St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church

April 02, 2017 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

James and John desired power. They wanted to sit at the right and left hands of the All-Powerful God, the Imperial Majesty on High, the Divine Potentate, the Inescapable and Invulnerable Judge. Jesus corrects them by asking a question. You may note in reading the Gospels that Jesus is much more into asking questions than he is in giving answers.

March 26, 2017 - by Teva Regule

In our communal celebration, we offer the symbols of our life to God—bread and wine—and they become for us a means of encountering the risen Christ. It is through the agency of the Holy Spirit that they become icons of Christ, making Christ present to us and allowing us to encounter, and in the spirit of St. John Climacus who we remember today, journey and ascend to the Triune God.

March 19, 2017 - by Melissa Nassiff

Even during the life of Christ, people did no work on the Sabbath; that was the day to worship God. But something changed between then and now. And that something is the event shown in the icon we’ll be talking about today, the icon of Pascha. We worship God on Sunday, the first day of the week, because that’s the day Christ rose from the dead.

March 13, 2017 - by Ioana Popa

There are pockets of mysterious Transfiguration happening every day, by us holding a greater vision of kindness, love and compassion for all humanity, as Christ assures us it will be in the Kingdom of God at the end of times. Our complicated times can be seen as very distressing, but what if we could see them as a greater opportunity for us to become saints and to hold that vision of respect and dignity for every human being?

March 06, 2017 - by Andrea Popa

Christ became man, became like us, so that we could enter into relationship with him, so that we, in turn could be children of God, be like God. So that we too could live in grace and in truth.

February 26, 2017 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Concentrate on a Lenten practice that has the power to change your life. Fasting is good, of course, but we become so focused on it that we forget the goal, which is not just to get through Lent not eating the forbidden foods, but to expand our capacity to love God, neighbor and self unconditionally and always.

February 12, 2017 - by Nicholas Livingston

Sermon preached by Seminarian Nicholas Livingston on Sunday, February 12, 2017 at St. Mary Church

February 06, 2017 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The Publican stands on the threshold of mystery. He has arrived at the doorway of repentance. The things that have been carefully hidden inside him have begun to break free and he goes to the Temple to express his sorrow at a life lived poorly.

January 30, 2017 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The Lord did not come to show us how to get to heaven. He revealed that heaven is within us. It always has been. There is no place to 'get to.' Why then did he come? For a variety of reasons.

January 15, 2017 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Reading is one of the great joys of my life as most of you know. I do not usually read for pleasure, but for learning and for personal growth. I read and study to improve as a person and sharpen my skills as a priest. Learning and growing is a sign of life. If we are not growing and learning and changing, then we are not truly alive. As an example, the Orthodox conception of the afterlife is not static and unchanging. God will always be teaching and we will always be learning, is how some have put it.

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