Weekly sermons from All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chicago, IL, preached by Fr. Pat Reardon. Brought to you by Ancient Faith Radio.
Division, Desecration, Dedication
On the occasion of the third night of Hanukkah, Fr. Pat talks about the divisions God built into creation, about the consecration and desecration of sacred space, and about dedication of God's temple and of ourselves.
12/12/2023 • 20 minutes, 7 seconds
Touched by Another Human Being
Fr. Pat reflects upon the encounter between Jesus and the woman with the chronic bleeding who touched the hem of His robe.
11/2/2023 • 22 minutes, 40 seconds
A Matter of Daily Concern
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Fr. Pat reminds us that the Cross ought to be the lens through which we examine every question and regard every problem; it is what gives godly shape to the Christian life.
9/24/2023 • 21 minutes, 5 seconds
A Vocation Both Common and Special
There’s a sense in which The Vocation of Mary was the most special and the most common. In this homily given on the Feast of the Dormition in 2010, Fr. Pat considers these two vocations of our Lord's Mother.
8/24/2023 • 15 minutes, 39 seconds
Xerxes and Paul
Fr. Pat compares an event from the life of Xerxes as told by Herodotus in Book 7 of The Histories to a similar event in the lives of Paul and his companions as told by Luke in Acts 16:1-12.
4/30/2023 • 25 minutes, 50 seconds
The Gospel of Mark, the Apostles, and the Sacraments
In this homily from the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt in 2008, Fr. Pat discusses the occasion for the writing of the Gospel of Mark, the response of the Apostles to the cross, and the question Jesus asks James and John in the 10th chapter of Mark, which is the same question He asks us as we approach the chalice.
4/6/2023 • 19 minutes, 36 seconds
The Struggle of Faith
The 9th chapter of the Gospel of Mark opens with the account of the Transfiguration, then is immediately followed by the the story of Jesus healing a boy possessed by an unclean spirit, a spirit which Jesus’ disciples were unable to cast out. Fr. Pat makes three observations about faith which we can learn from this story. The painting Fr. Pat refers to is The Transfiguration by Rafael.
3/29/2023 • 22 minutes, 11 seconds
Saint Paul or Faust?
Both Saint Paul and Faust, the man who sells his soul to the devil, have something to say about faith, hope, and patience. Fr. Pat considers the great divide between these two men.
3/23/2023 • 22 minutes, 4 seconds
Our Elders in the Faith
In this homily from 2008 preached on the Feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (which was also Forgiveness Sunday), Fr. Pat reminds us of the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. The text is Hebrews 12:1-10.
3/10/2023 • 26 minutes, 35 seconds
The Supremacy of Love
When the Apostle Paul lists faith, hope, and love as a triad of things that abide, he takes care to assert that the greatest of these is love. In this homily from Vespers on January 5, 2014, Fr. Pat examines these three things more closely.
2/14/2023 • 16 minutes
The Depth, the Height, and the Breadth of the Life in Christ
January 30 in the Orthodox Church is the Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. In this homily from 2011, Fr. Pat teaches us about these three Fathers of the Church and their contributions to the Faith.
1/30/2023 • 17 minutes, 44 seconds
The Mind’s Contract with Reality
This past Sunday evening All Saints Church hosted a Pan-Orthodox Prayer Service for the Sanctity of Life, sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Clergy Association of Chicago. Fr. Pat was the guest speaker. These were his remarks.
1/25/2023 • 26 minutes, 20 seconds
A Letter from Caesarea
Paul transforms his prison cell into a hub of missions work. The text is Colossians 3:4-11.
1/18/2023 • 27 minutes, 53 seconds
The Measure of Grace
Fr. Pat preaches on Ephesians 4:7-13 in this homily from January 2016.
1/10/2023 • 23 minutes, 10 seconds
His Intrusion into This World
Fr. Pat gave this brief meditation at approximately midnight on January 1, 2014.
1/3/2023 • 7 minutes, 39 seconds
Christ Alone
In this homily from Christmas Day 2007, Fr. Pat reflects upon the Incarnation in terms of Christ the Only Holy One, Christ our Mediator, and Christ our Brother.
12/28/2022 • 17 minutes, 38 seconds
On Solomon’s Porch
John's Gospel tells us of a time during the Feast of Hanukkah when Jesus was teaching on Solomon's porch (John 10:22-23). Hanukkah is the feast of dedication; Fr. Pat examines this theme of dedication in the lives of three Old Testament saints.
12/21/2022 • 26 minutes, 52 seconds
Invitation to the Banquet
The theory of the perenial philosophy says that there’s a certain core experience of truth that all human beings have. Fr. Pat discusses this theory in light of Luke 14:16-24, the Parable of the Great Banquet.
12/13/2022 • 31 minutes, 26 seconds
Abraham: History, Theology, Morality
Paul tells us in Galatians that if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed. In this homily from 2016, Fr. Pat takes a closer look at Abraham, considering historical fact, theological truth, and moral responsibility. The text is Galatians 3:23-4:5.
12/6/2022 • 21 minutes, 2 seconds
The Gracious Bounty of the Father
In this homily from Thanksgiving of 2010, Fr. Pat considers with us God's Covenant with Noah given in Genesis 9.
11/23/2022 • 11 minutes, 12 seconds
Who
In this homily from 2014, Fr. Pat takes a close look at the word "who" in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
11/14/2022 • 25 minutes, 7 seconds
Obedient Faith
A homily from Fr. Pat on Galatians 2:16-20, given in 2004.
11/8/2022 • 19 minutes, 24 seconds
The Practice of Prayer in the Pursuit of Wisdom
A vesperal homily about James the Just. The text is James 1:1-11.
11/3/2022 • 18 minutes, 41 seconds
Biblical Meditation
A vesperal homily based upon Joshua 1:1-9.
10/10/2022 • 16 minutes, 54 seconds
The Imagination and the Moral Order
Preaching from Luke 6:31-26, Fr. Pat discusses the Golden Rule.
10/5/2022 • 28 minutes, 47 seconds
Father Mapple’s Sermon
A Vesperal homily on the Feast of the Holy Prophet Jonah.
9/29/2022 • 25 minutes, 1 second
The Existential Discontinuity of the Cross
The cross is a catastrophic event in which everything falls apart, and everything that went before has been destroyed. This homily is from the Sunday after the Elevation of the Cross, 2009. The texts are Galatians 2:16-20 and Mark 8:34-9:1.
9/20/2022 • 23 minutes, 23 seconds
Historical Claims, Their Interpretation, and the History of Salvation
A homily on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, given on August 26, 2012.
9/2/2022 • 27 minutes, 4 seconds
Prayer, Patience, Persuasion
n 1 Corinthian 4:9-16, the Apostle Paul gives a portrayal of a style of life very much in contrast with the style of life preferred by the Corinthians. In this homily from 2009, Fr. Pat looks at the contrasts enumerated by St. Paul.
8/25/2022 • 23 minutes, 23 seconds
Of Ourselves, of Christ Our Lord, and of His Mother
In this homily given on the Feast of the Dormition in 2010, Fr. Pat reflects upon the revelation of the Gospel disclosed in the human face
8/16/2022 • 29 minutes, 23 seconds
Reflections on the Transfiguration of Our Lord
In this homily from 2006, Fr. Pat reflects upon the Body of Christ, the Sacraments, and our own transfiguration in Christ.
8/12/2022 • 21 minutes, 37 seconds
The Heart of the Christian Gospel
Jesus' healing of the Paralytic in Matthew 9 teaches us many things about man's biggest problem, about the corporate nature of the Church's service to the sinner, and about the Lord's authority to forgive sins.
8/1/2022 • 23 minutes, 32 seconds
The Worries of the 5th Century
The mid-5th century was a time of chaos, war, poverty, decay, and destruction, but the one concern of the Church was an abbott named Eutyches
7/20/2022 • 27 minutes, 13 seconds
How to Approach Jesus
Fr. Pat shows us how the Roman centurion who comes to Jesus for healing for his servant can be a model to us of how to approach Jesus. The text is Matthew 8:5-13.
7/5/2022 • 19 minutes, 28 seconds
Marriage, Faith, and Creed
In a homily delivered on Pentecost Sunday 2010, Fr. Pat offers reflections on the Orthodox wedding service, the Holy Spirit, faith, and the Creed.
6/12/2022 • 18 minutes, 49 seconds
The Moral Structure of the World
Fr. Pat explores the question, "What makes something evil?”
6/5/2022 • 17 minutes, 57 seconds
A Once For All Witness
The institution of the Twelve Apostles is the link between the Church and the Resurrection of Christ. Fr. Pat preaches from Acts 1:15-26. This homily was given April 2, 2015.
5/17/2022 • 9 minutes, 50 seconds
Mary of Bethany
Mary of Bethany appears in the gospels of St. Luke and St. John, and in both books she stands as a point of contrast with someone else. Fr. Pat's brief meditation on these contrasts was given at Bridegroom Matins on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.
5/11/2022 • 10 minutes, 14 seconds
The Reality of the Risen Christ
In this homily given on St. Thomas Sunday, 2012, Fr. Pat examines three subjects related to the resurrection of Christ our Lord.
5/4/2022 • 23 minutes, 50 seconds
The Embodiment of Our Memory
Fr. Pat offers reflections on baptism and the Creed. This homily was given on Great and Holy Saturday,
4/29/2022 • 19 minutes, 46 seconds
The Cross: Our Healing, Victory, and Peace
Fr. Pat's homily delivered on the Sunday of the Holy Cross, 2008.
3/30/2022 • 25 minutes, 19 seconds
The Evangelization of the Theotokos
The heart of Feast of the Annunciation is evangelism in its most perfect reception, by a Woman who hears and believes the proclamation of the Gospel.
3/25/2022 • 13 minutes, 12 seconds
Two Aspects of Forgiveness
Fr. Pat's homily from Forgiveness Vespers 2012.
3/10/2022 • 25 minutes, 1 second
Judgment, Renewal, Image
On the Sunday of the Last Judgment, Fr. Pat preaches from Matthew 25:31-46.
3/3/2022 • 20 minutes, 17 seconds
Man’s Metaphysical Homesickness
Fr. Pat preaches on the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15.
2/24/2022 • 32 minutes, 54 seconds
The Contrite Heart
Fr. Pat preaches on the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican found in Luke 18.
2/17/2022 • 25 minutes, 8 seconds
We Eat the Crumbs that Have Fallen from His Table
Fr. Pat preaches from Matthew 15:21-28, the encounter of Jesus with the Canaanite woman.
2/10/2022 • 21 minutes, 34 seconds
On the way of the Cross
Fr. Pat preaches from Luke 18:35-43, the story of the blind beggar of Jericho whom Jesus heals
1/26/2022 • 23 minutes, 32 seconds
The Life of Grace
Preaching from Luke 17 (The Healing of the Ten Lepers), Fr. Pat examines what it is to have a Christian perspective toward the world.
1/19/2022 • 14 minutes, 26 seconds
In the Desert, On the Mountain, and By the Waterside
Fr. Pat preaches on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness as told in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 4.
1/13/2022 • 23 minutes, 10 seconds
The True Isaac and The Suffering Servant
When at His baptism the Father speaks of Jesus as his "Beloved Son", declaring Him "well-pleased", the expression would have evoked in the mind of Jesus and anyone else who heard them two Biblical texts with which Jesus Himself was already familiar from the years of study in the synagogue.
1/7/2022 • 11 minutes, 59 seconds
The Affirmation of Our Hope
The season of Advent is not only a time when we prepare for the Feast of Christ's Birth; it is also the season in which we reflect more directly on the Second Coming of Christ. In this homily from 2009, Fr. Pat preaches from Colossians 3:4-11 about the Hope that is within us.
12/16/2021 • 16 minutes, 58 seconds
Stand Upright and Gaze at the Stars
Fr. Pat preaches from Luke 13:10-17, the story of Jesus healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath. This homily was given on December 4, 2014
12/6/2021 • 26 minutes, 29 seconds
The Fourth Apostle
Fr. Pat preaches on the Apostle Andrew, whose feast day is November 30. He gave this homily on November 30, 2014.
11/29/2021 • 22 minutes, 18 seconds
God Is Pleased When We Give Thanks
A meditation on Thanksgiving from Fr. Pat, given in 2008.
11/23/2021 • 9 minutes, 47 seconds
Thinking Ahead — But Not Far Enough
Fr. Pat preaches on the Parable of the Rich Fool found in Luke 12:16-21.
11/19/2021 • 16 minutes, 58 seconds
The Encyclopedia and the Self
Preaching from Luke 8:41-56, Fr. Pat considers what is important to know.
11/9/2021 • 24 minutes, 19 seconds
A Selective Memory
Most of the sources in Holy Scripture, and most emphatically the Psalms, look upon Israel's time in the desert as a period of unmitigated tragedy. Israel was consistently unfaithful. However, the prophets Hosea and Jeremiah chose to see things differently, which is a source of strength and consolation for us today.
11/4/2021 • 17 minutes
A Matter of Progresssion—or Regression
Preaching on the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), Fr. Pat urges us to always maintain a proper perspective.
11/1/2021 • 19 minutes, 31 seconds
A Reliable Barometer
In this vesperal homily, Fr. Pat preaches from 1 John 2:1-6, about the true blessed assurance of our salvation.
10/25/2021 • 10 minutes, 32 seconds
The Value of Discussion
Fr. Pat preaches from Numbers 32:1-27.
10/21/2021 • 13 minutes, 11 seconds
Son of Encouragement
Preaching from Acts 4:32-37, Fr. Pat takes a closer look at the Apostle Barnabas.
6/8/2021 • 9 minutes, 54 seconds
An Eminently Honorable Man
Fr. Pat takes a closer look at Rabbi Gamaliel, teacher of St. Paul, and at Gamaliel’s advice to the Sanhedrin concerning how to deal with the Apostles, who in disobedience to the Sanhedrin would not stop teaching in Jesus’ name.
5/20/2021 • 19 minutes, 3 seconds
The Task of the Church
In this homily from Agape Vespers 2021, Fr. Pat explains how the task of the Church is to share with the world the message of the Cross; not as an abstraction, but as something they can reach out and feel.
5/9/2021 • 8 minutes, 58 seconds
The Cross and the Heart
In this Palm Sunday homily, Fr. Pat looks briefly into the testimony of three spokesmen for the apostolic memory with respect to the passion and death of Christ.
4/26/2021 • 23 minutes, 8 seconds
Baptism and the Eucharistic Cup
On the 5th Sunday of Lent, Fr. Pat preaches on the request by James and John from Mark 10: "Grant us to sit, one at Thy right hand and one at Thy left, in Thy glory.”
4/23/2021 • 26 minutes, 17 seconds
The Experience of Faith: Three Observations
In this homily preached the fourth Sunday of Great Lent 2014, Fr. Pat looks at the story from Mark 9 of Jesus driving a demon out of a young boy, and makes three observations of what this story teaches about faith.
4/16/2021 • 31 minutes, 4 seconds
In the Days of His Flesh
A meditation on Christ’s humanity for the Third Sunday of Lent; the Scripture readings are Mark 8:34-9:1 and Hebrews 4:14-5:10. Fr. Pat preached this sermon in 2011.
4/7/2021 • 26 minutes, 38 seconds
Elijah on Two Different Mountains
Fr. Pat preaches from 1 Kings 18:42-19:18, about Elijah, who, after his fearless encounter with the priests of Baal, is now isolated and filled with self-pity.
4/2/2021 • 19 minutes, 6 seconds
Two Oracles
Fr. Pat preaches from Isaiah 2:1-9, in which Isaiah delivers two oracles: the first about the ideal Jerusalem which is to come and the second about the actual Jerusalem which exists in Isaiah’s time.
3/26/2021 • 13 minutes, 23 seconds
As Though It Were Our Last
On Forgiveness Sunday and the start of Great Lent, Fr. Pat encourages us to rededicate ourselves to a serious life of prayer.
3/17/2021 • 29 minutes, 2 seconds
Two Champions of Prayer
Fr. Pat offers pre-Lenten reflections on Hanna, the mother of Samuel and Anna the Prophetess.
3/11/2021 • 15 minutes, 44 seconds
Then and Now: Isaiah’s Times and Today
In this meditation on Isiah 1:16-31, Fr. Pat reflects upon the Bible’s prophetic voice on behalf of the poor.
3/4/2021 • 12 minutes, 16 seconds
Religious Infidelity
Fr. Pat preaches from Isaiah 1:1-15. This homily was given at Vespers on November 13, 2010.
2/28/2021 • 17 minutes, 8 seconds
Moses Strikes the Rock
In this meditation from a vespers service in January of 2010, Fr. Pat looks at Numbers 20, in which the people of Israel complain to Moses about their situation.
2/5/2021 • 13 minutes, 51 seconds
The Two Hands of God
Israel recognized no possibility of conflict between God’s will fixed in the Torah and the more fluid guidance He provided in the cloud and the pillar. Fr. Pat offers reflections from Numbers Chapter 9.
1/28/2021 • 10 minutes, 35 seconds
Life, Death, and Hope
We bear within our very flesh the hope of which the Apostle Paul speaks; therefore there is going to be something very fleshly about our transformation. Fr. Pat preaches from Colossians 3.
1/15/2021 • 23 minutes, 13 seconds
The Event of the Incarnation
Strictly speaking, the Orthodox Church does not celebrate doctrines, it celebrates events. On this homily given on the Sunday before Theophany, Fr Pat considers the event of Jesus's Incarnation.
1/7/2021 • 19 minutes, 37 seconds
The Cave, the Calendar, and the Curriculum
The Christian faith is based on an event that took place in a specific place at a specific time in history; God instructs us through history, and we are to be learners. Fr. Pat gave this homily on Christmas Eve several years ago.
12/29/2020 • 16 minutes, 18 seconds
For Unto Us a Child is Born
Isaiah's prophetic vision of a Child, a son of David who was to come and Who would be God with us, Immanuel.
12/22/2020 • 16 minutes, 7 seconds
A Celebration of Spiritual Warfare
Fr. Pat takes a closer look at the true meaning of Hanukkah.
12/15/2020 • 15 minutes, 29 seconds
The Visible Revelation of the Father
The bishops at the Seventh Ecumenical Council reasoned that the legitimacy, indeed, the necessity of icons in the church was an organic inference from the thesis that God became visible in the Man Jesus of Nazareth. Fr. Pat gave this homily on The Sunday of Orthodoxy, 2020.
12/8/2020 • 23 minutes, 56 seconds
The Trial in the Wilderness
The story of Israel’s forty years wandering in the desert became a Rabbinic paradigm for the interpretation of the whole history of Israel, and carries over into the Desert Fathers of the Church. “Harden not your heart….as in the day of temptation in the wilderness” is a major motif. The story became an ascetical model for the early Christians, and is to this very day. Fr. Pat speaks to this topic.
7/7/2020 • 31 minutes, 36 seconds
Conscience and the Word of God
The very fact that God designed the Bible for the purpose of penetrating the human conscience indicates an intentional affinity between the two. Preaching from Romans 2:10-16 and Matthew 4:18-23, Fr. Pat instructs us on man's conscience.
6/30/2020 • 26 minutes, 26 seconds
Judgment and a Fallen People
Matthew 25:31-46, the Gospel passage for the Sunday of the Last Judgment, is about the judgment of history, meaning the judgment to which history itself will be subjected. Fr. Pat delivered this homily on February 23, 2020.
6/22/2020 • 26 minutes, 5 seconds
Three Qualities of Holiness
In the Bible, the designation “saint” is not restricted to those who are already in Glory. Rather, it designates all those who are in Christ, no matter how much their lives may need improvement. On the Feast of All Saints, Fr. Pat delves into this topic for our edification.
6/15/2020 • 21 minutes, 17 seconds
The Holy Spirit and the Gift of Speech
On the Feast of Pentecost, Fr. Pat compares events in the book of Genesis with the events in Acts 2.
6/12/2020 • 24 minutes, 34 seconds
Three Scenes in Church History
On the Sunday of the Commemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, Fr. Pat preaches from John 17 and Acts 20.
6/7/2020 • 26 minutes, 8 seconds
Three Verbs at the Pool
In a sermon given on the Sunday of the Paralytic, Fr. Pat preaches on this healing told in John 5:1-15.
5/23/2020 • 12 minutes, 22 seconds
Incidental Features in the Story of the Prodigal Son
Rather than discussing the main themes from the story of the Prodigal Son, Fr. Pat examines features of the story not related to its central core, but nonetheless significant.
3/10/2020 • 24 minutes, 21 seconds
The Seams of History
Fr. Pat preaches from 2 Timothy 3:10-15.
2/28/2020 • 33 minutes, 17 seconds
Reflections on Sacrifice
Fr. Pat's homily on the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord and Savior in the Temple.
2/21/2020 • 23 minutes, 2 seconds
The Moral Structure of Reality
Fr. Pat discusses the meaning of moral realism, the radical mercy of God, and Christ and His Cross.
2/17/2020 • 27 minutes
Christ and the Forms of Worship
Fr. Pat's reflections on Luke 17:12-19, the cleansing of the ten lepers.
2/8/2020 • 22 minutes, 38 seconds
Man’s Capacity For Light
On the Sunday after the Theophany, Fr. Pat preaches from Matthew 4:12-17.
2/5/2020 • 27 minutes, 46 seconds
Jesus’ Baptism and Ours
On the feast of Theophany, Fr. Pat looks at the juxtaposition of two texts from Matthew: the baptism of Jesus in Chapter 3, and Jesus’ sending the apostles out to baptize others in Chapter 28.
1/10/2020 • 14 minutes, 37 seconds
The Children of God
In this homily given on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon reflects upon what makes us children of God.
12/30/2019 • 23 minutes, 50 seconds
The Gnostic Impulse
The metaphysics of Gnosticism represents a major threat to the Gospel, and is an enemy of the doctrine of the Incarnation. Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon offers reflections on this.
12/23/2019 • 28 minutes, 57 seconds
Three Psychological Vices
Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon warns us about three things which impede our ability to walk worthy of the vocation with which we have been called.
12/20/2019 • 29 minutes, 11 seconds
The Place, the Process, and the Prayer
Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon preaches from Luke 18:35-43, the story of the blind beggar who receives his sight.
12/12/2019 • 16 minutes, 49 seconds
The Song of Mary
On the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos to the Temple, Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon preaches on Mary's canticle of thanksgiving, found in Luke Chapter 1.
12/2/2019 • 20 minutes, 44 seconds
Whatever Was Written
Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon discusses a Christian reading of the Hebrew Scriptures.
11/21/2019 • 31 minutes, 29 seconds
How Are We to Live?
Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon discusses Paul’s response to the Gentile converts in Galatia being compelled by Jewish Christian teachers to live according to Jewish customs.
11/11/2019 • 29 minutes, 12 seconds
Galatians and the Gospel
Paul’s letter to the Galatians is directly concerned with the meaning and the integrity of the Gospel. Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon offers three points on Paul's words spoken against the loss or distortion of the very essence of the Gospel.
11/6/2019 • 19 minutes, 12 seconds
The Institutions of Witness
Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon discusses three types of witness, with special focus on the witness we call “the faith once delivered to the saints.”
10/28/2019 • 20 minutes, 13 seconds
The Meaning of the City
Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon reflects on the story of the Gadarene demoniac, who, according to Luke, originally was from the city, and having been healed, returned to the city to proclaim how much Jesus had done for him.
10/21/2019 • 23 minutes, 32 seconds
The Texture of the Heart
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus teaches us about hearing the Word of God and and holding it fast in our hearts. Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon offers reflections on this topic.
10/17/2019 • 25 minutes, 38 seconds
Being in the Presence
In 2 Corinthians 6:2 Paul says “…now is the day of salvation.” In order to be “in the now,” or fully present, one must come into the Presence. Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon considers three requirements for this.
10/8/2019 • 27 minutes, 43 seconds
Three Visionary Perspectives
Second Corinthians has been summarized as “strength made perfect through weakness.” Preaching from 2 Corinthians 4:6-15, Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon looks at three examples from the Old Testament of God’s strength being made perfect through the weakness of His servants.
9/30/2019 • 21 minutes, 6 seconds
The Anointing of the Believer
In 2 Corinthians 1:23 Paul says, "He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God.” Father Patrick Henry Reardon provides three ways to describe this anointing.
9/26/2019 • 20 minutes, 7 seconds
Justification: Ongoing, Internal, and Shared
Preaching from Galatians 2:16-20, Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon reflects upon justification through faith.
9/19/2019 • 21 minutes
The King and His Mother
On the Sunday which is both the birthday of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the Sunday before the Feast of the Holy Cross, Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon looks at how these two are connected.
9/10/2019 • 24 minutes, 5 seconds
The Crown of the Year
Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon discusses the meaning of the Ecclesiastical New Year for Christians, its connection with the Feast of Joshua, and the significance of the Biblical texts chosen for this date.
9/4/2019 • 23 minutes, 59 seconds
The Apostolic Model
In 1 Corinthians 4:16, Paul urges the Corinthian Christians to be imitators of him. In what ways should they, and we, do this?
8/29/2019 • 23 minutes, 1 second
Two Views of History
It seems that our society is trying to walk on water without the power of God, and is consequently in the process of drowning in its many confusions. Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon reflects on our adhering to God’s revealed will vs. trying to make history.
8/21/2019 • 30 minutes, 46 seconds
The Discipline of Memory
Last week a former vice-president and now presidential candidate said on the campaign trail, "We choose science over fiction; we choose truth over facts.” Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon reflects upon truth vs. facts, and the role memory plays in this.
8/13/2019 • 32 minutes, 39 seconds
The Cross and the Moral Life
The Apostle Paul instructs us in Romans 15 that we are not to please ourselves, but to please our neighbor for his good, to edify him. Fr. Pat encourages us in this matter.
8/7/2019 • 18 minutes, 2 seconds
The Fragrance Filled the House
Fr. Pat looks at the story of the paralytic in Matthew 9 from three literary perspectives.
7/31/2019 • 24 minutes, 54 seconds
Time and the Knowledge of God
The English word “time” has various meanings. Fr. Pat looks at three of these in regard to our experience and knowledge of God.
7/27/2019 • 26 minutes, 48 seconds
The Torah and the Acropolis
Fr. Pat preaches on Jesus’ teaching from Matthew 5 that we are to be salt and light to the world.
7/23/2019 • 21 minutes, 45 seconds
Wisdom and Folly
Fr. Pat preaches on the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders and the miracle of the cleansing of the leper (Matthew 7:24-8:4).
7/16/2019 • 18 minutes, 18 seconds
The Catholic, Apostolic Church
What sorts of things do we mean when we profess that the Church is catholic and apostolic? Why are these words so important that they are explicitly mentioned in the creed? Fr. Pat explores these questions.
7/12/2019 • 23 minutes, 42 seconds
The Testimony of God Written in Our Hearts
On the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Fr. Pat looks at two questions posed to St. Peter; each question has to do with the identity of the same Person, but the two questions are posed very differently.
7/4/2019 • 9 minutes, 56 seconds
Holiness as Gift, Perfection, and Struggle
On the Sunday of All Saints Fr. Pat looks at three aspects of Christian holiness.
7/2/2019 • 20 minutes, 55 seconds
Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge
Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will be our teacher and instructor; He will lead us into all truth. When we pray Psalm 118:66 we ask the Holy Spirit to teach us goodness, discipline, and knowledge. Fr. Pat looks a these three things.
6/20/2019 • 21 minutes, 54 seconds
The Living Center
Fr. Pat compares the march of the Israelites through the desert, the Church’s march through history, and the Christian's daily walk.
6/13/2019 • 29 minutes, 53 seconds
The Growing Circle of Light
The account of the man born blind serves as a narrative completion of the themes introduced on the night of Pascha. Fr. Pat preaches on the darkness of blindness and the True Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.
6/6/2019 • 29 minutes, 43 seconds
Out of Order
The Samaritan Woman whom Jesus meets at the well has, like many people today, a disordered life. Fr. Pat offers reflections on how this disorder afflicts the soul.
6/4/2019 • 24 minutes, 8 seconds
The Stewardship of the Soul
Discussion of the care of the human soul is of special necessity in the age and atmosphere in which we live. Fr. Pat turns once again to this very important topic.
5/30/2019 • 24 minutes, 40 seconds
The Path to Hell
Fr. Pat examines three failures of the rich man in the story of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16. This homily was first given at All Saints Church several years ago.
5/21/2019 • 12 minutes, 24 seconds
Hope, Faith, Love, and the Pentecostarion
In this homily given on St. Thomas Sunday, 2011, Fr. Pat considers how the revelation of the Holy Trinity takes place through the entire Pentecostarion, and how Pascha is not really complete until Pentecost.
5/9/2019 • 18 minutes, 37 seconds
The Four Directions of the Cross
In four brief meditations given on each of the four Royal Hours on Great and Holy Friday, Fr. Pat reflects upon Ephesians 3:18.
5/2/2019 • 26 minutes, 39 seconds
The Lady at the Foot of the Cross
Fr. Pat captures some dimensions of the place of the mother of Jesus in the passion of Christ.
4/25/2019 • 18 minutes, 53 seconds
Three Aspects of Covenant
Among Biblical concepts, one of the central is the covenant. Indeed, covenant is at the absolute center and root of the identity of the people of God. In today’s homily, Fr. Pat considers three aspects of covenant.
4/16/2019 • 22 minutes, 57 seconds
The Testing of Faith
There are times in our lives when we make our own the petition of the father in Mark 9: “Help my unbelief.” But faith is increased only by being tested. Fr. Pat offers reflections on this.
4/9/2019 • 22 minutes, 16 seconds
Faith and the Soul
On the Sunday of the Holy Cross, when Jesus asks us “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Fr. Pat shares reflections on faith and its relationship to the soul.
4/5/2019 • 21 minutes, 44 seconds
Sin and the Sin Offering
On the second Sunday of Lent Fr. Pat looks at our Lord’s passion, the power of His blood, and the authority of the Church.
3/26/2019 • 28 minutes, 10 seconds
An Achievement and a Challenge
What exactly is the Sunday of Orthodoxy? Is it recognition of an achievement, or is it more than that? Fr. Pat explores the meaning of icons and the Triumph of Orthodoxy. This homily was preached in 2008.
3/21/2019 • 19 minutes, 8 seconds
The Works of Lent
Fr. Pat considers three aspects of the works that are traditionally associated with the Great Fast: prayer, fasting, and deeds of mercy.
3/13/2019 • 23 minutes, 49 seconds
Where is the King of the Jews?
On the Sunday of the Last Judgment, Fr. Pat reflects upon the most important question ever posed to the mind of man.
3/5/2019 • 19 minutes, 28 seconds
The Human Inheritance
On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Fr. Pat reflects upon human history, the event of Jesus of Nazareth, and upon the true protagonist of this parable.
2/28/2019 • 28 minutes, 38 seconds
The Education of Timothy
Timothy’s mother and grandmother not only raised him in the faith, but they instructed him in the study of sacred grammar. Fr. Pat suggests three blessings that came to young Timothy through this study, which pertain to all of us, not just those raising children.
2/24/2019 • 21 minutes, 27 seconds
Soldier, Athlete, Tiller of Soil
In 2 Timothy 2:1-10, Paul holds out three models for Timothy’s life which are three metaphors for the life in Christ. Timothy is not free to choose which one he wants; he must follow all three.
2/15/2019 • 29 minutes, 17 seconds
The God of the Prophets
Can God be hurt? Can he be offended? Is God sensitive? Can he be disappointed? Fr. Pat offers reflections on the Parable of Talents and the nature of God.
2/7/2019 • 24 minutes, 44 seconds
Hosea and the Fabric of Prophecy
Fr. Pat offers reflections on the life of Hosea and what his example teaches us about the character of God.
2/1/2019 • 23 minutes, 55 seconds
The Moral Education of Josiah
Fr. Pat looks at three stages and three sources of Josiah's moral instruction.
1/25/2019 • 36 minutes, 33 seconds
In the Service of God
In Ephesians 4:11-13, Paul talks about Christian service. But what does it mean that we serve God? Fr. Pat examines the life of the Prophet Samuel and considers three lessons for us today.
1/19/2019 • 29 minutes, 33 seconds
The Flood, the Exodus, and the Cross
On the Feast of the Theophany, Fr. Pat looks at three figures of baptism.
1/15/2019 • 29 minutes, 6 seconds
Catching Up With Joseph
Fr. Pat looks at the life and character of Joseph the Betrothed: a model of God, and another David.
1/3/2019 • 20 minutes, 23 seconds
The Harp, the Book, and the Bed
On the Sunday before the Nativity, Fr. Pat looks for the Biblical David in two works of Western art: Michelangelo’s David and Rembrandt’s sketch of David in prayer. The works can be seen here: Michelangelo's "David" and here: Rembrandt's "David in Prayer"
12/27/2018 • 23 minutes, 42 seconds
Three Sanctified Ones of the Old Testament
Using 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 as his text, Fr. Pat looks at three qualities of the Thessalonian Church, and finds these qualities exemplified in the lives of three Old Testament saints.
12/18/2018 • 25 minutes
Christian Moral Responsibility
The Christian life is one of effort. Faith in Christ is not something that simply can be attached to a secular lifestyle. In this homily preached in 2008, Fr. Pat reflects upon Ephesians 4:1-6.
12/5/2018 • 19 minutes, 46 seconds
The Hinge of Moral History
Were the new Gentile converts obliged to observe all the mandates of the Torah? As the Apostle Paul contemplated this, he came to the understanding that history not only matures, but had a pivotal point. Fr. Pat preaches from Galatians 3:23-4:5.
11/29/2018 • 23 minutes, 40 seconds
One God, One Hope, One Ark
Preaching on the first seven verses of Ephesians 4, Fr. Pat considers one God, the one hope of our calling, and the Christian lifestyle.
11/21/2018 • 23 minutes, 44 seconds
An Experiment in Ceramics
Fr. Pat reflects upon the treasure of which Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians 4:6-7; what that treasure is, what is needed to take possession of it, and that in which it is contained.
11/15/2018 • 22 minutes, 26 seconds
Divine Grace
Preaching from Ephesians 2:4-10 and Luke 16:19-31 (The Rich Man and Lazarus), Fr. Pat Reardon looks at God’s grace in the world and in the life of the believer.
11/7/2018 • 25 minutes, 31 seconds
He Touches Our Flesh
The sacraments are not just the sign that something is happening, they are the means by which it is happening; they are not just signs of an inner grace, but the effective means by which the grace of justification is imparted. Fr. Pat meditates with us on the thesis that holiness is something physical.
10/31/2018 • 25 minutes, 20 seconds
Seated at the Feet of Jesus, Clothed and in Our Right Mind
The story of the Gadarene Demoniac in Luke 8 provokes three questions which are important for us to ask today.
10/24/2018 • 24 minutes, 21 seconds
A Pure and Upright Heart
Our contemporary culture is accustomed to thinking of the heart as a symbol of spontaneous feelings. That’s about the last thing it means in the Bible. Fr. Pat Reardon reflects on the Parable of the Sower from Luke 8.
10/16/2018 • 22 minutes, 50 seconds
The Final Outcome is Not in Doubt
In the raising of the son of the widow of Nain, a liturgical parallel to the raising of Lazarus, Luke declares Jesus as Lord and Victor not only over death, but over everything.
10/10/2018 • 19 minutes, 5 seconds
Loving One’s Enemies and Forgiving Offenses
The Christian love of one’s enemies is not ultimately rooted in the quest for inner peace. It is rooted in the life we have in Christ. Fr. Pat preaches from Luke 6:31-36.
10/2/2018 • 19 minutes, 5 seconds
The Concealed Presence of a New Reality
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the angelic announcement of a conception is a special sign of some new resolve of God; a resolve of God to alter the course of history. Fr. Pat's reflections given on the Feast of the Conception of the Forerunner and Baptist John.
9/25/2018 • 26 minutes, 8 seconds
The Spirit of Deceit
Deception is a major phenomenon of our own times. There have always been deceivers. But deception has become a far more integral part of modern life. Fr. Pat discusses the psychology and theology of deception, as well as the solution to the problem.
9/20/2018 • 24 minutes, 48 seconds
Bearing the Cross a Good Long Time
In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul teaches us that Jesus Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God. But one cannot say this without having experienced and known the cross. Fr. Pat reflects upon three ways in which we experience the cross in our lives.
9/14/2018 • 14 minutes, 19 seconds
Three Temptations that are Opposed to the Holy Spirit
The Christian must guard against anything antithetical to the Holy Spirit, whom, in 2 Corinthians 1, Paul calls the downpayment and guarantee of salvation. Fr. Pat considers three such things which should be of special concern given the world in which we live.
9/5/2018 • 31 minutes, 23 seconds
The Vigilant Care of the Soul
A certain mindset of vigilance is an essential part of the transmission of the Gospel. We do not simply hand on the Gospel, but we hand on that sense of vigilance and care that is essential to its reception. Fr. Pat Reardon compares Biblical vigilance with that of other traditions.
8/30/2018 • 32 minutes, 11 seconds
Reality and Faith
Fr. Patrick Reardon contemplates the setting, action, and drama of faith.
8/24/2018 • 25 minutes, 18 seconds
The Syntax and the Grammar of the Gospel
Does the world have coherent structure? Does reality make sense? If it does, what is that structure? Father Pat looks at three answers to these questions.
8/16/2018 • 19 minutes, 42 seconds
Act Sensibly
None of us has been given everything, but each of us has been given something, and been given an allotted amount of time in which to do it. In this homily based on the three parables in Matthew 24:36-25:30, Fr. Pat encourages us to be sensible rather than foolish.
8/10/2018 • 17 minutes, 30 seconds
The Fact and the Dogma of Creation
The idea that all things came from God the Father was an idea that fell on the Greco-Roman intellectual world with the force of a bomb. It still does. Fr. Pat preaches from 1 Corinthians 8:6.
8/2/2018 • 29 minutes, 28 seconds
Traction
Preaching from the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, Fr. Pat discusses what is attractive in the Church, what distracts us from Christ, and the importance of resistance if one is to make progress.
7/26/2018 • 27 minutes, 16 seconds
Too Smart for their Britches
Preaching from 1 Corinthians 3:18 through 4:8, Fr. Pat discusses wisdom and knowledge, intellectual self-deception and the wisdom of God.
7/19/2018 • 21 minutes, 52 seconds
Practical Rules for How to Live the Life in Christ
Fr. Pat expounds upon Paul’s exhortations in Romans 12:6-14.
7/12/2018 • 24 minutes, 25 seconds
Members to Each Other
In Romans 12, Paul reminds us that we are all members of one body. Fr. Pat offers reflections on how we are to live with respect to one another.
7/7/2018 • 23 minutes
It’s Time Already To Wake From Sleep
Preaching from Romans 13, Fr. Pat looks at what Paul has to say about the political, social, and economic life of the Christian in the world.
6/28/2018 • 24 minutes, 56 seconds
The Gift and Task of Hope
In the opening verses of Romans 5, Paul says we "rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Fr. Pat examines the characteristics of Christian hope.
6/23/2018 • 17 minutes, 36 seconds
What is it Like to Be a Human Being?
Paul's explanation of what it means to be a human being as expounded in the Book of Romans should be the key to everything we do.
6/15/2018 • 22 minutes, 16 seconds
Vignettes from Luke
Using stories found only in Luke, Fr. Pat looks at features quite prominent to this Gospel. (From October 18, 2015, the Feast of St. Luke)
6/8/2018 • 24 minutes, 3 seconds
The Mission of the Holy Spirit
In this homily from Pentecost Sunday, Fr. Pat reflects with us on three points about the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in our lives.
5/31/2018 • 23 minutes, 51 seconds
The Church’s First Retreat
Fr. Pat examines the ten days between Christ's ascension and Pentecost, when the disciples were gathered in the Upper Room.
5/25/2018 • 27 minutes, 9 seconds
What’s the Solution to Blindness?
It is imperative always to follow the light—never the darkness. The light is given to us in Christ our Lord and conveyed through the teaching of the Church.
5/17/2018 • 22 minutes, 21 seconds
The Meeting at the Well
The Gospel is the Word of Truth directed to the conscience of man in the presence of God. Fr. Pat explores this topic in the context of the conversation Jesus has with the Woman at the Well.
5/10/2018 • 24 minutes, 41 seconds
Revelation and Obedience
In this homily given on the Sunday of the Paralytic, Fr. Pat explores three aspects of our obedience to God in response to God’s self-revelation to us.
5/3/2018 • 23 minutes, 25 seconds
The Three-Stranded Cord
The tensile integrity of a three-stranded cord is far greater than the sum of each of the strands within it. In rhetoric and in literature, there’s something about three-ness that suggests strength, stability, and finality. Fr. Pat looks at a very famous tripodic construction from the Bible.
4/27/2018 • 26 minutes, 6 seconds
Thomas and the Crossword Puzzle
In this homily from St. Thomas Sunday, Fr. Pat considers a person with a Stoic personality facing the great puzzle presented in the books of Job and Ecclesiastes.
4/20/2018 • 27 minutes, 25 seconds
The Fertile Fringe
People come in to the Church through various ports of entry. But when they come in, they come in through the Cross. In this meditation given over the course of the four Royal Hours on Great and Holy Friday, Fr. Pat considers with us four people, one from each Gospel, who cross over the border into the sphere of faith through the event of the Cross.
4/12/2018 • 42 minutes, 56 seconds
What Does the Cross Mean to the Believer?
In this homily from Palm Sunday Fr. Pat asks what the Cross means for each believer—what it does mean and what it should mean.
4/4/2018 • 23 minutes, 50 seconds
What Did John NOT Say?
In the prologue to his Gospel, the Apostle John says “And the Word became flesh.” Fr. Pat considers three things, regarding the Word, that John did NOT say.
3/29/2018 • 23 minutes, 16 seconds
Presence of Mind
Fr. Pat talks to us about an important theme from the Epistle to the Hebrews, namely “today”, beginning with the question: “what does it mean for a human being to “be present”?
3/21/2018 • 20 minutes, 23 seconds
Resistance to the Holy Cross
The Cross is the key to unlocking God’s will for us in every stage of our lives. But at every stage, we may find ourselves resistant to the word of the Cross. And just when we imagine we have grasped what it means to be a Christian, we discover, perhaps with shock, that we’ve hardly begun.
3/14/2018 • 23 minutes, 27 seconds
An Icon of Christ
In today’s very short story from Mark 2, we perceive a firm and complex portrait of Christ, who is clearly the central figure in the text—it’s all about what He sees, what He says, what He does.
3/7/2018 • 21 minutes, 24 seconds
The Invisible God Painted His Own Portrait
Fr. Pat considers with us the Icon of the invisible God from three perspectives that Christ Himself gave to us when He declared "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
3/1/2018 • 18 minutes, 34 seconds
The Mystery of Monotheism
Many religions believe there is only one God. But do they worship the same God as us? Fr. Pat looks at Biblical monotheism, what it is, and what it means to our worship.
2/22/2018 • 23 minutes, 19 seconds
The Anthropology of the Last Judgment
What is there about the human being that must be said if we are to take the Last Judgment seriously? Fr. Pat explores this question.
2/15/2018 • 25 minutes, 33 seconds
Birthright and Repentance
Fr. Pat contrasts the Prodigal Son and Esau, and offers thoughts on the mystery of repentance.
2/9/2018 • 28 minutes, 39 seconds
The Proper Way to Pray
St. Luke both begins and ends his Gospel with the people God praying in the Temple. This suggests a priority for the Gospel writer. So too, the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is story about the proper way to pray.
2/2/2018 • 24 minutes, 50 seconds
What is Jesus Worth?
In our society, worth usually has some connection with what is called “market value.” However, worth or value is not ultimately an absolute thing. Worth is always “worth to whom?” Fr. Pat Reardon makes three points concerning this question.
1/26/2018 • 26 minutes, 1 second
The Man of the Hour
John the Baptist is a man caught in the tectonic crisis of the major shift in world history. Fr. Pat considers the three answers Jesus gives to his own question about John: "What went ye out into the wilderness to see?”
1/19/2018 • 26 minutes, 19 seconds
Coming to Terms with the Beyond
An abiding sense of the beyond is utterly native to human experience. Fr. Pat Reardon makes three points about this experience.
1/11/2018 • 22 minutes, 26 seconds
To Cut, To Give, To Establish
In Jesus’ circumcision, God’s own flesh is marked by the sign of the covenant; Jesus' circumcision was the ratification and fulfillment of the prophetic dimension of the rite. Fr. Pat discusses three verbs associated with the Hebrew word Berith (covenant).
1/5/2018 • 22 minutes, 12 seconds
The Humanization of Reality
In the Incarnation, God assumes not only human nature, but also human experience. With respect to this, Fr. Pat Reardon talks about human memory, human speech, and human resolve
12/29/2017 • 29 minutes, 18 seconds
The Banquet
Based on the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14, Fr. Pat reflects upon the freedom presupposed in the invitation, the nature of the banquet itself, and the messengers of the banquet.
12/22/2017 • 21 minutes, 24 seconds
Armed and Ready for Battle
While imprisoned in Caesarea, St. Paul, influenced by the medical expertise of his companion Luke, contemplates the armor of the soldier guarding him.
12/15/2017 • 27 minutes, 48 seconds
Three Features of the Life in Christ
Throughout the book of Ephesians (and elsewhere) the Apostle Paul uses the phrase “in Christ.” Based on Ephesians 5:8-19, Fr. Pat looks at some practical ways to live a life in Christ.
12/8/2017 • 28 minutes, 20 seconds
The Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace
The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is certainly the gift of God. But St. Paul considers a great deal of human effort to be necessary for its maintenance. It does not take care of itself. Fr. Pat fleshes this out.
11/30/2017 • 23 minutes, 33 seconds
The Enmity and the Peace
In Ephesians 2:14-22, St. Paul references the psychological, social, and historical aspects of the faith. Fr. Pat offers reflections on these.
11/25/2017 • 26 minutes, 24 seconds
It’s a Lovely Day in the Neighborhood
"Neighbor" is not a matter of being, but of doing. Fr. Pat reflects on this in today's homily from Luke 10 about the Good Samaritan.
11/17/2017 • 26 minutes, 10 seconds
Abraham’s Lap and the Israel of God
Based on today’s readings from Galatians 6 and Luke 16, Fr. Pat talks about Abraham and his true children.
11/10/2017 • 24 minutes, 49 seconds
What Was He Wearing?
What was Jesus wearing in the manger? When he carried out his ministry? In his Resurrection appearances? How is he clothed today? We reflect on these questions with Fr. Pat.
11/3/2017 • 23 minutes, 6 seconds
Two Men Meeting Christ
Both Galatians 1 and Luke 8 contain stories of men converting to Christ. Fr. Pat examines these two accounts.
10/26/2017 • 27 minutes, 27 seconds
The Parable about Parables
In the parable of the sower and his seed from Luke 8, we learn about parables themselves, and as with all parables, we’re admonished to find ourselves in Jesus’ words.
10/20/2017 • 17 minutes
At the Gate of the City
A look at the journey of the human race as such, the meaning of the incarnation, and the fulfillment of the great promise of Israel’s prophets.
10/13/2017 • 21 minutes, 11 seconds
Generosity, Freedom, and a Problem
There is no easy way to eternal life. We are made to know God, to love God, to serve God, and that is hard. Fr. Pat offers reflections on this via three theses.
10/6/2017 • 25 minutes, 54 seconds
What the Christian Faith Confers on the Human Mind
The radical path taken by Peter, James, and John in Luke 5 to forsake all and follow Christ is a path for us as well. It has has a fundamental effect on our imagination and memory, our approach to knowledge, and our relationship to truth.
9/28/2017 • 20 minutes, 39 seconds
The Word of the Cross: Three Stages
Fr. Pat focuses his attention on that which Saint Paul calls “of primary importance” for us to learn both from the saint’s words and from his life experience.
9/21/2017 • 28 minutes, 1 second
How Should We Describe the Human Condition?
The Cross of Christ addresses the human condition. On the Sunday before the Elevation of the Holy Cross Fr. Pat examines three traits of the human condition.
9/14/2017 • 26 minutes, 43 seconds
Can Any Good Come Out of Nazareth?
Using as a jumping-off point the Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew 21, Fr. Pat asks the same question asked by Nathaniel in John 1.
9/7/2017 • 22 minutes, 14 seconds
Confronted with the Gospel
In Matthew 19, a young man has an encounter with Christ. Fr. Pat looks at three qualities of that encounter.
8/29/2017 • 26 minutes, 3 seconds
Servants, Fellow Servants, Brothers
What sort of life we live is determined by who we think we are. If we are servants of God, that means that not one of us belongs to himself. His time, his energy, his resources, all belong to the King that he serves.
8/24/2017 • 23 minutes, 58 seconds
Getting Down to Business
At the foot of the mount of transfiguration, we find out what we’re made of.
8/16/2017 • 20 minutes, 52 seconds
To Walk Under the Direct Gaze of God
The call placed on every man’s life is to walk under the direct gaze of God. And the joy of heaven consists of gazing upon the transfigured face of Christ, and going from glory to glory, as much as we are able to bear.
8/8/2017 • 30 minutes, 18 seconds
The Living Center
Christ is the Living Center of the Church, and He does not abandon His Church. The big question is whether we will cling to Him, or get distracted by something else.
8/1/2017 • 26 minutes, 44 seconds
Receive Each Other
Fr. Pat examines the three steps that St. Paul takes in Romans to illustrate the theme of "receiving one another as Christ receives us."
7/25/2017 • 19 minutes, 24 seconds
What is of Most Value?
Fr. Pat compares the three parables from Matthew 13:44-53, finding gems in the field, in the market, in the stars, in the sea, and in us.
7/20/2017 • 18 minutes, 14 seconds
A Meditation About Scheduling
We all have schedules and agendas, and we’re mindful of our own and of those with whom we interact. Using stories from the Gospels and Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, Fr. Pat considers with us God's schedules and hidden agenda.
7/13/2017 • 29 minutes, 46 seconds
Three Apostolic Modifiers
Fr. Pat reflects upon the Apostolic Office by means of three adjectives, which, when considered, can greatly enrich our understanding of the apostles, and can deepen our own relationship with Christ.
7/6/2017 • 29 minutes, 32 seconds
Abraham our Father
The opening verses of Romans 5 are not about moral improvement; they are about God’s dealings in our lives: as God did with Abraham, He tests us that we might have patience toward Him who "makes all things work together unto good."
6/29/2017 • 25 minutes, 6 seconds
Jesus Calls the First Students
Being a disciple, a student of Christ, is very serious business. Fr. Pat discusses what it means to have Christ as a teacher.
6/22/2017 • 26 minutes, 42 seconds
The Passage of Time, the Circumstances of Life
Fr. Pat provides brief reflections on three parables from Matthew 24:36-26:2; the Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servants, the Parable of the Ten Virgins, and the Parable of the Talents.
6/15/2017 • 8 minutes, 26 seconds
Vital Instincts
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the grace of God comes into the soul and transforms it. Fr. Pat gives three major examples of the Holy Spirit’s transformation of our instinctual human capacities.
6/8/2017 • 31 minutes, 21 seconds
The Survival of the Soul
Building on his homily from last week, Fr. Pat discusses an example of the authority of darkness, and encourages us with reminders of both Christ’s prayer for us, and of our fellowship with each other.
6/1/2017 • 26 minutes, 7 seconds
The Authority of Darkness
In this homily from the Sunday of the Man Born Blind, Fr. Pat considers with us light and darkness, both in this story and in our lives.
5/25/2017 • 20 minutes, 38 seconds
Truth is Not a What
Father Pat looks at the encounter with the Samaritan woman through the lens of Jesus' statement “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
5/19/2017 • 26 minutes, 36 seconds
Spiritual Paralysis
On the Sunday of the Paralytic, Fr. Pat reflects upon a most pernicious kind of paralysis—the spiritual kind.
5/12/2017 • 26 minutes, 39 seconds
This is Not the Divine Peace
In this homily given on Great and Holy Thursday, we meditate with Fr. Pat both on the encounters that Moses, Job, and Isaiah had with God, and on Jesus’ agony in the garden, and the significance of these various events as they pertain to our daily practice.
5/4/2017 • 11 minutes, 52 seconds
Memory, the Church, and Thomas
On St. Thomas Sunday Fr. Pat considers the theological meaning of memory, the quality of the event of the Church, and the challenge of that event.
4/28/2017 • 24 minutes, 6 seconds
This Messes Up All of Our Statistics
In the Holy Communion, there is a change of substance. The bread and the wine have been transformed. We receive into our flesh the risen power of Christ.
4/20/2017 • 10 minutes, 29 seconds
It Fits and Turns the Lock
In this homily from Palm Sunday, Fr. Pat fortifies us on our journey with three points about the Cross: two negative and one positive.
4/13/2017 • 23 minutes, 15 seconds
The Danger is Not an Armed Guard
Mark’s account of the Lord’s questions about baptism and the cup (Mark 10:32-45) are especially poignant for the Christians at Rome, who are thereby instructed about an important dimension of their own participation in the sacraments.
4/6/2017 • 22 minutes, 27 seconds
Living in the Bottom Half of the Painting
In Mark 9, just after the Transfiguration, Jesus addresses the faith of the crowds surrounding the disciples as well as that of a man whose son He then heals. As we look toward the last weeks of Lent, Fr. Pat helps us think about our own faith.
3/31/2017 • 20 minutes, 47 seconds
Checking the Odometer
To follow Christ is first to be understood in a literal and existential way. It is not a diminishing of observance, it’s the augmentation of observance. We profess our allegiance to Christ, and our commitment to His Lordship.
3/23/2017 • 21 minutes, 50 seconds
Who and What
In the encounter in Mark 2, the paralytic encounters the One in whom the presence and power of God is revealed; the One from Whom no secrets are hid, Who pardons all our iniquities and heals all our diseases.
3/16/2017 • 17 minutes, 24 seconds
The God of Cash Value
Is the god we’re worshipping actually the God of the Bible? Or are we worshiping the benevolent, optimistic, political, social, economic god of contemporary American culture? Because the worship of a false god is worse than the worship of no god.
3/9/2017 • 26 minutes, 31 seconds
A Parable of Anthropology
Will we be judged by history? Is a thing wrong because those who are in power say it’s wrong? Fr. Pat looks at Jesus’ words about the Last Judgment from Matthew 25.
3/3/2017 • 19 minutes, 44 seconds
Moral Failure and the Conscience
What does Biblical repentance look like? Is it saying, "I made a mistake" or "I take full responsibility"? Is it looking at one's moral failure and being disgusted? Fr. Pat gives us a third response, as exemplified by the Prodigal Son.
2/25/2017 • 14 minutes, 56 seconds
We Are Drawn to Him
"The religious impulse is as natural to human beings as the intake of oxygen." In this homily based on the story of the Publican and the Pharisee in Luke 18, Fr. Pat reflects upon the soul's innate attraction to God.
2/17/2017 • 21 minutes, 50 seconds
Captivating our Hearts to Christ
Father Pat looks at what we can learn about prayer from the story of the Syrophoenician woman found in Matthew 15. This is part one of a two-part series.
2/10/2017 • 22 minutes, 27 seconds
An Exercise in Sculpture
When a sculptor works, he hammers and chisels to reveal the image that is already in the stone, but hidden. This is what God did in the life of Timothy, and what He does in our lives today, in order to reveal the image of God in us.
2/3/2017 • 18 minutes, 24 seconds
The Pain and Hope of Personal Crucifixion
Fr. Pat preaches on putting to death our passions, as St. Paul admonishes us to do in Colossians 3:4-11.
1/27/2017 • 21 minutes, 43 seconds
When God Erases
By considering the ancestors of Jesus found in Matthew 1, we can discern qualities of the Divine Initiative in our lives. Fr. Pat looks at three of these.
1/19/2017 • 21 minutes, 45 seconds
A Prophet, a Scholar and a Prime Minister
Three Second-Temple Prophets who were among those who prepared the world for the coming of the Messiah have much to teach us about how to keep the Lord uppermost in our hearts and lives.
1/13/2017 • 21 minutes, 10 seconds
To Put On Christ
To put on Christ necessarily involves a great deal of studious application; indeed, we are obliged to study Him. Fr. Pat looks at the account of the healing of the crippled woman in Luke 13 and gives us three ways we can endeavor to look like Christ.
1/6/2017 • 21 minutes, 41 seconds
The Gospel and the Christian Moral Life
The Christian lives an upright moral life not because of conformity with some commandment, and not by way of modeling himself on some external model, but because he does not want to depart from Christ.
1/2/2017 • 17 minutes, 51 seconds
Consecrated to God
Each of us is the servant of the Lord, which means that we do not belong to ourselves. And if we do not belong to ourselves, we certainly do not belong to the world, we belong to God.
12/15/2016 • 21 minutes, 23 seconds
The Three Thieves
We are all familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Fr. Pat looks at persons from this story seldom, if ever, considered: the thieves who set the events in motion.
12/6/2016 • 21 minutes, 22 seconds
The Door, the Shepherd, the Voice
Fr. Pat considers three aspects of what St. Paul calls "the mind of Christ"; three ways in which Christ thought of himself with respect to us.
12/2/2016 • 21 minutes, 10 seconds
Insight Through Experience
By giving Paul so dominant a place in the sacred Canon, the Fathers surely intended us to learn from his example how to examine the circumstances of our lives in order to attain wisdom in Christ.
11/25/2016 • 18 minutes, 12 seconds
Live Close to the Cemetery
Using Luke 8:26-27 as a starting point of his reflections, Fr. Pat encourages us to live our lives with an awareness of death as an important part of our mental composition.
11/18/2016 • 26 minutes, 53 seconds
A Good and Noble Heart
In this homily based upon the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8, Fr. Pat teaches us about the qualities of the heart, its enemies, and our example of one with a patient heart.
11/10/2016 • 19 minutes, 15 seconds
Traffic Jam
In this homily on Luke 7:11-16, Fr. Pat offers reflections on Jesus' raising of the son of the widow of Nain.
11/3/2016 • 19 minutes, 30 seconds
The Holy Ghost Over the Bent World Broods
In this homily based on 2 Corinthians 4:6-15, Fr. Pat reflects upon the glory of Christ in creation, in the Bible, and in our daily cross.
10/27/2016 • 20 minutes, 47 seconds
Don’t Ever Throw the Quadrant Overboard
St. Paul says, "It is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ" (2 Corinthians 1:21). In a certain sense, every verse in the Bible is telling us to stand firm. In this homily Fr. Pat encourages us to do just that.
10/20/2016 • 22 minutes, 7 seconds
The Anger of God and the Cross of Christ
When Holy Scripture speaks of the sacrifice of the cross in connection with God's anger, it is invariably in terms of deliverance; it has nothing to do with placating that anger. Fr. Pat addresses St. Anselm's theory of the Atonement.
10/13/2016 • 18 minutes, 6 seconds
The Meaning of the Cross
In this homily given on the Sunday before the Elevation of the Holy Cross, Fr. Pat looks at what death means to the Christian.
10/7/2016 • 22 minutes, 16 seconds
How to Be Like God
When, in Matthew 18, Jesus instructs us to be merciful as the Heavenly Father is merciful, he is telling us how to partake of the life of God; how to arrive at theosis.
9/28/2016 • 17 minutes, 30 seconds
Have You Ever Misplaced an Elephant
Fr. Pat looks at three moral impediments to faith: chameleon morality, narcissistic morality, and indolent morality.
9/22/2016 • 25 minutes, 4 seconds
Cultivation, Consecration, Navigation
Fr. Pat looks at three images of the Church found in 1 Corinthians 3 and Matthew 14.
9/16/2016 • 23 minutes, 7 seconds
And We Share Her Vocation
On the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Fr. Pat offers reflections about the Mother of Our Lord: her presence in the early church, earliest references to her in the Scriptures, and about the Marian quality of the people of God.
9/8/2016 • 16 minutes, 31 seconds
How are We to Live
If we are justified by faith, if we live in the Holy Spirit, and if Christ is our Lord, then what should our lives be like? Fr. Pat looks at Paul's exhortations to the believers at Rome.
9/1/2016 • 21 minutes, 26 seconds
And Leave the Rest to God
Fr. Pat looks at God’s providence with respect to three things: our sin, the moral order, and our conduct.
8/26/2016 • 23 minutes, 29 seconds
God Brings Good Out of Evil
In Romans 8 Paul asserts that God causes all things to work for good to those who love him. Fr. Pat examines this thesis in regards to general history, in the lives of individuals, and in the life of Christ, the supreme example of this.
8/18/2016 • 27 minutes, 1 second
Three Generations of Faith
Father Pat compares the characteristics of faith in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the events in their lives which shaped that faith.
8/11/2016 • 21 minutes, 48 seconds
Purity of Heart
In this homily based upon Matthew 6:22-33, Fr. Pat looks at three things necessary for us to have purity of heart.
8/5/2016 • 20 minutes, 49 seconds
A Paradigm For the Christian Calling
The calling of the first four apostles gives us a model of the calling each of us receives from Christ. Fr. Pat looks at three qualities of this calling.
7/28/2016 • 22 minutes, 35 seconds
What Does it Mean to be Holy?
Holiness is not about an ideal to be striven for; it’s about a conformity to God’s will in the individual vocation of each person. In this homily from the Sunday of All Saints, Fr. Pat considers what it means to be holy.
7/22/2016 • 18 minutes, 9 seconds
To Proclaim, To Parse, and To Pray
In this homily from Pentecost Sunday, Fr. Pat looks at three benefits given by the Holy Spirit to the people of God: proclaiming God as our Father, parsing the Scriptures correctly, and praying.
7/14/2016 • 19 minutes, 33 seconds
Three Wolves
St. Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 that fierce wolves would come to draw men away from the flock. Fr. Pat considers three of these wolves, that challenge us today just as they challenged the early Church.
7/7/2016 • 26 minutes, 8 seconds
Three Aspects of Philosophy
The story of Jesus healing the man born blind in John 9 provides the context for Fr. Pat's reflections on epistemology, anthropology, and history.
7/2/2016 • 26 minutes, 40 seconds
Christ and the Conscience
Because in creation man was modeled on the deliberating mind of God, he has a capacity for conscience. The Samaritan Woman escaped the condemnation of her conscience because she permitted her heart to receive the mercy of God in Christ.
6/24/2016 • 16 minutes, 41 seconds
A Conflict about the Sabbath
In the story of the healing of the paralytic in John 5, we learn about sin from three sources: the paralytic, the opponents of Jesus, and Jesus himself.
6/17/2016 • 19 minutes, 23 seconds
The Memory of the Church
In this homily from the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, Fr. Pat looks at the characteristics of the memory of the Church—that it is reflective and rationally conscious, it is literary and rhetorical, and it is maternal.
6/11/2016 • 22 minutes, 42 seconds
Things that Jump Out
In this homily from the Sunday of St. Thomas, Fr. Pat comments on three things that jump out at him from the Gospel text of John 20:19-31.
6/3/2016 • 21 minutes, 57 seconds
St. Remy, Clovis, and Us
If Christ really is risen from the dead, we have the basis for the renewal of everything. Fr. Pat considers this in his Paschal homily.
5/27/2016 • 8 minutes, 18 seconds
The Covenant
Holy Scripture uses three verbs in relation to the making of a covenant. In this homily from Palm Sunday, Fr. Pat explores these three Hebrew words.
5/20/2016 • 21 minutes, 40 seconds
The Christian Hope
The Christian hope is based on an oath God made to a man from Mesopotamia 4,000 years ago. Fr. Pat looks at the irony of hope, its source, and how we should go about strengthening it.
5/13/2016 • 18 minutes, 52 seconds
Baptism and the Chalice
Baptism and the Chalice represent the sacramental initiation into a new identity founded on union with Christ; thus the two questions Jesus put to the sons of Zebedee are for us today as well.
5/7/2016 • 13 minutes, 29 seconds
The Cross and the Christian Family
Christ died for each of us personally, but he also died for families; and the context of the family is often the locus in our experience of the Cross. Fr. Pat considers three individuals whom Jesus loves as a family: Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.
5/1/2016 • 18 minutes, 15 seconds
Hanging on to Others
Fr. Pat looks at the story from Mark 2 of the paralytic being lowered through the roof.
4/22/2016 • 16 minutes, 20 seconds
The Triumph of Proper Focus
Lent, and particularly the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, is a time to reflect upon our being made in the image of God, our having an affinity to Christ, and our being healed by Him.
4/16/2016 • 15 minutes, 46 seconds
The Abundant Life, Built on a Rock
As Lent begins Fr. Pat considers Jesus' words about the abundant life, about building one's house upon a rock, and about His standing at the door and knocking.
4/3/2016 • 16 minutes, 43 seconds
Gift and Task
Fr. Pat speaks on the Gospel of the Final Judgment, and what it teaches us about Christ.
3/16/2016 • 15 minutes, 32 seconds
Falling Whole-Hog
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we see a Father who has lost a child who bears his image, a son running from himself, and an elder brother who is glad he is not like his younger sibling.
3/4/2016 • 14 minutes, 24 seconds
The Temple, Repeated Prayer, and Authenticity
The parable of the Publican and the Pharisee teaches us much about prayer. Father Pat looks at three things: the meaning of the temple, the issue of repeated prayer, and authenticity when speaking with God.
2/27/2016 • 7 minutes, 2 seconds
Phoenicia, the Woman, and the Children’s Bread
Jesus' encounter with the Syrophoenician woman as recounted by Matthew (chapter 15) has much to teach us when we consider Phoenicia's history, the woman herself, and the meaning of the children's bread.
2/17/2016 • 22 minutes, 56 seconds
Living Between Two Events
The Parable of the Talents is often used as a reminder to be the best you can be. It's really about the structure of history and the Lordship of Jesus.
2/8/2016 • 17 minutes, 11 seconds
Today I Must Abide at Your House
Fr. Pat reflects upon the meaning of these words that Jesus said to Zacchaeus, considering where God abides, what it means, and who is our best model of one who lives with the understanding of these things.
2/5/2016 • 24 minutes, 13 seconds
Jericho: Rumor, Vision, Praise
Fr. Pat reflects upon the healing of the blind man of Jericho as recounted in Luke Chapter 18.
1/26/2016 • 26 minutes, 15 seconds
Stargazers: The Cultivation of a Devout Mind
In this reflection, Fr. Pat considers what we have to learn from those in the Nativity story who look into the sky and ponder the moon and the stars.
12/30/2015 • 19 minutes, 7 seconds
The Divine Fire
Fr. Pat explains the Holy Eucharist as Flaming Coal and Divine Bread.
12/14/2015 • 16 minutes, 45 seconds
Two Types of Souls
On the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, Fr. Pat compares our Lord's Mother with the rich man in Luke 12, today's Gospel reading.
11/23/2015 • 28 minutes, 34 seconds
Inseparable
Fr. Pat reflects upon the inseparability of the message of Christ from the Person of Christ, and how that affects three aspects of our lives: our piety, our forgiveness of others, and our justification.
10/25/2015 • 22 minutes, 46 seconds
A Look at the Cross from Three Directions
In this homily, given on the Sunday after the Elevation of the Holy Cross, Fr. Pat looks at the cross through the eyes of Paul, Peter, and John.
9/15/2015 • 18 minutes, 29 seconds
One Verb and Two Nouns
Fr. Pat discusses three words from the first chapter of 2 Corinthians.
9/11/2015 • 24 minutes, 51 seconds
An Autobiographical Parable
In the parable of the Vineyard and the Vinedressers, Jesus is not giving a moral teaching, as might be expected, but rather is presenting His own story about His relationship to God and to the people of Israel. Fr. Pat discusses this.
9/3/2015 • 23 minutes, 53 seconds
The Essential Thesis of the Christian Faith
1 Corinthians 15 is arguable among the most important passages of the Bible. Fr. Pat examines this passage from today's reading.
8/24/2015 • 27 minutes, 12 seconds
The Call to a Generous Heart
Fr. Pat discusses the parable of the servant and the debt he owed to the king.
8/19/2015 • 16 minutes, 46 seconds
Two Miracles, Three Common Elements
Fr. Pat compares the story of Peter walking on the water with that of the man who brings his son to Jesus.
8/10/2015 • 20 minutes, 14 seconds
Rock Johnson and the Ohio River
Fr. Pat discusses Peter walking on the water.
8/5/2015 • 19 minutes, 49 seconds
The Journey Through the Desert
Fr. Pat explains why the Church emphasizes Christ's multiplication of the loaves and fish.
7/27/2015 • 19 minutes, 30 seconds
The Tent Peg, the Rock, the Bread, the Sword, the Well
St. Paul sees the interpretation of the Old Testament as central to his responsibility in the apostolic ministry. So should we.
7/23/2015 • 20 minutes, 4 seconds
A Christian Tripod
Fr. Pat examines three rules for living that are found in Romans 12.
7/16/2015 • 20 minutes, 16 seconds
The Antimins
On the occasion of All Saints receiving the new Antimins, Fr. Pat explains its functions and use in worship.
7/6/2015 • 24 minutes, 58 seconds
Two Indispensable Channels of the Truth
Part of our communion with God is our connection to the saints; chief among them after the Theotokos are Peter and Paul.
7/1/2015 • 19 minutes, 16 seconds
We Rejoice in Our Sufferings
Fr. Pat reflects on the Epistle to the Romans in light of the recent tragic events in South Carolina.
6/22/2015 • 10 minutes, 24 seconds
Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones
Fr. Pat discusses three points related to the Feast of All Saints.
6/15/2015 • 16 minutes, 40 seconds
The Trinity
Fr. Pat examines the three persons of the Holy Trinity.
6/8/2015 • 23 minutes, 29 seconds
The Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council
Fr. Pat discusses the Council of Nicaea, which gave us the Creed in the year 325.
6/1/2015 • 18 minutes, 30 seconds
Argument, Sight, and Creation
Fr. Pat reflects on the story of the man born blind.
5/26/2015 • 17 minutes, 59 seconds
The Well, the Woman, and the World
Fr. Pat discusses the longest dialogue in the Bible between Jesus and another person.
5/18/2015 • 17 minutes, 29 seconds
The Resurrection of a Seamstress
Fr. Pat discusses three points related to the account of the seamstress who was resurrected in the book of Acts: the fall, the resurrection, and integration.
5/11/2015 • 17 minutes, 6 seconds
The Mission of the Church
Fr. Pat explains what the story of the Myrrh-Bearers can teach us about the mission of the Church.
5/4/2015 • 30 minutes, 1 second
Unbelief, Belief, and Experience
How the Church moved from unbelief to belief is an immense mystery.
4/22/2015 • 18 minutes, 23 seconds
The Enfleshing of God
Fr. Pat reflects on the mystery of the Incarnation.
3/19/2015 • 22 minutes, 58 seconds
Lent: We’re All in the Same Boat
Fr. Pat addresses three aspects of Great Lent.
3/2/2015 • 23 minutes, 39 seconds
The Final Judgment
Fr. Pat shares his homily from the Sunday of the Last Judgment.
2/27/2015 • 20 minutes, 54 seconds
The Prodigal Son
Fr. Pat discusses three ambiguities in the parable of the Prodigal Son.
2/12/2015 • 19 minutes, 37 seconds
Three Men Went Up to the Temple
Fr. Pat comments on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee.
2/3/2015 • 16 minutes, 16 seconds
Giving Thanks
Jesus and the Ten Lepers.
1/28/2015 • 21 minutes, 12 seconds
The Ordinary Christian Life
Fr. Pat examines the lay practice of Orthodoxy through the lens of the final chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
1/19/2015 • 22 minutes, 18 seconds
Three Latin Words
Fr. Pat introduces three Latin words that shed light on the mystery of the Incarnation.
1/7/2015 • 23 minutes, 19 seconds
Three Greek Words
Fr. Pat introduces three Greek words that shed light on the mystery of the Incarnation.
12/29/2014 • 22 minutes, 30 seconds
The Promise, the Process, and the Price
Fr. Pat discusses three periods of biblical history related to the Nativity.
12/23/2014 • 22 minutes, 56 seconds
The First Trimester
Fr. Pat presents three points of reflection related to the first three months of Jesus's life: the Holy Spirit, the Ark of the Covenant, and Mary's departure back to Nazareth.
12/15/2014 • 20 minutes, 2 seconds
The Place of the Human Being In the Cosmos
Fr. Pat presents a series of biblical quotations about kingship and priesthood.
12/8/2014 • 27 minutes, 45 seconds
The Prayer of Those Who Feel Overwhelmed
Fr. Pat examines Psalm 3, a prayer that should be recited anytime a believer feels desperate and inundated.
11/11/2014 • 22 minutes, 25 seconds
What a Parable Really Is
Fr. Pat examines three components of the parable.
10/14/2014 • 22 minutes, 3 seconds
Three Provocative Questions
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?
10/7/2014 • 21 minutes, 14 seconds
Complexity, Grace, and Compassion
Human beings are complex; grace is time insensitive; and we are coworkers with God.
9/29/2014 • 31 minutes, 36 seconds
The Cross and Christian Conduct
Fr. Pat reflects on liberation from darkness, the way of the Cross, and the inner Christ.
9/26/2014 • 27 minutes, 15 seconds
Torah, Abnegation, Humility
Fr. Pat continues his discussion of discipleship.
9/15/2014 • 29 minutes, 35 seconds
Family, Forgiveness, and Flame
Fr. Pat discusses the social structure, the moral imperatives, and the discerning moral light of discipleship.
8/26/2014 • 26 minutes, 30 seconds
Trust, Memory, Similarity
Fr. Pat discusses the meaning of Christian discipleship.
8/18/2014 • 22 minutes, 59 seconds
Jacob, Peter, and God
Fr. Pat compares Peter attempting to walk on water to what Holy Scripture tells us of the Patriarch Jacob.
8/11/2014 • 26 minutes, 11 seconds
In the Midst of a Crowd, Breaking Bread
Fr. Pat discusses the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
8/4/2014 • 19 minutes, 9 seconds
The Reign of Sin in Death
Fr. Pat discusses three approaches to death.
7/22/2014 • 31 minutes, 39 seconds
Peter, Paul, and Antioch
Fr. Pat discusses Sts. Peter and Paul and their relationship to the Orthodox Church.
7/3/2014 • 24 minutes, 24 seconds
Discovering the Soul
Ideally, the discovery of the soul should accompany the discovery of God.
6/16/2014 • 25 minutes, 16 seconds
The Samaritan Woman’s Three Problems
Fr. Pat discusses three problems that the Samaritan woman faces when she comes to the well and meets Jesus.
5/19/2014 • 26 minutes, 54 seconds
A Walking Problem
Fr. Pat discusses three points with respect to the healing of the paralytic.
5/12/2014 • 26 minutes, 50 seconds
Fixation on Christ
Fr. Pat discusses the myrrh-bearing women and what united them.
5/5/2014 • 33 minutes, 26 seconds
Man’s Resistance to the Cross
Fr. Pat discusses the patterns of thought that make man so resistant to the cross.
3/31/2014 • 24 minutes, 8 seconds
The Room, the Roof, the Reconciliation
Fr. Pat discusses the moral order in three stages.
3/22/2014 • 26 minutes
Three Moral Fallacies
Fr. Pat discusses three moral fallacies that corrupt the conscience.
3/17/2014 • 27 minutes, 28 seconds
Final Preparation for Lent
Fr. Pat discusses the history of Great Lent and the practice of fasting.
3/3/2014 • 22 minutes, 47 seconds
Jesus Is Real; Hell Is Real
Fr. Pat argues that the above phrase possesses all of the clarity of the Last Judgment.
2/24/2014 • 27 minutes, 11 seconds
Inheritance, Alienation, and Repentance
Fr. Pat reflects on three points related to the Prodigal Son.
2/17/2014 • 22 minutes, 22 seconds
The Highest Human Activity
Fr. Pat explains that prayer is the highest of all human activities.
2/12/2014 • 24 minutes, 52 seconds
Boundaries
Fr. Pat reflects upon the Feast of the Presentation as a boundary between two seasons. It marks the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of the Lord's Passion.
2/3/2014 • 19 minutes, 6 seconds
Seeing Jesus
Fr. Pat reflects upon two people who wanted to see Jesus but were unable to—and what they did about it.
1/27/2014 • 15 minutes, 44 seconds
Return to Freedom
True freedom is not the ability to choose; it is found through habitual thanksgiving, and it leads to a blessed and transfigured soul.
1/20/2014 • 24 minutes, 43 seconds
The Light of Wisdom
Fr. Pat reflects upon the theme of revelatory light, particularly as Holy Scripture contrasts it with darkness.
1/13/2014 • 23 minutes, 30 seconds
The Creedal Experience
Fr. Pat shares his homily on the Feast of Theophany.
1/6/2014 • 21 minutes, 16 seconds
A Man Is the Measure of All Things
Fr. Pat explores three ways of looking at Protagoras's infamous assertion.
12/31/2013 • 23 minutes, 51 seconds
With the Family at Christmas
Fr. Pat shares his homily from the Sunday of the Genealogy.
12/23/2013 • 23 minutes, 29 seconds
Torah, Tov, and Chavod
Fr. Pat discusses three Old Testament saints that are particularly important in preparation for Christ.
12/16/2013 • 29 minutes, 26 seconds
A Crippled World
Fr. Pat explains that what God's Son did for the crippled woman is what He came to do for all mankind—to raise us up and straighten out our twisted lives.
12/9/2013 • 21 minutes, 17 seconds
God at a Distance
Fr. Pat discusses the parable of the wedding invitations.
12/2/2013 • 18 minutes, 5 seconds
Starting Over
Fr. Pat reminds us that in Christ we start all over.
11/25/2013 • 28 minutes, 18 seconds
He Built Bigger Barns
Fr. Pat discusses the parable of the rich man's barns.
11/19/2013 • 24 minutes, 22 seconds
Corinth Yesterday and Today
Fr. Pat discusses St. Paul's warnings regarding the influence of evil forces in Corinth.
10/28/2013 • 23 minutes, 30 seconds
What Love Must Be
Fr. Pat explains that love must be intelligent, practical and generous, and miraculous.
10/7/2013 • 26 minutes, 32 seconds
Mary at the Foot of the Cross
Fr. Pat shares his homily from the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.
9/16/2013 • 26 minutes, 57 seconds
The Paralytic
Fr. Pat discusses three experiences associated with prayer to Jesus.
8/19/2013 • 24 minutes, 16 seconds
Praying to Jesus
Fr. Pat shares his homily on the centurion and his servant.
7/29/2013 • 22 minutes, 59 seconds
Jesus Calls the Disciples . . . and Us
Fr. Pat examines the story of Christ calling his first disciples under three aspects.
7/22/2013 • 19 minutes, 45 seconds
The Universal Birth Defect
The man born with the blindness that we all share sees differently and looks different.
6/10/2013 • 27 minutes, 35 seconds
Refresh Thou My Thirsty Soul
Fr. Pat reflects on goodness, beauty, and truth in Jesus's encounter with Photini of Samaria.
6/3/2013 • 27 minutes, 44 seconds
The Paralytic Faces the Truth
Fr. Pat shares his homily from the Sunday of the Paralytic.
5/27/2013 • 29 minutes, 57 seconds
Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
Fr. Pat again addresses the "transcendentals," this time explaining how the Incarnation is the manifestation of truth, goodness, and beauty.
5/20/2013 • 32 minutes, 1 second
The Transcendentals
Fr. Pat considers the Gospel message of St. Thomas Sunday through the triple lens of what classical philosophy calls "the transcendentals": the true, the good, and the beautiful.
5/13/2013 • 32 minutes, 38 seconds
Three Requests for Three Gifts
Fr. Pat discusses the three things we ask for in the prayer before the Gospel in Matins that mirror the three gifts of the Holy Spirit as expressed by the Prophet Isaiah.
4/16/2013 • 28 minutes, 4 seconds
Preparing for Pascha
Fr. Pat address some of the themes of Pascha in preparation for this Feast of Feasts.
4/8/2013 • 39 minutes, 54 seconds
The Feast of the Annunciation
Fr. Pat examines the principle of synergy, the assent of Mary, and holiness and personal history as they relate to the Feast of the Annunciation.
4/1/2013 • 20 minutes, 13 seconds
Jesus as Lord
Fr. Pat examines the primitive proclamation and theological premise of the Christian faith: the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
3/11/2013 • 28 minutes, 18 seconds
Open to Me the Gates of Repentance
Fr. Pat offers three reflections on the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee.
3/6/2013 • 23 minutes, 17 seconds
Parable of the Talents
Fr. Pat explains how the Parable of the Talents is really about the Last Judgment.
2/11/2013 • 26 minutes, 24 seconds
The Blind Man
Fr. Pat reflects on Luke's version of the blind man in Jericho.