Address to the Pilgrims at the Conclusion of Liturgy
I greet all of you who have gathered as pilgrims to celebrate the great feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord here in this sacred place. I am grateful to…
Reflections in Christ
Reflection on the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord
Christ is transfigured, in his light we see light: the divine light that radiates forth from him and transfigures his saints. Some saints, such as Abba Joseph and the Venerable Seraphim…
Homily on the Feast of the Transfiguration
Today, Christ is transfigured. The one who kindled the sun at the beginning of time, who allotted radiance to the moon, who made the stars to blaze forth in the darkness of the void, who fashioned…
Reflection on the Procession of the Life-Giving Wood
Today is the first of the three feasts of the Savior celebrated in August, and this feast has traditionally been a day for the blessing of freshly collected honey. There is a practical reason…
Reflection on the commemoration of Holy Great Martyr and Unmercenary Healer Panteleimon
St. Panteleimon is a saint for all seasons: a martyr, a healer, a patron of Orthodox soldiers and sailors, an ally in spiritual warfare. And this befits his name, which means…
Reflection on the commemoration of Righteous Yakov (James), Enlightener of the Peoples of Alaska
St. Yakov, the son of a Russian father and an Aleut mother, devoted himself to what was best in both his cultures: holy Orthodoxy and the time-hallowed native traditions that…
Reflection on the Dormition of Righteous Anna, Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos and Grandmother of Jesus Christ
The mystery of Christ’s Incarnation is fathomless; we can never exhaust our contemplation of the mystery whereby the Only-begotten of the Father became man in time. And as we celebrate…
Reflection on the commemoration of Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene
St. Mary Magdalene was full of tender love toward her Lord: it was that love that led her to the garden on Easter morning, where she hoped to anoint his Body with myrrh. And yet…
Sermon at the Divine Liturgy at the Assembly of the Archdiocese of Canada
In today’s brief Gospel, if we read it superficially, we come away with a quaint and softly comforting picture familiar from dated religious art of mediocre quality: a non-threatening Jesus sits…
Reflection on the commemoration of Holy Prophet Elijah
In the Byzantine period, it was customary to build chapels to St. Elijah in mountainous places, presumably so he could aid those who fared in those places by his prayers. In old Rus…