Do not follow my example, for I am but a flawed and fallible human being, subject to weakness, error, and sin. My thoughts are often disordered, my heart inconsistent, and my actions sometimes unworthy of the calling I profess. I am a work in progress, in need of daily repentance and grace. If you pattern your life after mine, you will inherit my faults along with whatever virtues may be present, and that is a burden no soul should bear. Instead, fix your gaze upon Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, who alone is perfect in word, deed, and…
The Christian life is not one of self-exaltation, but of service, humility, and love. At the heart of the Gospel stands the example of Christ, who said, “The Son of Man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many” (Matthew 20:28). This self-giving love is the model for every Christian, who is called not to dominate or be served, but to become a servant of others in imitation of the Lord Himself. Service is not an optional expression of charity, but an essential mark of authentic discipleship. Saint Paul…
A man once spent years building a bridge of cedar and iron across a deep ravine to reach the home of a friend. He carried every beam himself, carved each joint with care, and laid every nail in sweat and good intention. The bridge stood firm through storms and time. But one day, betrayed and grieved, he set fire to the bridge, convinced it was the only way forward. As the flames rose, he watched not just the bridge burn, but all that he had sacrificed to build it—his labour, his trust, his craftsmanship. And when the fire died, he…
The personal interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, when severed from the mind of the Church, has proven throughout history to be not only hazardous but spiritually calamitous. The Bible is not a private possession, nor are they a playground for subjective speculation; they constitute the sacred inheritance of the Holy Church, written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit, preserved within the life and worship of the ecclesial Body, and rightly understood only within that living Tradition. The danger does not lie in the prayerful reading of the Scriptures, but in reading it with pride—cut off from the consensus of…
Life, according to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, is not an accidental series of occurrences, but a sacred journey under the loving and watchful eye of Divine Providence. Every stage of our earthly existence—childhood, maturity, old age—is marked by a spiritual rhythm that points us towards the Kingdom. Joy and sorrow, triumph and defeat, peace and struggle are interwoven by the hand of God to bring about the healing of our souls. From the moment of our baptism, we are no longer our own; we belong to our Lord Jesus Christ, and all that befalls us is permitted by…
You can download my homilies collection in large print at no charge. The book consists of 278 pages with a table of scripture references and a topical index. Feel free to share the e-book with others. In the future I might consider publishing a hard copy.
The notion of two Messiahs—one priestly and one kingly—is an erroneous innovation without basis in Scripture or authentic tradition. There is one Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Who is fully Priest, fully Prophet, and fully King. This is clearly set forth in the prophecy of Zacharias. “Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall spring up from his stem, and build the house of the Lord. And he shall receive power, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace…
“For this cause have I obtained mercy: that in me first Christ Jesus might show forth all patience, for the information of them that shall believe in him unto life everlasting.” (1 Timothy 1:16) As we read in this verse, no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy. Saint Paul, once a blasphemer and persecutor, was shown divine long-suffering not for his sake alone, but so that his conversion might stand as a living example to all who would believe after him. If such patience and mercy were granted to one so hardened in sin, then there is hope…
The Most Holy Theotokos, Ever-Virgin Mary, is honoured in the Church as the true Mother of God, the one who bore the Word incarnate without corruption. She is not a symbolic figure nor an abstraction of idealised womanhood—she is the living Ark of the Covenant, the ladder by which God descended and through whom mankind was raised. At the foot of the Cross, Christ said to the beloved disciple, “Behold thy mother” (John 19:27). In this, the Fathers see not only the care of St John, but the entrusting of the Church to her maternal intercession.
In today’s world where the love of God is often distorted into permissiveness or sentimentality, the Holy Church proclaims a truth far older and far holier—that divine love is covenantal, cruciform, and consuming. It is not a feeling but a reality, not abstract but sacramental. This brief article reflects on the nature of God’s love as revealed in the Bible, manifested in the Incarnation, and experienced through obedience, worship, and the holy mysteries within the life of the Church. God’s love is neither indulgent nor sentimental. It is not capricious nor emotive, but unchanging, just, and wholly in accordance with…
