacy that Jesus shared with His Apostles, and Judas, like it or not, was a recipient of that. Jesus invested time and energy into Judas, and even, we can assume, a certain level of trust. But in the end, Judas betrayed Jesus. We can only imagine the feelings of betrayal that Jesus was experiencing. Today, Fr. Gheevarghese offers reflections on this.
We are now entering the sixth week of the Great and Holy Lent. Here we see that Jesus heals a blind man who was blind from birth. The details of the narrative are too many to list here Fr. Gheevarghese highlights some important points.
We see that a woman who had a was bent over and could not walk straight, was brought to Jesus. When Jesus saw her, He told her that she was “loosed from her infirmity.” Immediately following, He laid His hands on her body and was made straight. Today, Fr. Gheevarghese offers reflections on this.
We are now entering the fourth week of the Great and Holy Lent and the Healing Gospel that is ascribed to us is taken from Matthew 15: 21-28. Here, we see that Jesus, the first healing-evangelist, is ministering in the area of Tyre and Sidon. There, a woman from the region of Canaan pleads with Jesus to have mercy on her daughter who is severely-demon possessed. At this point, we would expect the narrative to move in the direction where Jesus immediately heals the daughter by seeing the faith that the mother had, like that of the four friends of the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12). But the narrative takes a turn for the worst, or so it seems.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-little-crumbs
The Gospel Reading this week, which is the third Sunday of the Great and Holy Lent, we encounter a paralytic (a person unable to walk). In this narrative, the paralytic is carried by four friends, by way of the rooftop, in the house were Jesus’ is preaching and lowered down into his presence. Jesus, witnessing the faith of the four friends, (and that of the paralytic) forgives the paralytic’s sins. The Pharisees and Jewish elite that were present questioned Jesus on how He could forgive his sins, for only God can forgive sins. Jesus perceiving in their heart their evil intent, not only forgave him of his sins but healed him. The crowd in astonishment could not believe what they were seeing.
Leprosy was a disease that no one wanted to contract. Indeed, the disease was contagious, so in the time of Christ, if someone contracted leprosy, they would be quarantined far away from civilization. The disease itself was in a way, disgusting. The smell of rotting flesh was a distinct feature of a leper. No one would want to be near a leper for the shear fact that he or she smelled badly. Further, contact with such people would mean contracting the disease. This was in some way a preventive method for the public at large; however, despite society’s good intentions to protect the health of the public, the lepers we outcasts, uncared for, rejected, unwanted and treated worse than animals. Imagine how a leper felt. Although, they had rotting flesh, sores and warts consuming their body, they were still human beings, born in the Image and Likeness of God. It is likely that despair and depression were an integral part of a leper’s psychological makeup. Today, Fr. Gheevarghese offers reflections on this.
We have all heard the phrase, “Put your best foot forward.” The meaning of this phrase is: when you begin a task, or start a new endeavor in life, we should give it our best, that is, exert all our efforts to the success and completion of what we started. Often, we begin with our best effort, but over time we start to become apathetic. Time takes its toll and we become weary. In other words, we lost the “passion” and “fire” that we started with. We came with “guns-blazing” but now we only have a “single flame.” What happened to what we started? Today, Fr. Gheevarghese offers reflections on this.
The Gospel Reading today, taken from Luke 12:32-48, Jesus teaches us that “to whom much is given, much is required, and to whom much is committed, much will be asked of that person.” (Vr. 48) Jesus says this within the context of the faithful and evil servant. The faithful servant fulfills the responsibilities that his Master has handed over to him. On the contrary, the evil servant does not faithfully execute the responsibilities handed over to him. Today, Fr. Gheevarghese offers reflections on this.
There are three terms used to describe the character of God, namely, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent. Omnipresent means God is present everywhere. There is no place that He is not. Omniscient means that He is all-knowing. In other words, God knows all things. Omnipotent means He is all-powerful. That is, God has power over all things. Today, Fr. Gheevarghese offers reflections on Jesus the omnipresent.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-omnipresence-of-christ
When we think of Jesus Christ, we imagine a man, who within human history was born miraculously to a Virgin. But have we ever thought about the time before the Incarnation? How was Christ before his birth (with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit)? Fr. Gheevarghese offers reflections on these.
Read more: https://stlukemission.org/sermons/second-birth
Weekly homily delivered by Fr. Gheevarghese John https://stlukemission.org/sermons/integrity-and-honesty
Weekly homily delivered by Fr. Gheevarghese John https://stlukemission.org/sermons/baptism-of-christ
Weekly homily delivered by Fr. Gheevarghese John https://stlukemission.org/sermons/we-have-a-god-that-understands
The Gospel Reading today records the “Revelation to St. Joseph,” that is, the announcement from the Angel Gabriel on how Mary, who was soon to be engaged to Joseph, will conceive a son, not by human/physical means, but by the intervention of the Holy Spirit.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/show-mercy
A brief review of the history of the world shows us that there has always been a tradition of “the hand” in Middle Eastern culture, which signified the protection of God from evil (people). This tradition is also found in Jewish culture. It is not rooted in Biblical proofs, rather as an adoption of cultural norms prevalent in the Middle East.
Biblically speaking, the hand of God (1 Peter 5:6, Psalm 110:1) signifies the following: creating the universe, protection from evil people and dire situations, healing, and comfort from pain and sorrow. There are more but these are the most significant.
Theologically speaking, St. Gregory of Nyssa, one the of the three “official” theologians of the Orthodox Church, defines the hand(s) of God as Jesus Christ (right hand) and the Holy Spirit (left hand).
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/gods-hand-of-protection
In the previous sermon, we learned that we need to listen to the voice of God, that is, understand how God speaks to us. Then we learned how to say yes to the voice of God. Now, it is time for us to use our voice for the upliftment of other people.
Today in the Gospel reading we hear that St. Mary visits Elizabeth. In her visit, St. Mary greets Elizabeth. In so doing, Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and the baby (St. John the Baptist) in her womb leaped for joy. It is incredible that the voice of St. Mary could fill Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit and make the baby in the womb leap up and down. This demonstrates that St. Mary’s voice has power. How does a voice have power? The voice is powerful when the person with that voice is filled with the Holy Spirit, through prayer, fasting, reading God’s word, and following the commandments of God.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/your-voice-has-power
Today in the Gospel Reading we hear of the Angel Gabriel appearing to St. Mary and announcing to her that she will conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit the Son of God who will redeem the world and bring salvation to many. The Orthodox Christian is typically literate about the plot of this narrative. As such, ideas arise that question St. Mary’s uniqueness and specialty in the work of salvation by God. Often that sounds something like this: Mary is not special because God could have used anyone. This argument trivializes the fact that St. Mary, with humility and strong faith, responded to the angel with an acceptance of what God wanted to do with her life. Yes, we as Orthodox Christian believe that she could have said “no,” but she didn’t; and that is exactly the point. She accepted the “calling” and became the “chosen.” So logically the question arises: what if she didn’t accept. The answer is clear! God would have used someone else. This is not in any way an attempt to minimize the importance of St. Mary. On the contrary, this viewpoint exalts St. Mary, because it was her holiness, humility, and faith that allowed her to say, “yes” to God.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/if-not-you-then-someone-else
In the context of the Gospel that is ascribed for today’s reading, Jesus is challenged by the Jewish people, “How long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10:24) Jesus answered them saying, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness to me. But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27) Here, Jesus clearly teaches that if we “belong” to Him, we will “hear” his voice and “follow” him. He does so by making an analogy to the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/my-sheep-hear-my-voice
In the gospel reading today Jesus tells the people, “I have not come to bring peace but a sword.” Then He goes on to say, “For I have come to set a father against his son, and a daughter against her mother…” Jesus uses explicit language to describe the age to come. That is, the age of Apostles. He is, therefore, prophesying about the time after His death, burial, resurrection, where those who declare to follow Him will be rejected by their own family, and in some cases, handed over to the authorities for death.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/you-cant-please-everyone
It is a natural tendency to think we are less of a sinner than others, particularly if we are comparing ourselves to murderers, the sexually deviant, or other sins we consider “extreme” and on a category of their own. However, much we indulge in this type of thinking to sooth our conscious, we are challenged by the words of Christ.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-heart-matters
Weekly homily delivered by Fr. Gheevarghese John https://stlukemission.org/sermons/who-is-your-father-teacher
In our American culture, we are acculturated to want the best, to be the best, and to have the most. This type of thinking does not reflect the teachings of the Church or the Bible. On the contrary, God wants us to be faithful with what He has given us; and the circumstances that he has placed us in. Here, we must clearly define what it means to be “faithful.”
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/be-faithful
When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden, He did it so that human beings could enjoy the pleasures of life. The sun, moon, rivers, animals, that is, all of God’s creation, was created for the enjoyment of humans. Further, God did not need to create human beings or the universe. He did it out of love, not out of necessity. God has no need for anything, for in Him there is fullness and completion. (Otherwise, He would not be God.) All things were created so that humans (and all living things) might grow closer to God. To sum-up, all things were created for man to enjoy, for his/her benefit and spiritual growth.
In the gospel reading today Jesus and his disciples pluck grain while they are walking through a field. Pharisees and other authorities in seeing this challenged Jesus.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/sabbath-was-made-for-man
We are gathered today to celebrate the Festival of the Cross, which commemorates the discover of the “true” Cross of Christ. This occurred in the year 326 A.D by Queen Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, during her pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The celebration is conducted via procession and exaltation of the Cross to the four corners of the earth in the Malankara Orthodox Church. Most Orthodox believers typically think of Holy Friday as the day that the Cross is glorified. In fact, Holy Friday is focused on the Passion of Christ, that is, Christ’s agony and suffering. That said, the Feast of the Cross is the actual day that the Orthodox Church celebrates the Cross as an instrument of salvation.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-vertical-horizontal-experience
Father forgive them for they know not what they do. — Luke 23:34
These are the words of Christ as He hung on the Cross beaten and mangled, staring at His accusers and those that crucified Him. How can a man utter such words after what He had gone through? The question provides the answer! That is, a mere man cannot utter such words. He must be God!
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/forgiving-others
We hear the word “prayer” almost on weekly bases, in church, fellowship or in conversations with our friends. But what is prayer? The Greek word for prayer is proseuche, meaning a “desire to have intimate contact with someone.” Therefore, prayer is indeed our desire to have intimacy with God. To have intimacy with God requires us to enter into His presence” That is in fact what prayer is—entering into the “presence of God.”
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/askseekandknock
Weekly homily delivered by Fr. Gheevarghese John https://stlukemission.org/sermons/jesus-christ-the-fruit-of-the-cross
Weekly homily delivered by Fr. Gheevarghese John https://stlukemission.org/sermons/following-through-with-our-words
Weekly homily delivered by Fr. Gheevarghese John https://stlukemission.org/sermons/feast-of-the-transfiguration
Weekly homily delivered by Fr. Gheevarghese John https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-body-and-blood-of-christ
We as human beings often make assumptions. Assumptions are ideas or judgments that we make about people based on minimal proof, or in some cases false accusations.
In today’s Gospel reading, taken from Mark 3:20-30, two categories of people, namely scribes and Jesus’ hometown people, are making an assumption about Jesus. That is, that He performs His miracles through the power of a satanic spirit—Beelzebub.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/2017/7/20/making-assumptions
The Orthodox Christian Church identifies that there are seven Holy Sacraments; nevertheless, it is also understood that all that is good and profitable for our souls is a Sacrament. For example, waking up in the morning and giving thanks to God can be considered a Sacrament. In other words, we can rightly say that life is a sacrament. From this perspective, the Malankara Orthodox Church sees the Qurbana in the same way. For most Malankara Orthodox Christians, Qurbana is an exclusive experience reserved for Sunday, particularly when the Priest recites the Words of Institution, “blessed, consecrated, broke….” This reminds the faithful of the reality that Christ instituted the Qurbana so that we might receive his precious Body and Blood every time we celebrate it.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/2017/7/20/the-everyday-qurbana
Many topics and themes can be extrapolated from the “Feeding of the Five Thousand”, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 14. There are several metaphorical and theological ideas hidden within this well-known miracle of Jesus Christ. But here I want to demonstrate how the compassion of Christ led him to be hospitable to those that were following His ministry.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/2017/7/11/showing-hospitality
The Psalmist David writes “Not to us, but your name be the glory.” (Psalm 115:1) David is saying with boldness and a contrite heart that whatever we do or say, that is, in word or in deed, the glory should be given to God. Saying phrases like, “glory to God,” “praise God,” “thank God” have become a Christian “fad.” These phrases have become a type of “lip service” to God. It should, rather, come from the heart of the person with genuine devotion to God.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/2017/6/20/to-god-be-the-glory-and-honor
Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks to the crowd about how we treat others who are in need. For example, in Matthew 25:35, Jesus speaks about physical hunger and thirst, in regard to our concern for people who are in that condition. If we care about such people, we are fulfilling the command of our Lord to “love our neighbor.” (Mark 12:31)
For Christ, hunger was also “spiritual.”
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/2017/6/13/hungry-for-god
The Feast of Ascension is the fortieth day after Resurrection Sunday, commemorating the Ascension of Christ into heaven, according to Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, and Acts 1:2. The word Ascension in Greek (analeptics) means, “lifting up.” It is the event that signifies Christ ascending to heaven to be seated at the right hand of God the Father in power and glory, completing the plan of salvation. Generally speaking, in Orthodoxy, the greater emphasize is on "the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ," leaving the Ascension with lesser importance within the minds of the faithful. This is only natural, since the hard work of fasting and extensive praying ends with the Feast of the Resurrection. Nevertheless, as stated earlier, it is the Ascension that completes the plan of salvation; and therefore, for the Church, it is of equal importance.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/2017/5/29/jesus-christ-the-king-sermon-on-the-ascension
he Gospels records that when our Savior Jesus Christ was born there was no room for Him at the inn. (Luke 2:7) When Christ was of age He entered the synagogue in Nazareth and proclaimed through the scriptures that He was the messiah, upon hearing this the Jews threw Him out of their town. (Luke 4:16-29) Throughout Christ’s ministry on earth, He was traveling—preaching, teaching and performing miracles—but He never had a place to call His own.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-son-of-man-rests-his-head
Life is a journey filled with “life-changing” moments that define who we are. In the Gospel of Luke Chapter 24, two men, Cleopas and another disciple, are walking from a small town called Emmaus to the city of Jerusalem. On their journey they begin to chitchat about their master, Jesus, and all that had happened to him—His trial, passion, death and burial.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/the-road-to-emmaus
In Mark 8:31, Jesus harshly rebukes Peter and calls him “satan,” for attempting to change His mind about His passion and crucifixion. In the night of the Last Supper, Jesus told His Apostles that He would be betrayed and that none of them would stand by Him in His last hour. Peter told Jesus he would stand by Him and defend Him. Jesus, knowing Peter well, said that before the rooster crows today you will have denied me three times. (Matthew 26:34) And indeed, Peter, in the night of Jesus’ trial, denied Him three times
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/2017/5/5/restoration
On the first Sunday after New Sunday, that is, the second Sunday after the Resurrection, the Holy Church ascribes the Gospel of John 21:1-14. This passage records one of the several post-resurrection appearances of Christ to his disciples and followers. Jesus Christ appears to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias showing Himself to Peter, Thomas, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.
https://stlukemission.org/sermons/2017/5/4/seeing-jesus