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The Sixth Friday of Great Lent: Hopko on the Cross of Christ

04/26/2024

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, July 30, 2019  An excerpt from a commencement address at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 2007, given by Fr. Thomas Hopko. It is deeply worthy of conversation. I first posted this back in June, 2007, when it was “new.” That which is true is always new and timeless.  …I can tell you that being loved by God, and loving Him in return, is the greatest joy given to creatures, and that without

The Sixth Thursday of Great Lent: The Message of the Suffering Servant

04/25/2024

Sermon preached by Fr. Antony Hughes on Sunday, April 5, 2015 The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (12:1-18) The most popular reading material in first century Palestine was the Book of Daniel with all its apocalyptic language and imagery.  The brutality of the Roman Empire drove the people to long for a Messiah that would destroy the Empire and restore the Kingdom of David.  It is not hard to see why

The Sixth Wednesday of Great Lent: Freedom’s Lair

04/24/2024

Published by Pemptousia Partnership on May 25, 2021 Metropolitan Meletios of Nikopolis † On the evening of Great Friday, we begin the service with a rather strange hymn. It’s a tropario which isn’t mournful but joyful. Not a lament, but a doxology. ‘God is the Lord and has appeared to us…’. He came to earth. And he showed us that he’s the one and only true Lord. We glorify him as Lord of heaven and earth. But this

The Sixth Tuesday of Great Lent: The Beauty of the Christ’s Prayer

04/23/2024

Sermon preached by Fr. Antony Hughes on Sunday, May 28, 2017 at St. Mary Orthodox Church The Lord seems grounded and focused as he prays this long discourse-like prayer on the eve of his passion. When you might expect that fear and anxiety would distract him and overwhelm him, they don’t. He seems to be utterly non-resistant to the fear he must have been feeling and to the fate that waited for him. That doesn’t

The Sixth Monday of Great Lent: The Perpetual Catechumen

04/22/2024

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, September 6, 2021  It should not surprise us to learn that we are often creatures of the culture in which we live. We understand this, particularly when we travel and encounter people whose culture differs profoundly from our own. What seems obvious to us, might seem obscure to them. What we eat, how we shop, what counts as polite, what is rude, all of these are shaped by culture. In truth,

The Fifth Friday of Great Lent: St. Mary of Egypt and Moral Progress

04/19/2024

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, January 11, 2015  The suggestion has been made several times recently that my criticism of moral progress is not supported by the example of the saints. Surely, it is said, the transformations we read about in the lives of the saints are clear examples of moral progress. A noted such example, perhaps the greatest story of repentance and asceticism known in the Church, is that of St. Mary of Egypt. It is worth

FATHER FLYBOYS VIDEO LIBRARY 2020-2022

04/18/2024

VIDEO LIBRARY FLYBOYS III (2022) Takeoff from Saint Sophia Father Flyboys in Flight! Show me the Fanaraki, not your Kalimafi! The Kamikaze Kalimafi Maneuver Great Martyr Saint George, SAVE US!  A short flight to the Mount of Beatitudes’ site! A small Kayaki and Fishes and Loaves by the Droves! Our Kayaki Fills with Fishes So Fast, we cannot Hope to stay Afloat at last!  The Hadji-Father Flyboys! The Light Beyond Bright! Cana of Galilee Fills

The Fifth Thursday of Great Lent: Facing the Bronze Serpent

04/18/2024

Sermon preached by Fr. Antony Hughes on Sunday, September 8, 2013 John 3:13-17 (Sunday Before the Cross) The story of the bronze serpent in the wilderness is an interesting one. The Israelites are grumbling about their time in the wilderness and the Lord gets royally annoyed, so he sends poisonous snakes into the encampment to bite them. They cry out to Moses for help.  God has pity on them and instructs Moses to create a

The Fifth Wednesday of Great Lent: Who is the Devil and How Does He Act?

04/17/2024

Published by Pemptousia Partnership on August 11, 2021 Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi Holy Scripture tells us that the devil is ‘fallen Lucifer’.  This is why the Lord says: ‘I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven’ (Luke 10, 18). He’s the leader, the general of the order of angels who fell from heaven when they wanted to rebel against the divine will. Then they were automatically put to flight and fell from their office and position. At the same

The Fifth Tuesday of Great Lent: Awakening from Delusion

04/16/2024

Sermon preached by Fr. Antony Hughes on October 20, 2013 Luke 8:26-39 I do not like to talk about demons much. They are so into themselves that I don’t want to cooperate in their narcissism. Also, I accept completely the Orthodox understanding that sin, death, and the devil (along with the demons) were defeated when Jesus died on the Cross and was resurrected, so It seems a little un-Orthodox to give demons as much credit

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