Sermons & Homilies – Tagged "2012"– Holy Cross Monastery

Jun 26, 2016

Sermon for the Sunday of All Saints (2016)

We modern Christians, both monks and laymen often acknowledge that God is the Lord and we honor Him and consider ourselves to be faithful members of His Church. But something happens to our faith as soon as we have a hardship or illness, we so often turn away from God and look to ourselves and our own ability to resolve the problem, we seldom turn to God.

Nov 12, 2012

The Way of Walter Mitty - A Homily on the Healing of the Gadarene Demoniac (2012)

In 1939, the American writer, James Thurber, wrote a short story entitled The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.¹ The narrative deals with an aging Walter Mitty on a trip into town with his overbearing wife. Walter is inept at many things; he is an absent-minded driver, he can’t handle simple mechanical tasks, and he forgets things easily. While he goes through a day of ordinary jobs and errands, he escapes into a series of romantic fantasies, each spurred on by some mundane reality.

Apr 02, 2012

“He Does Not Desire the Death of a Sinner” - A Sermon on the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (2012)

Today is the 5^th Sunday of Great Lent, when we commemorate our holy mother, St. Mary of Egypt. Before speaking about her, let me begin with something a little different that will illustrate the difference between Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman that we heard about in today’s Gospel.

Mar 26, 2012

On Slander - Sermon for the Sunday of St. John Climacus (2012)

When I was a teenager, I became the best of friends with another young man who was my age, and I spent most of my free time with him. This young man was known for being a very negative and critical person. My parents were not happy about our friendship, fearing the negative influence he would have on me, and they sometimes expressed their concern, but I would hear nothing of it, making excuses for him. One of the primary effects of that friendship was the terrible habit I developed of gossiping about people and slandering those whom I did not like. At first, I joined in with the desire to be liked and accepted by him, but later it became a part of me, whether I was with him or not. This friend and I would spend hours upon hours nearly every time we spoke, mocking and deriding other people, laughing at their expense, blinded by our pride and self-love, thinking we were better than everyone else. Deep down, I knew this behavior was wrong, but after several years of indulging in this sin, when I began to repent and change my way of life, this deep-rooted passion proved very difficult to uproot. I still remained very judgmental because my efforts to change were half-hearted.