The Orthodox Faith: Homilies and Catechism with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

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Homily, 01.04.2026 - Forefeast of & Sunday before Theophany of Christ 

THE EPISTLE

(For the Sunday before the Theophany of Christ)

O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance. Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord my God.

The Reading from St. Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy. (4:5-8)

Timothy, my son, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

THE GOSPEL

(For the Sunday before the Theophany of Christ)

The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. (1:1-8)

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes He Who is mightier than I, the strap of Whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

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THE EPISTLE

(For the Sunday after Nativity of Christ)

God is wondrous in His saints. Bless God in the congregations.

The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. (1:11-19)

Brethren, I would have you know that the Gospel, which was preached by me, is not man’s gospel.  For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.  For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people; so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.  But when He who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, in order that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus.  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days.  But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.

THE GOSPEL

(For the Sunday after Nativity of Christ)

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (2:13-23)

When the wise men had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him.”  And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.  This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called My Son.”  Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region, who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.”  But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”  And he rose and took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.  And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” 

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 11.30.2025 - The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called; the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (4:9-16); the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (1:35-51)

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 11.23.2025 - Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost & Ninth Sunday of Luke; the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians. (2:14-22); the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (12:16-21)

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 11.02.2025 - Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost & Fifth Sunday of Luke

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 10.25.2025 - Great-Martyr Demetrios the Myrrh-Streaming & Sixth Sunday of Luke; the Second Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy. (2:1-10); the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (8:26-39)

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.