Homilies

From All Saints Homilies — Ancient Faith

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Episodes

Division, Desecration, Dedication 2023-12-12
On the occasion of the third night of Hanukkah, Fr. Pat talks about the divisions God built into creation, about the consecration and desecration of…
Touched by Another Human Being 2023-11-02
Fr. Pat reflects upon the encounter between Jesus and the woman with the chronic bleeding who touched the hem of His robe.
A Matter of Daily Concern 2023-09-24
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Fr. Pat reminds us that the Cross ought to be the lens through which we examine every question and…
A Vocation Both Common and Special 2023-08-22
There’s a sense in which The Vocation of Mary was the most special and the most common. In this homily given on the Feast of the Dormition in 2010,…
Xerxes and Paul 2023-04-30
Fr. Pat compares an event from the life of Xerxes as told by Herodotus in Book 7 of The Histories to a similar event in the lives of Paul and his…
The Gospel of Mark, the Apostles, and the Sacraments 2023-04-06
In this homily from the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt in 2008, Fr. Pat discusses the occasion for the writing of the Gospel of Mark, the response of…
The Struggle of Faith 2023-03-29
The 9th chapter of the Gospel of Mark opens with the account of the Transfiguration, then is immediately followed by the the story of Jesus healing…
Saint Paul or Faust? 2023-03-23
Both Saint Paul and Faust, the man who sells his soul to the devil, have something to say about faith, hope, and patience. Fr. Pat considers the…
Our Elders in the Faith 2023-03-10
In this homily from 2008 preached on the Feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (which was also Forgiveness Sunday), Fr. Pat reminds us of the great…
The Supremacy of Love 2023-02-14
When the Apostle Paul lists faith, hope, and love as a triad of things that abide, he takes care to assert that the greatest of these is love. In…
The Depth, the Height, and the Breadth of the Life in Christ 2023-01-30
January 30 in the Orthodox Church is the Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. In this…
The Mind’s Contract with Reality 2023-01-25
This past Sunday evening All Saints Church hosted a Pan-Orthodox Prayer Service for the Sanctity of Life, sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Clergy…
A Letter from Caesarea 2023-01-18
Paul transforms his prison cell into a hub of missions work. The text is Colossians 3:4-11.
The Measure of Grace 2023-01-10
Fr. Pat preaches on Ephesians 4:7-13 in this homily from January 2016.
His Intrusion into This World 2023-01-03
Fr. Pat gave this brief meditation at approximately midnight on January 1, 2014.
Christ Alone 2022-12-28
In this homily from Christmas Day 2007, Fr. Pat reflects upon the Incarnation in terms of Christ the Only Holy One, Christ our Mediator, and Christ…
On Solomon’s Porch 2022-12-21
John's Gospel tells us of a time during the Feast of Hanukkah when Jesus was teaching on Solomon's porch (John 10:22-23). Hanukkah is the feast of…
Invitation to the Banquet 2022-12-13
The theory of the perenial philosophy says that there’s a certain core experience of truth that all human beings have. Fr. Pat discusses this theory…
Abraham: History, Theology, Morality 2022-12-06
Paul tells us in Galatians that if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed. In this homily from 2016, Fr. Pat takes a closer look at…
The Gracious Bounty of the Father 2022-11-23
In this homily from Thanksgiving of 2010, Fr. Pat considers with us God's Covenant with Noah given in Genesis 9.
Who 2022-11-14
In this homily from 2014, Fr. Pat takes a close look at the word "who" in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).Who
Obedient Faith 2022-11-08
A homily from Fr. Pat on Galatians 2:16-20, given in 2004.
The Practice of Prayer in the Pursuit of Wisdom 2022-11-03
A vesperal homily about James the Just. The text is James 1:1-11.
Biblical Meditation 2022-10-10
A vesperal homily based upon Joshua 1:1-9
The Imagination and the Moral Order 2022-10-05
Preaching from Luke 6:31-26, Fr. Pat discusses the Golden Rule.
Two Types of Souls 2022-09-14
On the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, Fr. Pat compares our Lord's Mother with the rich man in Luke 12, today's Gospel…
Historical Claims, Their Interpretation, and the History of Salvation 2022-09-02
A homily on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, given on August 26, 2012.
One Verb and Two Nouns 2022-08-31
Fr. Pat discusses three words from the first chapter of 2 Corinthians.
Prayer, Patience, Persuasion 2022-08-25
n 1 Corinthian 4:9-16, the Apostle Paul gives a portrayal of a style of life very much in contrast with the style of life preferred by the…
The Journey Through the Desert 2022-08-24
Fr. Pat explains why the Church emphasizes Christ's multiplication of the loaves and fish.
Two Miracles, Three Common Elements 2022-08-24
Fr. Pat compares the story of Peter walking on the water with that of the man who brings his son to Jesus.
Of Ourselves, of Christ Our Lord, and of His Mother 2022-08-16
In this homily given on the Feast of the Dormition in 2010, Fr. Pat reflects upon the revelation of the Gospel disclosed in the human face
Reflections on the Transfiguration of Our Lord 2022-08-12
In this homily from 2006, Fr. Pat reflects upon the Body of Christ, the Sacraments, and our own transfiguration in Christ.
The Banquet 2022-08-03
Based on the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14, Fr. Pat reflects upon the freedom presupposed in the invitation, the nature of the banquet…
What Was He Wearing? 2022-08-02
What was Jesus wearing in the manger? When he carried out his ministry? In his Resurrection appearances? How is he clothed today? We reflect on…
Two Men Meeting Christ 2022-08-02
Both Galatians 1 and Luke 8 contain stories of men converting to Christ. Fr. Pat examines these two accounts.
Generosity, Freedom, and a Problem 2022-08-02
There is no easy way to eternal life. We are made to know God, to love God, to serve God, and that is hard. Fr. Pat offers reflections on this via…
The Heart of the Christian Gospel 2022-08-01
Jesus' healing of the Paralytic in Matthew 9 teaches us many things about man's biggest problem, about the corporate nature of the Church's service…
The Worries of the 5th Century 2022-07-20
The mid-5th century was a time of chaos, war, poverty, decay, and destruction, but the one concern of the Church was an abbott named Eutyches
The Word of the Cross: Three Stages 2022-07-13
Fr. Pat focuses his attention on that which Saint Paul calls “of primary importance” for us to learn both from the saint’s words and from his life…
Can Any Good Come Out of Nazareth? 2022-07-13
Using as a jumping-off point the Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew 21, Fr. Pat asks the same question asked by Nathaniel in John 1.
Servants, Fellow Servants, Brothers 2022-07-12
What sort of life we live is determined by who we think we are. If we are servants of God, that means that not one of us belongs to himself. His…
To Walk Under the Direct Gaze of God 2022-07-11
The call placed on every man’s life is to walk under the direct gaze of God. And the joy of heaven consists of gazing upon the transfigured face of…
How to Approach Jesus 2022-07-05
Fr. Pat shows us how the Roman centurion who comes to Jesus for healing for his servant can be a model to us of how to approach Jesus. The text is…
Three Apostolic Modifiers 2022-06-30
Fr. Pat reflects upon the Apostolic Office by means of three adjectives, which, when considered, can greatly enrich our understanding of the…
Jesus Calls the First Students 2022-06-30
Being a disciple, a student of Christ, is very serious business. Fr. Pat discusses what it means to have Christ as a teacher.
Marriage, Faith, and Creed 2022-06-13
In a homily delivered on Pentecost Sunday 2010, Fr. Pat offers reflections on the Orthodox wedding service, the Holy Spirit, faith, and the Creed.
The Moral Structure of the World 2022-06-05
Fr. Pat explores the question, "What makes something evil?”
A Once For All Witness 2022-05-17
The institution of the Twelve Apostles is the link between the Church and the Resurrection of Christ. Fr. Pat preaches from Acts 1:15-26. This…
Mary of Bethany 2022-05-11
Mary of Bethany appears in the gospels of St. Luke and St. John, and in both books she stands as a point of contrast with someone else. Fr. Pat's…
The Reality of the Risen Christ 2022-05-04
In this homily given on St. Thomas Sunday, 2012, Fr. Pat examines three subjects related to the resurrection of Christ our Lord.
The Embodiment of Our Memory 2022-04-29
Fr. Pat offers reflections on baptism and the Creed. This homily was given on Great and Holy Saturday,
This Messes Up All of Our Statistics 2022-04-06
In the Holy Communion, there is a change of substance. The bread and the wine have been transformed. We receive into our flesh the risen power of…
The God of Cash Value 2022-04-06
Is the god we’re worshipping actually the God of the Bible? Or are we worshiping the benevolent, optimistic, political, social, economic god of…
Spiritual Paralysis 2022-04-06
On the Sunday of the Paralytic, Fr. Pat reflects upon a most pernicious kind of paralysis—the spiritual kind.
The Cross: Our Healing, Victory, and Peace 2022-03-30
Fr. Pat's homily delivered on the Sunday of the Holy Cross, 2008.
The Evangelization of the Theotokos 2022-03-25
The heart of Feast of the Annunciation is evangelism in its most perfect reception, by a Woman who hears and believes the proclamation of the Gospel.
Two Aspects of Forgiveness 2022-03-10
Fr. Pat's homily from Forgiveness Vespers 2012.
Judgment, Renewal, Image 2022-03-03
On the Sunday of the Last Judgment, Fr. Pat preaches from Matthew 25:31-46.
Man's Metaphysical Homesickness 2022-02-24
Fr. Pat preaches on the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15.
The Door, the Shepherd, the Voice 2022-02-18
Fr. Pat considers three aspects of what St. Paul calls "the mind of Christ"; three ways in which Christ thought of himself with respect to us.
The Three Thieves 2022-02-18
We are all familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Fr. Pat looks at persons from this story seldom, if ever, considered: the thieves who…
The Contrite Heart 2022-02-17
Fr. Pat preaches on the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican found in Luke 18.
We Eat the Crumbs that Have Fallen from His Table 2022-02-10
Fr. Pat preaches from Matthew 15:21-28, the encounter of Jesus with the Canaanite woman.
On the way of the Cross 2022-01-26
Fr. Pat preaches from Luke 18:35-43, the story of the blind beggar of Jericho whom Jesus heals
The Anger of God and the Cross of Christ 2022-01-19
When Holy Scripture speaks of the sacrifice of the cross in connection with God's anger, it is invariably in terms of deliverance; it has nothing to…
The Life of Grace 2022-01-19
Preaching from Luke 17 (The Healing of the Ten Lepers), Fr. Pat examines what it is to have a Christian perspective toward the world.
The Meaning of the Cross 2022-01-16
In this homily given on the Sunday before the Elevation of the Holy Cross, Fr. Pat looks at what death means to the Christian.
How to Be Like God 2022-01-14
When, in Matthew 18, Jesus instructs us to be merciful as the Heavenly Father is merciful, he is telling us how to partake of the life of God; how…
In the Desert, On the Mountain, and By the Waterside 2022-01-13
Fr. Pat preaches on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness as told in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 4.
The True Isaac and The Suffering Servant 2022-01-07
When at His baptism the Father speaks of Jesus as his "Beloved Son", declaring Him "well-pleased", the expression would have evoked in the mind of…
And Leave the Rest to God 2022-01-01
Fr. Pat looks at God’s providence with respect to three things: our sin, the moral order, and our conduct.
God Brings Good Out of Evil 2021-12-31
In Romans 8 Paul asserts that God causes all things to work for good to those who love him. Fr. Pat examines this thesis in regards to general…
The Fourth Apostle 2021-12-31
Fr. Pat preaches on the Apostle Andrew, whose feast day is November 30. He gave this homily on November 30, 2014.
A Paradigm For the Christian Calling 2021-12-22
The calling of the first four apostles gives us a model of the calling each of us receives from Christ. Fr. Pat looks at three qualities of this…
The Covenant 2021-12-22
Holy Scripture uses three verbs in relation to the making of a covenant. In this homily from Palm Sunday, Fr. Pat explores these three Hebrew words.
The Cross and the Christian Family 2021-12-21
Christ died for each of us personally, but he also died for families; and the context of the family is often the locus in our experience of the…
Phoenicia, the Woman, and the Children's Bread 2021-12-21
Jesus' encounter with the Syrophoenician woman as recounted by Matthew (chapter 15) has much to teach us when we consider Phoenicia's history, the…
The Affirmation of Our Hope 2021-12-16
The season of Advent is not only a time when we prepare for the Feast of Christ's Birth; it is also the season in which we reflect more directly on…
Stand Upright and Gaze at the Stars 2021-12-06
Fr. Pat preaches from Luke 13:10-17, the story of Jesus healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath. This homily was given on December 4, 2014