Sermons at St. Nicholas

The beauty of Orthodoxy is richly expressed in her magnificent iconography adorning the walls and ceilings of our churches. As the parish of St Nicholas continues the iconographic renewal of their temple, Fr Thomas encourages parishioners to look up and see the Kingdom to come.

One day after the horrendous killings of 11 Jewish worshippers in a Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Fr Thomas gives a sobering reflection from the reading of the Sunday: the exorcism of the Gadarene demoniac.

Christians are called to live in the will of God, but how do we find it? Fr Thomas teaches us that living in the will of God means identifying with God's Kingdom and not with the values of this fallen world.

In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus illustrates the consequences of unforgiveness. Fr Thomas teaches us that it is the God of love, mercy, and compassion who commands us to forgive and warns us of the judgment to come if we do not.

Everyone has difficulties and problems that they face on a daily basis. Fr Thomas teaches us that in the midst of the storms of life we can experience the "peace from above" which is found only in Christ.

The societal and moral changes sweeping across the world pose profound challenges to Orthodox Christian believers. Fr Thomas reminds us that we must face these challenges squarely and never compromise what we believe by adopting worldly values.

Fr Thomas challenges us to recognize that our task as Christians is not simply to come to church to be fed for our own purposes, but to be sent out to build up the body of Christ.

in Romans 10, St Paul writes about the importance of his fellow Jews hearing about Christ and why it's important for their salvation. Fr Thomas reminds us that evangelism should not be a foreign concept to Orthodox Christians. We must get comfortable with sharing our faith in Christ and speaking about God's work in our life.

On the seventh Sunday of Holy Pascha we recall the words of our Lord to His apostles before His passion, reminding them that what He taught them was given by God Himself. Fr Thomas reminds Orthodox Christians that we must also receive this apostolic teaching and pass it on to new believers without any change or error.

The healing of the blind man in John 9 is a dramatic story of the healing power of God. Fr Thomas teaches us that we also have been healed by virtue of our baptism and we should tell others the story of our recreation.