Lesson on the Samaritan Woman: St. John 4 : 5 – 42 Beautiful story, full of insights into how Christ conducted Himself during His earthly ministry… It is also from the Gospel according to St. John: a short book that is full of beautiful spiritual insights; a book that shares the wonderful words, actions, and […]
Archives: Finding Peace and Objectivity in Times of War
May 13, 2016 By
I’m putting this back up front because it applies to divisive political seasons, as well. – Fr. Anthony Finding Peace and Objectivity in Times of War [Then Jesus said;] “You have heard people say; “love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you; “Love your enemies, bless the people that curse you, do […]
St. Thomas Sunday Homily; A Meditation on Love (and doubt)
May 8, 2016 By
Gospel Reading: St. John 20:19-31 Love is Always Personal There is no such thing as love in the abstract; it is not a phenomenon that can be measured in a laboratory, isolated from everything else. It is always personal. You all know what sacrifice looks like. You have done it in your lives and you […]
Pascha Cheese Recipe
April 22, 2016 By
Posted so I don’t lose it. PASCHA CHEESE For the quark: 1 gallon whole milk + 1 quart buttermilk. I put the milk in the pot and heat to steaming for about 5 minutes, then add buttermilk and mix well. Let it rest, covered, for 2-3 days, stirring a couple of times a day. The […]
On Parish Leadership (homily notes)
April 20, 2016 By
On Christian Leadership Challenge of consumerism. Giving my life to Christ – and even coming to Church on Sunday – is one of a million good options. Americans are shoppers, we do the math and make the call. But it’s not a purchase, it’s a relationship, and those MUST be handled differently. However, we do […]
Wisdom from St. John of the Ladder (on prayer)
April 10, 2016 By
From The Ladder of Divine Ascent, St. John of the Ladder. Step 28: On holy and blessed prayer, mother of virtues, and on the attitude of mind and body in prayer. What is Prayer? The Union of Man with God 1. Prayer by reason of its nature is the converse and union of man with […]
A Homily for the Sunday of Orthodoxy
March 20, 2016 By
[Delivered at the Lehigh Valley Pan-Orthodox celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy] Since 843 the dominant theme of the first Sunday of Great Lent has been that of the victory of the icons. In that year the iconoclastic controversy was finally laid to rest. The most notable thing that we do this victory is the […]
On Starting at a New Parish (AFR Podcast and Notes)
March 18, 2016 By
The Podcast is here. Review: Ten (Eleven!) Commandments for Pastors New to a Congregation In a previous post and podcast, I reviewed Rev. Lawrence W. Farris’ book Ten Commandments for Pastors Leaving a Congregation. It was full of good advice to help set your successor and the parish you are leaving up for success and ensure […]
A Homily on the Last Judgment
March 6, 2016 By
Homily on the Last Judgment Matthew 6:14-21 Our actions have consequences. Everything we do affects both ourselves and our environment, to include the people around us. This is a simple fact of nature: our lives are intertwined with those of our families, our friends, our enemies… indeed with all of creation. There is no buffer […]
Homily of the Prodigal Son – The Metaphor of Food
February 28, 2016 By
Homily on the Prodigal Son: A Metaphor on FoodSt. Luke 15:11-321 Corinthians 6:12-20 Introduction Some people think of sin, judgment, and salvation as a courthouse: God gave us rules we have to follow. Because we fail to follow the rules, God must condemn us at the Great Judgment. The only thing that keeps this from […]
