Today is the 12th Sunday of Luke or otherwise known as the Sunday of the ten lepers. The Gospel lesson comes to us from Luke 17:12-19 and it teaches us about the importance of gratitude to the spiritual life. Father Paul shares with us that gratitude is not an option but rather a prerogative mandated by Jesus Himself when He asks the leper who gave thanks for his healing, " Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?" Gratitude is a cornerstone to the spiritual life and indeed each of us as Orthodox Christians are called to be thankful for our lives because it is proper and right.

New Year's resolutions are common for most as they reflect on their previous year and look ahead to the coming one. Father Gregory shares with us an insightful and practical message about how each of us as Orthodox Christians can use the sprinkling of the Baptismal waters during the Feast of Theophany to renew our own Baptismal commitment. He expounds on the Epistle reading, which is taken from II Timothy 4:5-8, where Saint Paul uses the imagery of athletics to describe his own spiritual hardships. Saint Paul encourages us that once we have been Baptized we should never give up, fight the good fight, play by the rules and keep The Faith till the end.

Today Father Gregory shares with us his thoughts about the Magi who bring gifts to Christ and the star they followed. The Magi were a noble and priestly class of people from Persia who studied the movement of stars. The star they followed was not a normal star but a noetic star that could only be seen with spiritual eyes as God revealed Himself to them in a way they could understand. This star was in fact an angel, who led them to the True Son of Righteousness and being warned in a dream they returned by a different way home. Father Gregory shares with us lessons learned from the Magi; God is searching for all people and will appear in forms necessary to include everyone, we must leave what is comfortable and travel as they did and once we encounter Christ through His Church we should be transformed.

Today we have been Blessed with a pastoral visit from Metropolitan Alexios. He shares with us a message about the Nativity of Christ and all its wonder. Metropolitan Alexios expounds on a hymn taken from the Orthros service on Christmas morning and shows how the hymnographer paints a picture of Christmas for the hearers.

The Gospel lesson comes to us today from Luke 14:16-24 and is always read two Sundays before Christmas. Father Paul shares with us that the Church is the manifestation of the Kingdom of God and that we the faithful are reminded that our goal is to eat bread in God's Kingdom. Many in today's society act as the invited guests in today's Gospel lesson by making excuses and not accepting Our Lord's invitation to experience Him though the sacramental life of the Church.

Today's Gospel reading taken from Luke 13:10-17 is always read close The Nativity of Our Lord on either the Sunday of or before the Conception of the Theotokos. In this pericope Jesus heals a woman infirmed for eighteen years, which causes indignation for the ruler of the synagogue who like many were legalistic in trying to keep the Sabbath. Father Deacon Tikhon shares with us the meaning of the Sabbath and three types of rest the Jews understood in Jesus' day. He shows parallels from the Gospel to the Feasts of The Nativity and The Conception of the Theotokos. Christ's birth,life and death were cosmic events that completely changed the universe.

Today is the 14th Sunday of Luke and the Gospel lesson comes to us from Luke 18:35-43. In this pericope Jesus heals a blind man who calls out to Him persistently. Father Micah shares with us that we all suffer from a blindness that only Christ can heal. We are blind to our own sinfulness, others, material possessions and to the beauty of God's gifts. If we call out to Christ with persistence and in faith, He will give sight to our blindness so that we may see with love and the Grace of God.

Today in Orthodoxy is the 13th Sunday of Luke. The Gospel lesson comes to us from Luke 18:18-27 and it narrates for us the story of the rich young ruler. Father Gregory shares with us that the young man is sincere as he kneels before Jesus and inquires how he might receive eternal life. Jesus tells him to keep the Commandments and recites for him five that deal with his relationship toward others, which the man says he has done, but he is lacking one thing. Our Lord knows our hearts and how much of ourselves we are willing to give over to Him. If we as Orthodox Christians are willing to unclinch our fists letting go of that which binds and trust God with what is His, we will experience the Blessed life here and the hereafter.

We live in a world full of self-centered people.I, my, mine are words each of use daily in everyday speech. Today's Gospel reading comes to us from Luke 12:15-21 and in it narrates for us the parable of "The Rich Fool". Father Micah shares with us that all we are and all we have belong to God. God gives to us so that we might take care of these gifts and use them for His Glory. Each of us should reflect on our gifts of time, talent, and treasure and how we might use them to help the poor and be grateful.

Today on the 8th Sunday of Luke the Gospel lesson comes to us from Luke 10:25-37 and it narrates for us the well known parable of The Good Samaritan. A good samaritan today brings to mind a person who goes beyond generosity to put themselves out there for someone else. Father Gregory shares with us insight into the parable and what it means to be a neighbor. In this parable the Father's of the Church tell us that man, who represents us wounded by sin and in need of a Samaritan, who is Jesus to carry us to the inn or Church which is our hospital where we receive healing.