Rain In The Desert

Fr. Apostolos speaks about repentance as healing from the cancer of sin. Sin is that foreign substance in us which, if left untreated, will produce in us spiritual death, and God provides the treatment.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the history and importance of fasting.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the Prodigal Son and the loving father.

Fr. Apostolos shares from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, "We are the temple of the living God."

Fr. Apostolos shares from 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the true worship of God, "This week, as we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord of glory into the Temple, may we be reminded that we come into this holy place not in a state of mere passive observance, but in one of active, noetic worship of the One who alone deserves all glory, honor, and worship: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now until the ages of ages."

Fr. Apostolos talks about the ascetic tradition of the Orthodox faith in light of St. Anthony the Great's feast day.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the exclusive nature of our citizenship in the Heavenly Kingdom. "No one may hold dual citizenship in the Kingdom of God and any other kingdom."

Fr. Apostolos shares the story of the Nativity of Christ, interspersed with Christmas carols.

In view of the national media's drumbeat of fear-mongering, Fr. Apostolos reminds us of angelic salutation "Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy!"

Fr. Apostolos talks about feeding ourselves spiritually, not only physically."Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."

Fr. Apostolos talks about the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, and the difference between being AT church, IN church, and THE church.

From Ephesians and other passages from the New Testament, Fr. Apostolos shares about our union in Christ, "Regardless of all the nonsense and the crazy silly divisions that exist in the world, we are united to Christ and united to one another. May we be the ambassadors and reach out to those around us and pull them into our embrace, so that they also can be united to Christ and His Body."

Fr. Apostolos shares about agape from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.

Fr. Apostolos shares what he says to visiting annual Festival tour groups about the Cathedral space.

Fr. Apostolos shares about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "As we celebrate the Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross, may we commit ourselves every single day and every single hour of every day to living the message of the Gospel and thanking God that He loved us so much that He came."

Fr. Apostolos shares about sexual purity. "We cannot, we dare not, manufacture a false gospel that dismisses chastity and sexual purity because maintaining them is difficult."

Fr. Apostolos encourages us that it is possible to change. May we approach the Feast of the Transfiguration "with a sense of humility and anticipation that we too might be radically changed into that same image from glory to glory."

Fr. Apostolos reminds us that our whole self belongs to Christ.

Fr. Apostolos shares on the Sunday of the Paralytic. "Once healed and loosed from his paralysis, the paralytic took up his mat and started walking. So too must we shake off whatever form of spiritual paralysis has us in its grip and start walking actively, energetically, and intentionally in the Holy Orthodox faith God has given us."