Sermons & Homilies – Tagged "2017"– Page 6 – Holy Cross Monastery

Apr 09, 2017

Sermon for Palm Sunday 2017

Today is the triumphant entry of God our King into His rightful city, Jerusalem; today, is the prelude of that great hymn which will burst forth from the empty tomb of the Lord on Pascha night, filling all creation with light, glory and joy!

Apr 03, 2017

Sermon on the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt 2017

Given at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Wayne, WV after Pan-Orthodox Vespers.

What was it that made St. Mary different from us? What made her into such a wondrous saint? And as we look back on our Lenten struggle, and as we look forward to Holy Week and Pascha, what is there left for us to do?

What did St. Mary say herself about her life of repentance in the desert?

Apr 02, 2017

Sermon for the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (2017)

Given at the Hermitage of the Holy Cross during the Sunday Liturgy.

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, we commemorate St. Mary of Egypt. We have become acquainted with her throughout the whole of Lent. We first chanted about her works in the first week of Lent during Compline when we chanted the Great Canon. We next heard of her life only a few days ago when the Great Canon was chanted in its entirety during Matins this past Wednesday. Today, as we come toward the end of this time of Lent and repentance, we reach the summit of our awareness of St. Mary on this Sunday dedicated to her commemoration.

Mar 26, 2017

Sermon for the Sunday of St. John Climacus 2017

In the icon of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, we only see the image of Christ at the very top, upon the last step (of love); but, this does not mean that Christ is not with us at every step. It is true that we only see the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” in its full, unmediated vision, at the height of the ladder’s summit: divine love and union with God—that is, only after we have struggled long and hard, co-operating with God, and His grace has freed us from sin and passion; and He has made to grow within us the fullness of His love, making us to see Him within us in the fullness of His glory.

Mar 24, 2017

Sermon on the Sunday of the Cross 2017

But today, the moment the form of the Cross is depicted on a wall or on a board, or is fashioned out of some kind of gold or silver and the like, or carved out of wood, immediately it puts on, and is filled with, the divine power which was residing there at the time, and so it becomes a place of God’s glory, even more so than in the Ark!