Sermons at St. Nicholas

The Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee is presented to us by the church to set the tone in our preparation for Great Lent. Fr Tom reminds us that both our actions and our attitude counts when it comes to loving God and neighbor. (Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee)

God uses even the difficult circumstances of our life for our salvation. Fr Tom reminds us that in these tests of life, God wants us to persevere and draw closer to Him. (Thirty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost)

The parable of the talents can be perplexing to understand if we see the Master's demands as unreasonable and unfair. Fr Tom reminds us that God has given every believer certain abilities to build up the church. But more importantly, He gives everyone the ability to love. (Thirty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost)

On the great feast of Theophany, God shines the light of the Truth, in the person of Christ, to the whole world. Fr Tom reminds us that we also are individually given the gift of this light through our renewal, by virtue of our baptism.

In the parable of the Rich Fool, Christ warns us of the dangers of acquiring too many material possessions. Fr Tom reminds us that our life should always maintain an eternal perspective, focusing on love of God and of neighbor. (Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost)

The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich man is a dramatic story about the end result of a selfish life. Fr Tom reminds us that our most fundamental call as Christians is, not only to love God, but also to love our neighbor. (Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost)

A temptation for some Orthodox Christians is to take in the beauty of the church services while remaining somewhat mentally disengaged. Fr Tom reminds us that Christ's command to "launch out into the deep" is given to everyone to plumb the depths of the wisdom and word of God. (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

As the Church prepares us to celebrate the Elevation of the Precious Cross, Fr Tom reminds us that the Cross is the sign and reminder of the firm, unchanging truths found in the the person of Christ. (Sunday Before the Elevation of the Precious Cross)

Gifts are given to each one of us by God for the purpose of building up the body of Christ and being salt and light in the world. Fr Tom shows us how both of today's scripture readings clarify our purpose as individual members of the Church.

Today's cultural values can sometimes keep us from fully embracing important scriptural concepts like being the subject of a 'kingdom' or becoming a 'slave' to righteousness. Fr Tom reminds us that, in order to conform to the image of Christ, we must recognize ourselves as being slaves of God and servants of men. (Fourth Sunday after Pentecost)