The World's Premier Online Orthodox Christian Homiletics Resource
by St. Basil the Great from the blog, Lord I Have Cried Unto Thee. Another patristic witness of the sentiment and wisdom behind the words of Abba Xanthios. "A Dog is better than I because he loves and does not judge." So I just recently referred a friend to St. Basil the Great's Hexaemeron - his fourth-century commentary on the six-day creation of the world found in the book of Genesis - and I started re-reading and came across … [Read more...]
UPDATED! With more patristic quotes, thanks to John Sanidopoulos at Mystagogy blog. Mark 13:32 and Matthew 24:36 seem to indicate that not only are all men and angels ignorant of the time of the Second Coming of Christ, but that also Jesus is ignorant of the time of His imminent return. In fact, Jesus says that only the Father knows the day and the hour of the Second Coming of Christ. Therefore, was Jesus indeed ignorant of the day and hour … [Read more...]
by St. Basil the Great “Sound the trumpet at the new moon,” says the Psalmist, “in the notable day of your feast.”2 This injunction is prophetic. The Scripture readings indicate to us more loudly than any trumpet and more distinctly than any musical instrument the Feast that precedes these days. For we have learned from Isaiah the Grace to be gained from the fasts. Isaiah rejected the Jewish way of fasting and showed us what true … [Read more...]
by St. Basil the Great When, indeed, the Holy Spirit saw that the human race was guided only with difficulty toward virtue, and that, because of our inclination toward pleasure, we were neglectful of an upright life, what did He do? The delight of melody He mingled with the doctrines so that by the pleasantness and softness of the sound heard we might receive without perceiving it the benefit of the words, just as wise physicians who, when … [Read more...]
by Eric Simpson From the Huffington Post (!) Common depictions of the Christian doctrine of hell, perhaps borrowing images from classic literature and Dante, portray it as a place of literal fire, where tortured souls repose in anguish, a vision much used by itinerant evangelists and manipulative preachers. A further degradation of this cartoon vision finds human souls not only suffering extreme torture, but prodded by red devils … [Read more...]
by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev This sermon was apparently given at St. Vladimir Seminary sometime in the recent past, and is an excellent homily on why the three are commemorated, and their importance to the Church, students, and the clergy. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! There is much in common among the three hierarchs and great ecumenical teachers whom we commemorate today: Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and … [Read more...]
by Fr. John Behr A lecture delivered by Fr John Behr, Dean of St Vladimir’s Theological Seminary, at the parish of St John Chrysostom Orthodox Church, House Springs, Missouri, September 29, 2007, on the occasion of the 1600th Anniversary of St John’s repose. In his oration of thanks to his teacher, St Gregory the Wonderworker commented: For a mighty and energetic thing is the discourse of man, and subtle with its sophisms, and … [Read more...]
by St. Basil the Great Any part of the Scriptures you like to choose is inspired by God. The Holy Spirit composed the Scriptures so that in them, as in a pharmacy open to all souls, we might each of us be able to find the medicine suited to our own particular illness. Thus, the teaching of the Prophets is one thing, and that of the Historical books is another. And, again, the Law has one meaning, and the advice we read in the Book of … [Read more...]
On this post, we invite and want to encourage comments. I think that few clergy would argue with the instructions given below, but how many will do them or even stand up for them? Note especially the very first injunction, and it's relationship to preaching. Taken from the Metropolis of Denver website. Study, O priest, to make yourself a blameless worker, rightly proclaiming the word of truth. Never stand at the Synaxis having hatred toward … [Read more...]
by St. Basil the Great Our father among the saints Basil the Great (ca. 330 - January 1, 379), was bishop of Caesarea, a leading churchman in the 4th century. The Church considers him a saint and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs, together with Saints Gregory the Theologian (Gregory Nazianzus) and John Chrysostom. Basil, Gregory the Theologian, and Basil's brother Saint Gregory of Nyssa are called the Cappadocian Fathers. The Roman Catholic … [Read more...]
English