Homily on the unforgiving servant. today’s Gospel, our Lord and Saviour recounts the parable of the unforgiving servant. This parable reminds us that, in the Christian life, gratitude to God and to others must become part of our regular practice. We have all been given gifts to use in building Christ’s Kingdom on earth. As I have noted before, this is one of the beauties of our faith: we are all invited to take part in building the Kingdom of God. Let us not be like the unfor

ST. PANTALEIMON ORA PRO NOBIS. When the Lord gracefully dismissed the multitudes that came to hear him at the end of that day, he asked his disciples to board the boat and meet him over the other side of the lake. He then ascended the mountain alone to pray as it was dusk. (Mt14: 22-23) The danger for religious people and faithful alike is that we tend to bombard ourselves with all sorts of ritualism in order for us to have some form of authenticity. Yet, I see many of thes

A reading from the Holy Gospel according the Holy Apostle and Evangelist St Matthew (Mt 14:22-34). “Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. But by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came wal

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the g

7th Sunday after Pentecost Romans 15:1–7; Matthew 9:27–35 In today’s Epistle, Saint Paul notes that we Christians are to be patient with each other. Patience is one of the great virtues which the All-Holy Trinity has taught us. If we look at the history of our salvation, it is evident that throughout the history of the Old Covenant, God was patient with His people. So too, we are called to be patient with others, even if they drive us to distraction with annoyance. If we do t

The Lord who spoke to the crows beyond the shores of Gennesaret then blessed them and then turned to Simon son of Jonah and said: “Let us go into the deep and then you may cast your net into the sea for a catch!” At this Simon said to the Lord: “Rabbi, we have been out all night long exhausting ourselves to get a small catch but we have nothing!” (Lk 5 1:5) – abbreviated. This Vigil, we celebrate the Apostles who are the protectors of our Church and Eparchy, hence, In this Sa

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to the Apostle and Evangelist Saint Matthew (Mt 8:28–9:1). “When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him; they were so exceedingly fierce that no one could pass along that way. And behold, they cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’ Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them; and th

A Roman centurion approaches Jesus and asks that his servant be healed. We too can ask Jesus for His help.

Homily on the third Sunday after Pentecost Romans 5: 1-10; Matthew 6: 22-33. One thing that is certain is that life can be full of challenges. It is easy to be tempted to give into worry and stress. Yet Christ is clear: we are not to worry and are to trust in Him. He tells us in today's Gospel that we are not to worry, for we will be provided for by God. God loves us and will always ensure that we have what we need. Many atheists try and paint God as a monster, yet their view

An Invitation to keep watch over his flock and pray for the edification of his body the Church The Lord walked by the sea of Galilee in which he observed from afar two brothers who were fishermen, Simon who he later named Cephas (Peter) and his younger brother Andrew who were about their trade casting their nets in the sea for the daily catch. He then called out to them: “Follow me” which they perceived were words that moved their hearts to compassion for he added: “I will

ALL HALLOWS – ENERGIZED BY GOD’S GRACE AND FAVOUR Lord our God, thy Church in the world is constantly adorned with the blood of your martyrs as the vesture of purple and fine linen. Hence, through the testimonies of these holy men and women, your Church unites in prayer: let the presence of your compassion flood thy people with grace. May that peace which you promised to bestow reign amongst us as we draw near to thy mysteries; the transcendent encounter of your mercy personi

Holy Gospel according to the Apostle and Evangelist Saint John (Jn 7:37–52; 8:12). On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood up and cried out, saying: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.” This He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Homily on the Seventh Sunday After Pascha Acts 20 16-18, 28-36; John 17: 1-13. One thing that is certain is that in our humanity we are flawed. Yet we have the promise of Christ that if we follow Him, He will lead us along the path to becoming like Him. Many people lament what is happening in the world and even in the Church, but at the end of the day we have Christ’s promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Holy Church (Matthew 16:18). This is why it is im

My soul finds its true rest and sanctuary in the Lord! (Ps 62-5) This Sunday's Gospel is again presented as healing for the blind which at the conclusion of paschal tide, gives us perception of what lives in God lasts. We have many beautiful churches around Melbourne and one admires the architecture and its surroundings, yet it is with a heavy heart when some of these buildings that have been used for worship, have either have been gutted within, or left derelict which of cou

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John (Jn 4: 5-42). "So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, therefore, tired from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, 'Give me a drink.' For his disciples had gone into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, 'How

Lord open our eyes; that we can see you approaching us in the need of others Lord open our ears; that we can hear you call out onto us in the grief of others Lord open our hearts; that we can respond to you in the anguish of others Lord command us to leap from our comforts; that we may aid those who are hopeless There comes a point in the life of a true presbyter and Christian that we begin to question NOT the CHURCH as the divine institution/hospital and mystical body, but

Third Sunday of Pascha (Pasqua): The Myrrh-bearing women Acts 6:1-7; Mark 15:43-16:8. This Sunday we celebrate the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. Today we celebrate the reality of the empty tomb. Today we celebrate the finding of the empty tomb. These women, the closest family and friends to Jesus, came to perform the final act of love—to anoint His body with oils and perfumes (cf. Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1). Yet as they walked into the tomb, what did they see? A young man dre

AMAZING GRACE When the apostles who had previously beheld the risen Lord in the flesh related their testimony to Didimus (the twin) the Apostle Thomas protested: “You can’t convince me of that which you supposedly saw! I must witness the actual wounds in his body, the nail prints on his hands and feet; my finger is to touch those very wounds and further touch the side that was pierced by the lance. This is the only way I truly can authenticate that he is in fact risen as you

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to the Apostle and Evangelist Saint John (Jn 1:1–18): “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God; his name was John. He came a

When he drew near to Jerusalem ascending its mount to fulfil his voluntary suffering for the love of his creation, the people who awaited in the midst of darkness overwhelmed by death’s shadow fashioned palms and branches of various sorts as a sign of great victory thus foretelling thy resurrection. Therefore Father Pantocrator, keep us under the shelter of your wings that we too may follow their example of greeting you thus carrying in our hands palms, branches and foliage n