Category: Homilies

“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city…Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they…

The entire Christian life is summed up in the two great commandments given by our Lord Jesus Christ: to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbour as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). These commandments are not basic ideals but the very foundation of our salvation, for love is the essence of God’s being, and to abide in love is to abide in Him. (1 John 4:16) However, love in the Christian sense is not simply an emotion or sentiment; it is an active and sacrificial way of life, inseparable from obedience to Christ and His…

The twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, beginning with verse thirteen, recounts an event that occurred on the first day of the week following the crucifixion and burial of our Lord. Two of Jesus’ disciples were walking to a village called Emmaus, discussing the recent events that had unfolded—Jesus’ death, His burial, and the strange reports of His resurrection that had begun to circulate. As they journeyed, a stranger approached and began walking with them, but they did not recognise Him. The stranger engaged them in conversation, asking them what they were discussing, and then began to open…

The Holy Eucharist is at the heart of the Orthodox Christian life. We do not regard it as a mere symbol, nor as a theological abstraction, but as the true and actual presence of Christ—His Body and Blood, given to us for our salvation. As our Lord Himself declared: “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.” (John 6:53-54) From the…