Fr. Apostolos Hill unpacks the story of Hosea and Gomer, contrasting the covenant between God and Israel and Gomer's infidelity in her pursuit of an "open marriage." Jesus' words in the Gospel reading today about the exclusive nature of our union with Him in the New Covenant ("whoever loves father, mother, son, daughter more than Me...") indicates that our fidelity to Him cannot be divided.
Fr. Apostolos Hill addresses the joy of the many gifts Jesus gives us and how to combat our forgetfulness in sometimes taking them for granted.
Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a homily on finding our place in the crowd that greeted Jesus in His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a homily on the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder, discussing the need for growth and progress in the spiritual life just as we anticipate growth in every other aspect of our lives and of our children's. The opening illustration referenced a song from the Dr. Demento Show.
Fr. Apostolos Hill discusses the Sunday of the Cross and the importance of learning to pick up our cross in the simple day-to-day choices we make.
Fr. Apostolos Hill discusses the role of confession in maintaining a healthy spiritual life.
Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a homily based on St. Paul's exhortation to Timothy about hoping in God.
Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a short homily on what we will all write in the New Year on the pages of the books of our lives.
Fr. Apostolos addresses the inner meaning of the Feast of the Incarnation, through the perspective of the latest Star Wars film.
Fr. Apostolos talks on stewardship and addressed the role that Christian stewardship plays in bridging the gap between the material and immaterial aspects of our faith. By consecrating the material resources of our lives to God we can escape the trap of reducing our faith in Jesus Christ to a disembodied philosophy.
Fr. Apostolos addresses how to walk in the grace of thanksgiving and gratitude in our day-to-day lives.
Fr. Apostolos delivers a homiletic overview of the many Scriptural passages describing the "money trap" and the strict charges given by God in Holy Writ regarding justice and equity.
Here is this morning's homily on the risks to ourselves, both personally and collectively, if we choose to remain in the darkness of life outside the Kingdom of God.
Fr. Apostolos discusses the importance of remembering the love of Christ in our lives, and that we are good enough.
Fr. Apostolos talks about the importance of embracing the Cross of Christ, despite the challenges that go along with it.
Fr. Apostolos delivers a timely reminder to bear good fruits and tend the garden that we have been given.
Fr. Apostolos connects the gospel on the Rich Young Ruler with the change in church attendance, exhorting us not to get waylaid with the cares of this world.
Fr. Apostolos speaks of the Light of Christ as the only light capable of dispelling the darkness we witness in the world around us today.
Fr. Apostolos speaks about the feast of the Transfiguration and the New Life in Jesus Christ which transforms us into the glorified Image of God He revealed on Mount Tabor.
Fr. Apostolos concludes the miniseries of sermons about the Divine Liturgy. He encourages the faithful to work through their understanding about the intricacies of the Liturgy in the laboratory of corporate prayer in the Church.
Fr. Apostolos examines John Chapter 6 and the Holy Eucharist in the Epiklesis and how that, unlike our Western counterparts, we Orthodox leave off trying to explain the mysteries to the satisfaction of our intellectual curiosity, content to accept the words of our Lord as plainly stated (and thrice repeated!) in the Gospels. A brief review of the Epiklesis in the liturgy ensues.
Fr. Apostolos continues the homily series on Divine Worship, addressing the Sacrament of Offering and the potential that exists to redeem our work-a-day lives through the offering up to God of a portion of our labors, in this case the bread and wine of Holy Communion.
Fr. Apostolos continues the series on Divine Worship, discussing the beginning of the Synaxis of the Faithful and of the prayers leading up to the Great Entrance.
This is lesson three in Fr. Apostolos' series on Divine Worship; this installment addressing the historical development of the Small Entrance and the significance of the Readings in view of the centrality of Holy Scripture in the lives of Christian believers.
Fr. Apostolos addresses the Sacrament of Kingdom invoked at the opening of the Divine Liturgy followed by a treatment of "Peace" as the precondition for prayer.
Fr. Apostolos introduces a miniseries of sermons about the spiritual depths of Divine Worship and starts by explaining the word leitourgia.
Fr. Apostolos reflects on the story of the Blind Man (John 9:1-38), and how it should remind us not to become spiritually blinded.
Fr. Apostolos reflects on the importance of Thomas' faith and the strength of our faith through the Paschal Season.
Fr. Apostolos reviews the services of Holy Week and the opportunity the faithful have to enter deeply into the mystery of God's demonstrated love for us.
Fr. Apostolos helps us understand the centrality of the Cross for salvation.
