Category Archives: Readings

May 3, 2020 · 9:34 am

Serving Even When We Do Not Get What We Want

Homily for the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearers, Mark 15: 43– 16:8

Christ is Risen!

We live in a time in which it is easy to think of ourselves as isolated individuals whose purpose in life is to get whatever we happen to want. Personal freedom is a great blessing from God, but since Adam and Eve we have abused it by thinking and acting as though fulfilling our immediate desires is the only thing that really matters. Our Lord Jesus Christ conquered the corrupting consequences of that prideful, selfish attitude in His glorious resurrection. Raising us up with him from slavery to all the distortions of our souls that root in the fear of death, He has restored our true identity as His beloved sons and daughters, making us members of His own Body. Continue reading →

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April 25, 2020 · 9:54 am

Sunday of Thomas John 20: 19-31

On Pascha Night, we read from the Gospel of St John: “In the beginning was the Word …” St John clearly is taking the opening of his Gospel from Genesis, but, read in full view of Christ’s Holy Resurrection, his is a “new” interpretation of Genesis. The “Beginning” is the tomb of our heart, where
we are created anew in the mystery of Christ’s death and Resurrection. This is a new interpretation that is not “new”, however, because it is “from the beginning” (cf I Jn 2:7&8); i.e., it’s what the creation was all about from the beginning but has only now been revealed in the mystery of Christ. Continue reading →

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April 12, 2020 · 11:31 am

New Life through Repentance

In reading the Gospels, we often note the all-too-human responses of the disciples to Jesus and to the situations in which they find themselves. For example, they failed to understand His parables (Luke 8:9); they lost faith in His power, as when they were caught in the storm on the lake (Luke 8:24); they often failed to grasp that He indeed was the Messiah (Luke 9:18-20). Particularly during the events of Holy Week we see clearly the human weaknesses of the Apostles. At the Last Supper they argued over who among them is to be regarded as the greatest (Luke 22:24). When Jesus asked them to keep prayerful watch with Him in Gethsemane, they fell asleep twice (Luke22:40-46)1 When the soldiers arrested Jesus, Peter struck out in fear and anger, while Jesus responded in divine love to those who
sought to hurt Him and healed the ear which Peter severed from the slave (Luke 22:50-51). Finally, Saint Peter denied his Lord three times in fear for his life and safety.

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April 12, 2020 · 11:21 am

The Cross

~ Words of the Church Fathers ~

Many indeed are the wondrous happenings of that time: God hanging from a Cross, the sun made dark, and again flaming out; for it was fitting that creation should mourn with its Creator. The Temple veil rent, blood and water flowing from His side: the one as from a man, the other as from What was above man; the earth was shaken, the rocks shattered because of the Rock; the dead risen to bear witness of the final and universal resurrection of the dead. The happenings at the Sepulchre, and after the Sepulchre, who can fittingly recount them?

Yet not one of them can be compared to the miracle of my salvation. A few drops of Blood renew the whole world, and do for all men what the rennet does for milk: joining us and binding us together.

St Gregory the Theologian

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April 5, 2020 · 8:23 am

Humble Repentance or Paralysing Guilt?

Fifth Sunday of Lent, St Mary of Egypt Mark 10: 32-45

Whenever we experience guilt and shame because of something we have done wrong, we need to ask ourselves a question. Do we feel that way because we are sorrowful that we have disobeyed God or because we cannot stand being less than perfect in our own eyes or those of others?

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April 5, 2020 · 8:13 am

Saturday of the Holy and Righteous Friend of Christ, Lazarus

On the Saturday before Holy Week, the Orthodox Church commemorates a major feast of the year, the miracle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when he raised Lazarus from the dead after he had lain in the grave four days. Here, at the end of Great Lent and the forty days of fasting and
penitence, the Church combines this celebration with that of Palm Sunday.

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April 2, 2020 · 4:47 pm

Sunday of St John Climacus

Our Holy Father John Climacus (of the Ladder)
Commemorated on the 4th Sunday of Lent, 29 March 2020

After the death of his spiritual father, John took himself off to a cave, where he lived for twenty years in strict asceticism. His disciple, Moses, fell asleep one day in the cool shade of a huge rock. John was at prayer in his cell, and, perceiving that his disciple was in danger, began to pray for him. Moses came up to him later, fell to his knees and began to thank him for saving him from certain death. And he related how he had heard John calling him in his sleep and had jumped up at the very moment that a rock fell. Had he not Jumped out of the way, the rock would certainly have killed him.

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March 28, 2020 · 6:54 pm

“Lord, I Believe; Help My Unbelief”

Sometimes we stand before God with more doubt than belief, with more despair than hope. Sometimes our worries and fears increase; the joy of life slips away and we feel rotten. Maybe it’s our health, the problems of our loved ones, stress about a busy schedule, or other matters at home, at work, or with our friends. We are sometimes simply at the end of our rope.

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March 22, 2020 · 12:15 pm

Word of Consolation for the Pandemic

Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou
19 March 2020

Many people are in confusion and others panic because of the threat of the Coronavirus epidemic that spread in the whole world. I think, however, that this should not happen, for whatever God does with us, He does it out of love. The God of Christians is a good God, a God of mercy and loving kindness, ‘Who loveth mankind’. God created us out of His goodness in order to share His life and even His glory with us. When we fell into sin, He allowed death to enter our life again out of goodness, so that we may not become immortal in our wickedness, but to seek for a way of salvation. Continue reading →

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March 22, 2020 · 11:58 am

A MESSAGE FROM FR ELIAS

A MESSAGE FROM FR ELIAS (St Haralambos, Tempestowe, Vic)

Many of us are ‘shell shocked’ over the current situation and the repercussions it’s having on our life especially on our ability to worship freely in our Churches. However perhaps this is a ‘penance’ imposed on us, out of love, by God in order to ‘jolt’ us back into reality. Continue reading →

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