St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church of Cambridge and Greater Boston

November 21, 2010 -

We all know the story of Jesus’ first visit to the house of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus is invited to the house, Martha is busy doing what a good Middle Eastern hostess would do, she is serving mazza and, more than likely preparing a nice meal for their special guest. Her sister Mary is sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus listening to his words attentively.

November 15, 2010 -

When St. Paul preached on Mars hill introducing Athens to the God they called “unknown” he said, “He is not far from each one of us. In him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:27-28) Thus we swim in a veritable ocean of grace. God is in us and around us everywhere and in everything. How do we miss Him?

November 08, 2010 -

Last Friday, through the invitation of Ann Bezerides (thank you Ann), I had the opportunity to attend an extraordinary conference on Prison Ministry

October 10, 2010 -

Sermon Preached by Fr Antony Hughes on Sunday, October 10, 2010 The Reading is from Luke 7:11-16 At that time, Jesus went to a city called Nain

September 13, 2010 -

The Lord said, “No one has ascended into heaven, but he who has descended from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

September 06, 2010 -

There are two great commandments. Love God and love your neighbor. But we shouldn’t see them as two separate commands. To fulfill one is to fulfill the other. Not to fulfill one is not to fulfill the other. They are one and the same for us who follow Jesus Christ.

August 29, 2010 -

St. John knew who he was. Self-knowledge, say some of the Holy Fathers, is the greatest of all the spiritual gifts. He was the Forerunner, the last prophet of the coming Messiah, that is, of the Old Testament. Most of all he knew who he was not. He was not the Messiah.

July 26, 2010 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Jesus came to his disciples walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee at the fourth watch of the night. They had left him alone in the wilderness at his request and started across the sea in a boat.

June 27, 2010 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

But are we so different? I think not, for we all have to some degree forgotten or lost a conscious connection with the deepest truth about ourselves: the inherent dignity of being made in God’s image.

April 26, 2010 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Many people over the long span of history have been afraid of God. It was not at all clear that God loved his creation and cared for humanity for the large majority of people throughout history.

April 01, 2010 - by David Vermette

In our Gospel reading for the bridegroom matins last night, I noticed that the Evangelist St. John the Theologian says that although Jesus had done so many signs before the people of that generation, they did not believe in him. In this connection the Evangelist quotes the Prophet Isaiah, “He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts, and turn, and so that I should heal them.” St. John Chrysostom comments that this passage should not be taken to mean that God does not will all to be healed, or that he has reserved some for salvation and others for destruction arbitrarily, as some quite mistakenly have taught.

March 21, 2010 - Melissa Nassiff

Today is the fifth Sunday in Lent, the day we commemorate St. Mary Of Egypt. Since we focus on her every year toward the end of Lent, I’m sure most of you are familiar with her story, but to summarize it briefly, Mary’s early life was decidedly un-saintly.

March 08, 2010 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

This is the Sunday of the Adoration of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross, the mid-point of the spiritual journey we call Great Lent and a turning point in our Lenten effort. From this point on we begin to look intently to the Crucifixion of our Lord and embrace its power in our own lives as we continue to make our way to the Empty Tomb. Before this we were getting accustomed to the disciplines of Lent, settling in to a new rhythm of life.

January 31, 2010 -

Sermon preached on Sunday, January 31, 2010 Luke 19:1-10 (15th Sunday of Luke) In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy

December 13, 2009 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The invitations have been sent. The table is set. The dinner is prepared. All that remains is for the guests to arrive. But this is a party for which guests are required to prepare. This is no ordinary event. It is the heavenly and eternal banquet! All that is necessary for our salvation has been accomplished, except one: we must accept or refuse the invitation. The last, necessary element is our decision.

November 23, 2009 -

What does it mean to be "rich towards God"? All human beings are intrinsically "rich towards God" because we are made in His divine image and likeness. The problem is that we have forgotten who we are. Abraham Heschel once wrote, "Man is a messenger who has forgotten the message."

November 09, 2009 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Which miracle do you suppose is the greatest? The greatest work, I propose, happens within. Why else would St. John Climacus say it is a far greater miracle to repent than to raise the dead? Everyone healed by Christ will once again get sick and die. Everyone raised from the dead by Christ will die again. But the soul that is enslaved by the anguish of sin can suffer far longer than the body.

November 01, 2009 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Orthodox Christianity is forever and always about hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The Holy Trinity did not give up on creation in the face of the fall. The Lord Jesus did not give up in the face of the Cross. Nothing can defy the compassion of the Almighty, nothing (in the end) can thwart his purposes, certainly not our paltry little, earth-bound perspectives, our pious, little certainties...and certainly not death.

October 18, 2009 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

We seem to think that the disciples understood what the Lord taught them without a problem. We think we can too. The truth is, although the words are simple, the meaning is far deeper than the words and demand a complete reorientation before they can be understood. Take today's Gospel as a good example.

September 27, 2009 - by Dn. Jeffrey Smith

To be called. To be called to serve, perhaps as a priest. I have often ruminated. How are we called? How do we serve? Am I called to be a priest as many have asked? Am I holding a part of myself back by not responding to this call?

Our Faith