Sermons at St. Nicholas

When an Orthodox Christian is baptized, the priest proclaims, "you are justified!" But what does it mean to be righteous before God? Fr Thomas cites the readings of the Sunday, Ephesians 2 ("For by grace you have been saved through faith...") and the parable of the Good Samaritan, to outline the Orthodox understanding of our salvation in Christ.

The most endearing secular holiday in the American calendar is Thanksgiving Day. It was set aside by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father." Later, the modern culture invented Black Friday, driving consumers to the stores in a buying frenzy. Fr Thomas reminds us that "covetousness is idolatry" (Col 3:5), that everything we have belongs to God, and should be used for His glory.

St Paul's letter to the Galatians opens with an impassioned plea to those who once embraced the truth of the Gospel, to return to it. In our own day, numerous Christians are succumbing to the spirit of the age and compromising fundamental truths. Fr Thomas makes his own fervent plea not to accept any other Gospel but that which is given to us by the apostles and their successors. As a listener to the podcast wrote, "truth doesn't bow to feelings."

The Parable of the Sower, also known as the Parable of the Soils, teaches us important lessons about how different people receive the Word of God. Fr Thomas reminds us that the ultimate lesson of this famous parable is, "Let us attend! Pay attention!"

The raising of the Widow of Nain's Son is a dramatic scene where the Power of Life confronts the reality of death. Fr Thomas reminds us that we experience this encounter every time we participate in the Divine Liturgy, entering into the presence of the One Who has victory over Hades and death. (Our apologies for the poor audio quality of this recording.)

One of the most challenging commands of the teachings of Christ is to love our enemies. Fr Thomas explains what it looks like and why it's so important.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers comes at an important point in the life of Christ, only days before his crucifixion. Jesus reveals the Scribes and Pharisees to be those who rejected the message of the prophets, and now they're going to kill God's Son. Fr Thomas reminds us that, in our own day, those who reject the message and the messengers by choosing the world's lies about God and humanity over the truth we receive in the Church commit the same grave error. (Matthew 21:33-44)

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers comes at an important point in the life of Christ, only days before his crucifixion. Jesus reveals the Scribes and Pharisees to be those who rejected the message of the prophets, and now they're going to kill God's Son. Fr Thomas reminds us that, in our own day, those who reject the message and the messengers by choosing the world's lies about God and humanity over the truth we receive in the Church commit the same grave error. (Matthew 21:33-44)

Fr Thomas uses the stories of two different healings by Jesus (Mt 9:27-35) to demonstrate the importance of developing an interior life. After the sermon (at 20:00) Fr Thomas talks with three nuns from the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA, about cultivating the interior life and the challenges and blessings of monasticism.

St Paul bemoaned that his fellow Jews "have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." Fr Thomas discusses the relationship between faith and the prevailing culture and how we can make a greater impact on society. The second half of the podcast features a conversation with Dr John Burgess of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary about the lessons we can learn from the Russian Orthodox Church regarding faith and culture.