2 Cor. 6:16-7:1; Luke 6:31-36              One of the great challenges that many of us face in embracing Orthodox Christianity is getting over some form of religious legalism, which is the belief that how we relate to God is primarily a matter of obeying rules that govern how we behave.  Of course, how we treat people every day is a vital dimension of faithfulness to Christ, Who intensified the… An Ancient Faith Blog The post The Greatest Test of our Souls is Whether We Love our Enemies: Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost and th ..read more

Dear Friends, Since Ancient Faith will no longer host blogs after October 1 of this year, my blog is moving to https://easternchristianinsights.blogspot.com.  Please follow it there.  Thanks! Yours in Christ, Fr. Philip   An Ancient Faith Blog The post “Eastern Christian Insights” is Moving! appeared first on Eastern Christian Insights ..read more

Luke 5:1-11            Many people today scroll quickly through the many options they have in choosing how to identify themselves and live their lives.  It easier than ever before to try out all kinds of choices and to disregard those that we do not find immediately appealing or fulfilling.  Not only has our society formed us as consumers who want our immediate preferences satisfied, the digital age has made it even easier to… An Ancient Faith Blog The post The Patient Obedience of Letting Down our Nets: Homily for the First Sun ..read more

Galatians 2:16-20; Mark 8:34-9:1             As we continue to celebrate the Elevation of the Holy Cross, we must remain on guard against the temptation of viewing our Lord’s Cross as merely a religious artifact that reminds us of what happened long ago. Through His Self-Offering on the Cross, Christ has conquered death and brought salvation to the world.  But in order for us to share personally in His fulfillment of the human… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Taking Up the Cross is Very Different from Trying to Use the Cross to Get Wh ..read more

Matthew 21:33-42 We sometimes fall prey to the temptation to read Christ’s criticism of the chief priests and Pharisees in a fashion that does not criticize us at all.  We can easily condemn those corrupt religious leaders as bad and praise ourselves as good, for we are presumably the “other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”   To do so, however, is to refuse to hear the prophetic message… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Good Tenants of the Lord’s Vineyard Do Not Hoard the Fruit for Themselves: Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday of Matthew in the Orthodox Chur ..read more

1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Matthew 19:16-26              In our culture today, we admire people who seem to have all the money, power, and physical beauty to get whatever they want.   We easily accept the lie that the good life is one in which other people praise us and we have as large a share of material resources as possible.  Such a perspective, however, stands in stark contradiction to the path that our Lord… An Ancient Faith Blog The post “With God All Things Are Possible” for Those Who Take Up the Struggle to Cooper ..read more

Matthew 18:23-35           Stories can open our eyes in ways that rational arguments often do not.  Stories draw us in and encourage us to see ourselves in a new light, while arguments often trigger us to defend our point of view.  The Lord often taught in parables, very short stories that get to the heart of the matter, spark our imagination, and call us to see more clearly… An Ancient Faith Blog The post It Takes Humility to Forgive as We Have Been Forgiven: Homily for the Eleventh Sunday of Matthew in the Orthodox Church appeared first on Eastern Christia ..read more

1 Corinthians 4:9-16; Matthew 17:14-23             Today we conclude our commemoration of the Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, when the spiritual eyes of Peter, James, and John were opened to behold His divine glory and they heard the voice of the Father say, “This is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!” (Mk. 9:7)   We are also in the final days of the fast that prepares us to celebrate the Feast of the Dormition… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Transfiguration in Holiness Through Faith, Prayer, and Fasting: Homily for the Tent ..read more

2 Peter 1:10-19; Matthew 17:1-9            We have all had the experience of suddenly perceiving a truth that we had previously not grasped.  There are times when the fog lifts, the lights come on, and what was opaque or out of focus becomes clear.  That is precisely what the apostles Peter, James, and John experienced on Mount Tabor when they were enabled to behold the divine glory of… An Ancient Faith Blog The post To Behold the Glory of the Lord, We Must Be Transfigured in Holiness: Homily for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the Ortho ..read more

1 Corinthians 1:10-17; Matthew 14:14-22             It is no secret that we often feel inadequate and weak before our own personal problems, the challenges faced by loved ones, and the brokenness of our society and world.  It may be tempting to hide our sense of powerlessness by lying to ourselves and others or indulging in whatever we can find to distract us.  But if we are honest, we will see that we… An Ancient Faith Blog The post We Must Live Eucharistically in Order to “Give Them Something to Eat”: Homily for the Eighth Sun ..read more