Sermons from Grace Cathedral

Marching with God

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA July 6, 2025 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Proper 9C In this homily, the Rev. Canon Anna E. Rossi draws from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1957 sermon on Ghanaian independence to illuminate Jesus' words, "I watched Satan fall from heaven," as a metaphor for the fall of oppressive powers. Rossi's homily calls Christians to resist injustice not with violence, but through faithful, embodied action: crossing boundaries, building community, and stewarding creation...

The Rev. Canon Mary Carter Greene

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA June 29, 2025 - 11 a.m Eucharist 2 Kings:2:1-2, 6-14 Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 Galatians 5:1, 13-25 Luke 9:51-62

The Rev. Susanna Singer

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA June 22, 2025 - The Second Sunday After Pentecost 1 Kings 19:1-15a Psalm 42:1-7 Galatians 2:23-29 Luke 8:26-39

The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA June 8, 2025 Acts 2:1-21 Psalm 104::25-35, 37 Romans 8:14-17 John 14:8-17, 25-27

The Rt. Rev Bavi (Nedi) Rivera

Diocesan Ordinations of a Deacon and Priests Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA June 7, 2025 Isiah 6:1-8 Psalm 43 Ephesians 4-7, 11-16 John 6:35-38

Pride Mass

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco June 1, 2025 - 6 p.m. Pride Mass 1 Corinthians 29:14b-19 Psalm 84 John 21:15-24

Revelation: The Anti-Christ Today

“And let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift” (Rev. 22). Acts 16:16-34 Psalm 97 Rev. 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 John 17:20-26

The Rev. Joe C. Williams

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA The Sixth Sunday of Easter, 11 a.m. Eucharist May 25, 2025 Acts 16:9-15 Psalm 67 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29

Changed by a Book: Malcolm X at 100

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2F16 5 Easter (Year C) RCL 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 18 May 2025 | Bay to Breakers Acts 11:1-18 Psalm 148 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35 Most holy God, make all things new. Make all things new, beginning with us. Amen. “People don’t realize how a [person’s] whole life can be changed by one book.” I came across this sentence at the age of twenty-two in a book that changed my life, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I put on his worldview like a pair of ...

Resurrection is a Team Sport: What Will the Fossil Record Say About Us?

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco The Fourth Sunday in Easter, Mother's Day May 11, 2025 Acts 9:36-43 Psalm 23 Revelation 7:9-17 John 10:22-30

Called by Name: The leader we need for a transformative social movement

Th​is sermon explores what makes a true movement leader, building from the gospel passage from John 21 and scholarship of Raymond Brown. Love, vicarious authority, and sacrifice emerge as the Christlike qualities needed—not only in the church but in social movements today. From Occupy to Black Lives Matter, we see the power and risk of decentralized movements. Our call as people of faith is to recognize, support, and embody leadership that is loving, accountable, and willing to sacrifice for the...

You Are Not a Machine (Easter Sunday)

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2F13 Easter Sunday (Year C) 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 20 April 2025 Acts 10:34-43 Psalm 118:1,2,14-24 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 Luke 24:1-12

The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios

God is in the Ashes

In this sermon, the Rev. Canon Anna E. Rossi explores the profound theological and emotional struggle to find meaning and God's presence amid suffering and atrocity, using the lens of the aftermath of the Shoah (Holocaust.) In all circumstances, even in the face of overwhelming evil, there is a human impulse to seek understanding through faith. The message affirms God's presence not in power or escape, but in solidarity with suffering — applying Jewish feminist theologian Melissa Rafael’s assert...

The Great Three Days: Maundy Thursday

The Rev. Canon Mary Carter Greene Grace Cathedral, San Francisco Exodus 12:1-14 Psalm 116:1, 10-17 1 Corinthians 1:23-26 John 13:1-17,31b-35

Chrism Mass - The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios

Clergy and laity of the diocese gather to renew their vows of ordination and services in a beautiful Holy Week liturgy with the Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California, preaching and presiding. This year, we will joyfully install the Very Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge as Dean of the San Francisco Deanery. Further, Oil of Chrism is consecrated in the midst of the liturgy, and healing oil blessed. Oils will be made available to the congregations of the diocese, and c...

Following Jesus Through What We Cannot Change

In her Palm Sunday homily, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde reflects on the tension between purposeful action and humble acceptance, using Jesus’ journey to the cross as a model of courageous surrender. She draws on Scripture, the Serenity Prayer, and personal experience to explore how we are called to live with intention even when faced with hardship or circumstances beyond our control. Jesus' deliberate path into Jerusalem and his ultimate acceptance of suffering illustrate a profound trust in God—n...

Meeting Jesus at the Table Again

The intensive sensory experience of today’s Gospel might obscure the context of a meal. This is especially poignant in a gospel that has no institution narrative, but offers a rich Eucharistic interpretation through themes of memory, community, and ethics. Mary’s act of anointing Jesus symbolizes memory, recalling Jesus’ command to remember Him. The community aspect is highlighted by Mary’s role as a full disciple, reversing social hierarchies. The ethical message challenges Judas’ insincere con...

The Very Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge

The Rev. Joe William

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco March 30, 2025 Joshua 5:9-12 Psalm 32 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke15:1-3, 11b-32

The Place Where You Go to Listen

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2F12 3 Lent (Year C) 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 23 March 2025 Exodus 3:1-15 Psalm 63:1-8 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9 The time has come to change your life. Alex Ross writes about a sound and light installation by the composer John Luther Adams (1953-) at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. It is called The Place Where You Go to Listen. The title refers to Naalagiagvik, a beach on the Arctic Ocean, where a particular Inupiaq woman could hear and unders...

The Rev. Rick Fabian

March 16, 2025 The Second Sunday in Lent Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Psalm 27 Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 13:31-35

Temptation by the Devil

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2F10 1 Lent (Year C) 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 9 March 2025 | Litany of Penitence Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 Romans 10:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13 Are you living your real life? Or are you merely trying to avoid or dull the pain of existing? So much is at stake these days. And because we are involved there is no simple answer. We give this holy instant to you O God. Guide us as we follow, certain your direction will lead us into peace. Amen. [i] [i...

To Dwell on Earth No More

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2F9 Ash Wednesday 12:00 p.m. Eucharist Isaiah 58:1-12 Psalm 103:8-14 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Silence is Not a Failure to Respond

The Last Sunday After the Epiphany Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA “Enter eagerly into the treasure house that is within you, and you will see the things that are in heaven.”Amen Exodus 34: 29-35 Psalm 99 2 Corinthians 3: 12-4: 2 Luke 9: 28-36

The Woodchipper vs. Jalal al-Din Rumi

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2F7 7 Epiphany (Year C) 8:30 and 11 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 23 February 2025 Genesis 45:3-11, 15 Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42 1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50 Luke 6:27-38 In these days of enmity how shall we live? This sermon is about the good news that even today we can live with grace and joy. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Lk. 6).

The Rev. Canon Mary Carter Greene

Cathedral , San Francisco, CA 16 February 2025 Jeremiah 17:5-10 Psalm 1 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Luke 6:17-25

Overcoming Fear with Brené Brown and Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2F5 5 Epiphany (Year C) 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 9 February 2025 ​Isaiah 6:1-8 ​Psalm 138 ​1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ​Luke 5:1-11 “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets… do not be afraid (Lk. 5).” This week with great emotion my friend Erin said to a group of us, “What do I do?” I take this to mean, “In the midst of unprecedented political turmoil (for instance, when USAID has ceased to exist), how do we respond to the fear surrounding us?”...

Preaching Against Hitler

​Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2F4​ The Feast of the Presentation 11 a.m. Eucharist​ Sunday 2 February 2025 | Displacing 4 Epiphany ​ Malachi 3:1-4 Psalm 24:7-10 Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 What exactly is a sermon? What are we doing together and what do we hope happens? This might seem like an unimportant question to ask. In the last two weeks 1500 January 6 rioters were pardoned or had their sentences commuted and many wonder if right-wing militias now regard themselves as immune to pros...

The Rt. Rev. Austin K. Rios

Bishop of California The Third Sunday after the Epiphany Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA January 26, 2025 Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 12:12-13a Luke 4:14-21