The Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt The life of St. Mary of Egypt shows that healing begins when we are willing to let go of what we think we cannot live without. Her struggle with memory and desire mirrors our own battles with distraction and constant stimulation. In these final weeks of Lent, we are invited to simplify our lives, endure the discomfort, and turn again toward the peace that comes from God. --- Today the Church gives us one of the most extreme lives in all of Christian history: St. Mary of Egypt. And if we are not careful, we will put her at a distance. We will say: "That's not me." "That's not my struggle." "That's not my life." But the Church does not give her to us as a curiosity. She gives her to us as a mirror. Mary began … [Continue reading]
Homily – The Ladder, Our Thoughts, and the Long Slow Slog of Salvation
The Sunday of the Ladder reminds us that the Christian life is not a sprint, but a long obedience marked by small, repeated acts of faithfulness. St. John shows that the real struggle takes place in our thoughts, where healing begins with recognizing them and learning to turn back to Christ. Step by step, through endurance and humility, the heart is purified and made capable of peace. Sunday of the Ladder Winning the Battle of Thoughts In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today the Church gives us St. John Climacus—St. John of the Ladder. And she gives him to us right here, in the middle of Great Lent. Not at the beginning, when everything feels fresh. Not at the end, when Pascha is in sight. But here. … [Continue reading]
Homily – Through the Cross to Pascha
Great Lent 2026; Sunday of the Cross "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24) Christ is talking as if "coming after" or "following" Him is something good. What is that all about? … [Continue reading]
Homily: Not Pundits or Prosecutors, but Pastors and Priests (On Silence)
In a world shaped by outrage and constant commentary, the Christian calling is different. Drawing on Scripture, the Desert Fathers, and the theology of St. Gregory Palamas, this homily explores why Christians must learn to speak in ways that build up … [Continue reading]
Homily – Judgment, Worship, and the Throne of Glory
Meatfare/The Last Judgment Matthew 25:31-46 On the Sunday of the Last Judgment, the Gospel reveals that judgment takes place not in a courtroom, but in the throne room of God—a reality the Church enters every Sunday in the Divine Liturgy. This … [Continue reading]
Homily – Love That Refuses to Dominate
The Father Who Does Not ControlA Homily on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son St. Luke 15:11-31 In the parable of the Prodigal Son, our attention is often drawn to the repentance of the younger son or to the resentment of the elder. But before we look … [Continue reading]
Beyond Hunger: Fasting, Formation, and the Way Back to Life
Beyond Hunger: Fasting, Formation, and the Way Back to Life Fr. Anthony Perkins. [Talk given at the 2026 Winter Antiochian DOMSE Retreat] Introduction When we hear the word fasting, most of us immediately think about food—what we can eat, what we … [Continue reading]
Retreat – Justifiable but Not Helpful: Discernment in an Age of Manipulation
In this pair of talks, Fr. Anthony examines why discernment so often fails in the Church—not because of bad faith or lack of intelligence, but because discernment is a matter of formation before it is a matter of decision. Drawing on insights from … [Continue reading]
Homily – The Publican, the Pharisee, and the Seeds of the Kingdom
Sanctifying the Moment: The Publican, the Pharisee, and the Seeds of the Kingdom Fr. Anthony Perkins; Luke 18:9-14 All of creation is good—and yet it was never meant to remain merely good. From the beginning, God made the world not as a finished … [Continue reading]
Homily – The Green Hand of Hell
Luke 17:12-19; The Grateful Leper I've included my notes, but I didn't follow them, choosing instead to offer a meditation on the "go show yourself to the priest" part of the Levitical command and noting how we do the same - and will all do the … [Continue reading]
