October 05, 2025

Several weeks ago during a visit to the nursing homes, I began telling one of our older parishioners that we had our annual Greek Festival coming up. As we talked about the festive spirit, the Greek dancers, and all the delicious food and pastries, she mentioned how she hoped that someone would bring her. So, I asked her, “What are you looking forward to most at the Festival? What Greek food or pastry do you really miss?” Read more »

September 28, 2025

Do not to accept the grace of God in vain! For every person who has been baptized as an Orthodox Christian, we need to take care “not to accept the grace of God in vain.” We have been blessed with the greatest treasure of life. Through the Mystery of our Baptism and Chrismation we have become a new creation, where we have put off the old man and all the power and influence of this fallen world. We have been made new by being “born from on high” or “born again,” as some call it. Read more »

September 21, 2025

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” (Gal. 2:20) Saint Paul proclaimed. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me,” (Mark 8:34) declared our Lord Jesus. We hear two of the most challenging and life-defining passages in all of Holy Scripture in today’s readings for the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Both passages point to the same reality: true life in Christ requires death to ourselves. The Cross is not only His—it must become ours. Read more »

September 14, 2025

Our country has been shaken once again this past week. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. Another school shooting on the very same day. Violence that fills us with shock, anger, fear and even numbness. Read more »

September 07, 2025

God loves us. And God wants to save us. God loves the world and everyone in it. And God desires to save us – save us from ourselves and all our confusion and delusion, save us from our brokenness and sinfulness, save us from egocentric actions and impure hearts. God loves us and wants to save us. Read more »

September 07, 2025

God loves us. And God wants to save us. God loves the world and everyone in it. And God desires to save us – save us from ourselves and all our confusion and delusion, save us from our brokenness and sinfulness, save us from egocentric actions and impure hearts. God loves us and wants to save us. Read more »

September 07, 2025

God loves us. And God wants to save us. God loves the world and everyone in it. And God desires to save us – save us from ourselves and all our confusion and delusion, save us from our brokenness and sinfulness, save us from egocentric actions and impure hearts. God loves us and wants to save us. Read more »

August 24, 2025

A missionary shared a story of a former man-eating cannibal, a tribesman from some small South Pacific Island, who encountered the power of Christ’s Good News, and converted to Christianity. One subsequent Sunday, the missionary observed how this man began to approach the Holy Altar to receive Holy Communion, only to quickly turn around and rush out of the Church. After a few minutes, the tribesman returned into the Church and received the Holy Sacrament. Following the service, the missionary approached the tribesman and asked for an explanation of his behavior. Read more »

August 24, 2025

 "If it were possible for me to climb up into the sky and shout with a great voice, to preach to the entire world that only our Christ is the Son and Word of God, true God and life of all, I would have done it. But because I can't do such a thing, I do this small thing of walking from village to village and teaching my brothers and sisters as I can, not as a teacher but as a brother." Read more »

August 17, 2025

Today is a day of joy. This morning, we welcome five new members into the Holy Orthodox Church through Holy Chrismation. Next Sunday, we will baptize and welcome seven other adults into our Church family. All of these new members enter into Christ’s death and resurrection and become living members of His Body. Read more »

August 15, 2025

My souls magnifies the Lord and My Spirit rejoices in God my Savior. On this Feast of the Falling Asleep of the Virgin Mary, we not only remember her peaceful transition into eternal life but we reflect on her as the perfect example of what it means to live for God. The words she spoke when she first conceived Christ—“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” summarize her entire life. Read more »

August 10, 2025

The wind howls. The boat groans. The disciples strain at the oars, drenched and exhausted, their hands blistered, their hearts pounding with fear. It is the middle of the night, the waves are high, and hope is running low. Then—through the mist and spray—they see Him. A figure walking on the water. A voice that cuts through the roar of the storm: Read more »

August 06, 2025

Imagine. We are in the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. After three years of watching and living with Jesus, seeing His miracles, listening to His teachings, and seeing His bold confrontations with the hypocritical religious leaders, Jesus asks His followers, “Who do you say I am?” Peter declares “You are the Messiah,” the Anointed One long awaited by Israel! Read more »

August 03, 2025

Compassion. A powerful word but a more powerful action. And this is what we hear about in today’s Gospel story. Jesus sees a crowd—not just a mass of people but individuals who have needs and struggles, pain and suffering, sickness and confusion. Jesus sees this in the individuals and His heart is moved. Read more »

July 27, 2025

“The criminal in your community may be less guilty for his crime than you, his Christian neighbor,” the Elder Zosima says to Alyosha in Dostoevsky’s book “The Brothers Karamazov. “For you could have been a light to the evil doer, yet you were not, for the man remained beside you in darkness. Had you been the kind of example you ought to have been and allowed your light to shine on that lost man’s path, perhaps he might not have stumbled into his crime. If you had loved your neighbor as yourself and lavished upon him some of the care you generously lavish upon yourself, shared some of the warmth God has privileged you to possess, that criminal might have changed in time.” Read more »

July 20, 2025

“Have you ever felt stuck—spiritually paralyzed, emotionally exhausted, unsure how to take the next step forward? Today’s Gospel story, the Prophet Elijah, and a scandalous modern saint all bring us the same divine encouragement: ‘Take heart and rise.’” Read more »

July 13, 2025

“There is no longer Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28) The Apostle Paul offers this radical and transformative statement about diversity and unity in his powerful letter to the Galatians. Read more »

July 06, 2025

“Know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) This is one of the most profound and revolutionary statements ever spoken. Freedom is something that all people desire. Yet, what does freedom truly mean? Read more »

June 29, 2025

Why do good people suffer? Why, when we try to follow Christ, do we still face illness, tragedy, and hardship? The Apostle Paul asked the same question, and the answer he got from our Lord Jesus is “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Read more »

June 22, 2025

We live in an age of deep confusion. Reality is denied. Language is distorted. People cling to ideologies over absolute truth. And thus, many are overwhelmed by fear, anger, and division—looking for direction and clarity in all the wrong places. It can feel as if a grey fog has settled over the land. Read more »