Prayer

St. John Cassian: “Do not pray for the fulfillment of your wishes, for they may not accord with the will of God. But pray as you have been taught, saying: Thy will be done in me (cf. Luke 22:42). Always entreat Him in this way – that His will be done. For He desires what…

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Preparation.

Homily 247 – Publican and Pharisee Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church, Ames, Iowa February 5, 2017 In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God. What can I say about the publican and the Pharisee that hasn’t already been said? Likely, nothing. And still the Church gives us…

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The end is only the beginning.

Homily 246 – Thirty-second Sunday after Pentecost Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church, Ames, Iowa January 29, 2017 In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God. This morning we read two separate Gospel passages. One is the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who repented. The other is…

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Mundane rules.

Homily 245 – Thirty-first Sunday after Pentecost Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church, Ames, Iowa January 22, 2017 In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God. In his commentary on this passage, Blessed Theophylact notes that this is a rather mundane setting for a miracle. Jesus and the…

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No shotgun weddings in Christ.

Homily 244 – Thirtieth Sunday after Pentecost Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church, Ames, Iowa January 15, 2017 In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God. This encounter is fairly well known to us, and the interpretations also. We often hear of the commandment to sell everything, give…

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