[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 […]
You do NOT have to hate the west to be Orthodox!
February 3, 2015 By
The rhetoric from Moscow – to include from the Moscow Patriarchate and its daughter Churches – may be great at gathering support for Putin’s domestic and foreign policy goals, but it is dividing Orthodox Christians in the West and threatens to do serious damage to Orthodoxy’s ability to spread the Gospel here. There is no […]
Memory Eternal – Fr. Gleb Yakunin (3/4/34 – 12/25/14)
December 31, 2014 By
Soviet Dissidents: martyrs and confessors of freedom, truth, and human dignity I chose to major in political science back in the 80’s in large part so that I could study the Soviet Union, the “evil empire” that held a huge swath of the world’s population under the wicked yoke of anti-theistic, totalitarian, communist rule and […]
Day Sixteen – Saint Andrew
November 30, 2013 By
The Orthodox Church takes apostolic succession very seriously; the preservation of “the faith passed on to the apostles” is maintained by the physicality of the ordination of bishops by bishops, all of who can trace the history of the ordination of the bishops who ordained them back to one or more of the apostles themselves. […]
RIOCF: Statement on Same-Sex Marriage
September 21, 2013 By
Rhode Island Orthodox Clergy FellowshipStatement on Same-Sex Marriage We, the clergy of the Orthodox Churches of Rhode Island, express our disappointment over recent developments concerning the status of marriage in our country and in our state. Specifically, we disapprove our state legislature’s vote in favor of and signing into law the practice of same-sex marriage. […]
Homily – On Unity (Ephesians 2: 14-22)
November 18, 2012 By
The Reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. [2:14-22]: Christ is our peace, Who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, * by abolishing in His Flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in […]
20120916 Prepping and Social Media with Father John Peck
September 21, 2012 By
Listen to the Show In this episode, I start by sharing the news and press release from the third meeting of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, then move into a wonderful interview on Orthodox media and prepping with Fr. John Peck. Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North & Central […]
Homily – Ss. Peter and Paul
July 14, 2012 By
Symbols of Nothing… but the One Thing Introduction It is has been a challenging few weeks for Orthodoxy in America. Here, I speak less of the repose of our beloved + Metropolitan Constantine – for his was a constant witness for the stability and unity that are in Christ – but rather of two […]
Homily, Saints of Rus-Ukraine and America: the coming baptism of America (and Woonsocket)
June 18, 2012 By
All Saints of Rus’-Ukraine, America, and Woonsocket (also Father’s Day) Romans 2:10-16: There is no partiality with God St. Matthew 4:18-23: Fishers of men The Church is Christ Incarnated: it blesses real people in time and place Last week we celebrated the lives of all the saints, known and unknown who have found perfection through […]
A 9/11 Homily – We are All Connected
September 11, 2011 By
This day we commemorate the beheading of St. John the Baptist. The slaughter of such a righteous man by the wicked is hard for us to accept. It causes us great grief, and so, on this day we observe a strict fast. On this same day ten years ago, thousands were killed by the wicked. […]
