St. Mary Orthodox Church

January 18, 2026 - by Subdeacon JD Swartz

Love, brothers and sisters, is the Sacrament par excellence – the foundation of every Sacrament encountered within the Church, the basis of the Incarnation of Christ, the very reason for creation’s existence. In this love no nation, no race, no group comes first; in its light no system of control, no political force, no oppression may stand triumphant. And where we would stand in its way, love would seek to envelope and heal us.

January 11, 2026 - by Dn. Jeff Smith

Light in Holy Scripture is always relational—it reveals, it warms, it guides, and it gives life. When Christ appears, darkness is dispelled. This is the light of repentance; it shines light on shame and allows for a reorientation—turning away from what diminishes us, what makes us less, and turning toward the One who offers light and life.

January 04, 2026 - by Dn. James Wilcox

But more to the point, if we are on a quest for origins or an “original meaning” only, we ignore the active work of the Holy Spirit in our Church to help define the essential doctrines that direct us toward our salvation in Jesus Christ. If God is not Triune, then everything the Orthodox Church has understood about our salvation comes undone. But because this indescribable mystery HAS been revealed and announced to the cosmos, as seen at Christ’s baptism in the Jordan, we know that in and through Jesus Christ — who is our starting point— that our salvation is at hand.