In today's Gospel we learn that our healing involves "getting up" (leaving the world) and "going to our house" (entering our heart). If we are being healed, these two things are taking place. But many people have a more or less casual attitude toward worship. In the second Gospel we learn why this is.

Today we find ourselves to have been deceived. We live as if the undercurrents of sin are the part of mythology. Someone who takes his faith seriously is viewed as strange. May God deem us worthy to see the truth and become aware of the coming judgment.

This brief talk flowed from the Jesus Prayer as we use it together after some of our services. Holy Orthodoxy has a carefully developed anthropology. So does unbelief. How much do we really know about how our minds work? How well do we really know ourselves? This is a very brief introduction to an Orthodox approach to getting to know one's self.

Disclaimer, in the moment I conflated certain details concerning two historic, prophetic actions in the Old Testament. It makes little difference to the point I made. To be correct, Aaron and Hur upheld Moses' arms while the people were fighting with the Amalekites, not snakes as I said. On another occasion Moses raised a cross with a serpent on it. The Point is that the Apostles preached Christ, and Him Crucified!

The Orthodox Churches in America owe their existence to the missions which brought the Faith here of old. This does not preclude though the development of a self-consciously American expression of Orthodoxy. Here are some thoughts about how we can honor the work done by our forefathers. There are two talks here. Listen through to the end.

We apologize that the introduction of this homily was deleted.