On this Second Sunday of St. Gregory of Palamas, we delved into the profound depths of his teaching—that we are called from all eternity to participate in the divine, uncreated light.
Through prayer, ascetic struggle, and a heart turned toward God, we come to know and experience this divine light, which emanates from Christ and permeates all creation. Holy Father Gregory pray for us that we might enter upon that ascetical path that leads us to being fully alive.
On March 11, 843, a historic procession from the Church of Blachernae to Hagia Sophia in Constantinople marked the restoration of icons—a triumph for the fundamental truths of Orthodox Christian life and faith.
Icons reveal the true nature of humanity—fully alive, ascending from glory to glory. Yet, the collapse of humanity through idolatry of the self has led us to death.
As we celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we reclaim our divine calling—that Christ may increase in us as our self-love decreases, transforming us into His living icons, entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
"Sin impacts all of creation," reflected Fr. Robert during Forgiveness Vespers, echoing Dostoevsky's image of how one pebble causes ripples that extend across an entire pond. No sin is isolated—each action, no matter how small, affects the world around us.
In his heartfelt and profound sermon, he reminded us:
“The dynamic of forgiveness—giving, asking, and completing God’s forgiveness—begins to heal the world… What we do here today, and what we must do throughout our lives as disciples of Christ, allows us to participate in the healing, transfiguration, and deification of everyone and everything.”
The True Test of Discipleship: Serving the 'Least of These'
The homily on Matthew 25:31-46 this past Sunday called us to account. What does it truly mean to be a disciple of Christ? How will we respond as Christians to the erosion of rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized?
Rev. Fr. Robert's Addendum to the Homily
The judgment in this Gospel—“eternal punishment”—is not an act imposed by the Son of Man, but rather the natural consequence of a hardened heart. The verse says, “they will go away into eternal punishment”—not because Christ desires it, but because indifference, callousness, and hatred toward the suffering create a self-inflicted exile from divine communion.
On this day of our brother Andrew's baptism, we were blessed to receive this soul searching sermon from 1 Timothy 1:15-17 of St. Paul's transformation—a movement from self-righteousness and violence to humility and grace. Fr. Robert’s interpretation highlights the profound nature of Paul’s confession, "the chief of sinners": his past identity as a blasphemer, persecutor, and a man of violence was rooted in the law as an end in itself. This distortion, as Fr. Robert examines, is not just a misrepresentation of divine justice but also a reduction of God’s nature to either an oppressive ruler or a mere slavish wish-granter—both of which fail to capture the true essence of divine love. St. Paul’s acknowledgment of being the “chief of sinners” is not an exaggeration but an honest reckoning with his past life, where hubris blinded him to the transformative love of Christ. His conversion, then, is not just a personal redemption but a model for all who seek to enter into the new creation. This new life, as Fr. Robert points out, is one characterized by mercy, compassion, patience, and kindness—the very virtues that Christ Himself embodies. In baptism, we are called to this same renewal, putting off the old self and being clothed in the new life of Christ. St. Paul’s story is an invitation for all of us to move beyond false images of God and embrace the reality of Christ who is both love and truth—prompting us to reflect on how we stand in relation to Him, each other and ourselves.
On the 30th Sunday after Pentecost, Fr. Robert reflects on the epistle reading from Colossians 3:12-16, offering a meditation on how the Church can truly embody the living body of Christ rather than functioning as an institution driven by power. He delves into the profound significance of baptism, reminding us: "It teaches us that each of us who enters the baptismal waters dies to that old life…being revitalized, being made new here and now."
Fr. Robert emphasizes that this ongoing renewal is a genuine witness to "Christ's death and resurrection for the life of the world and its salvation." He calls the Church to acquire the mind of Christ, embracing attributes of meekness, humility, compassion and patience so it can be a credible presence and witness to the Gospel here and now.
Join us next Sunday as we participate in the baptism of a young catechumen and pray for him as he puts on Christ.
On the 29th Sunday after Pentecost, the afterfeast of Theophany, Fr. Robert examines the central principle of Christ’s ministry—repentance—that He initiated following His baptism in the river Jordan. He expounds on how the transformative power of repentance enables the Church “to encounter and respond to the social and cosmic issues of our time.”