Too Big for Words – Part 7
In this message from our Holy Mysteries sermon series, we reflect on the Holy Mystery of Matrimony. In the Orthodox Tradition, a marriage is a sacred offering—brought into the church for God’s blessing, like Jesus blessing the marriage in Cana of Galilee by performing his first miracle there, turning water into wine.
Too Big for Words – Part 6
In this sixth installment of my sermon series on the Holy Mysteries – the sacraments – he discussed the Mystery of Holy Unction. “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:14)
Much has been written about the Lord’s Prayer and you can find hours and hours of podcast episodes on it. It’s worth taking the time to look these sources up (this lecture by Fr. Thomas Hopko is a great place to start).
St. John Chrysostom said:
The Lord teaches to make our prayer common, in behalf of our brethren also. Because he does not say: “My Father, in Heaven,” but, “Our Father,” offering up his supplications for the body in common, and in no way only looking out for his own good, but looking out in all things for his neighbor’s good. And by this he at once takes away hatred, and quells pride, and casts out envy, and he brings in selfless love – the mother of all good things, and exterminates the inequality of human things…
What St. John is pointing out is that we don’t say, “My Father,” we say, “Our Father.” The Lord’s Prayer is the great equalizer in Christianity. Regardless of our race or cultural heritage, of our station in life, or of any other demographic into which we can be separated, we are all united in calling God: Our Father.
An ancient Christian saying states that “One Christian is no Christian.” Christianity is relational at its core. The word for Church in the New Testament, “ecclesia,” literally means a people called together. This is how the Lord Jesus Christ defines his people: as one Body, united by his grace.
In my journey through life, I don’t walk alone. I walk together with all of my brothers and sisters, untied through Christ as a family of faith, children of Our Father in heaven.
Too Big for Words – Part 5
God calls us to a life of faith and holiness, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that we fail at it quite regualrly. Fortunately, God’s mercy endures forever, and his has given his children a way back to him. Every time we fall, we get back up again with the assurance of God’s forgiveness.
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St. John Chrysostom is arguably the greatest preacher in Christian history. A central theme in his teaching is that Christians must not settle for the bare minimum. Instead, we are called to give God our very best.
In his homilies on the Gospel of John, he said:
“The life of a Christian should be like a flame, burning with love for God and neighbor.”
Consider what we read in John 3 about God’s gift to us. He “loved the world so that He gave His only-begotten Son”—to be born, to preach, and to die on a cross—“so that those who believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.”
If we only do the bare minimum—if our flame burns dimly—we are not giving God enough. That kind of response is unfair, considering all He has done for us. Bare minimum Christianity does not reflect true discipleship. It falls short of honoring the One who gave us everything.
Our faith calls us to grow and to strive for excellence. Christ loved us enough to give His life. We should love enough to leave our comfort zones, especially for those who need our care, compassion, and love.
This is our calling.
We must constantly ask ourselves: “Am I doing enough, or have I become too comfortable?”
God deserves our effort. Christ deserves our excellence.
May each of us become a brightly burning flame—radiating His light and life to the world.
Human beings are innately liturgical creatures, woven with a profound spiritual thread that draws us toward communal worship. We possess a deep-seated yearning within our souls to assemble together for the sacred work of offering prayer and devotion to God with one voice and one heart. This fundamental aspect of our humanity manifests so essentially that when authentic liturgy is absent from our lives, we inevitably seek substitutes to fill this spiritual void. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart.”
Various secular gatherings—rock concerts, political rallies, social protests, and sporting events—all bear the unmistakable hallmarks of liturgical practice. At these events, people congregate in designated spaces for shared purposes and experiences. They unite their voices in songs and chants, perform synchronized physical gestures, and participate in communal rituals that reinforce their collective identity and belonging. The parallels to religious liturgy are striking and reveal our inherent need for sacred community.
This observation isn’t meant to discourage participation in such cultural events. By all means, attend sporting competitions, concerts, and other gatherings that interest you and bring joy to your life. However, it’s crucial to maintain perspective about what these experiences offer. While secular gatherings may indeed celebrate important dimensions of human existence and community, they ultimately provide only a partial reflection of our complete humanity.
There exists only one Liturgy that enables us to participate in the fullness of human life in its most transcendent sense. As Psalm 36:9 beautifully expresses, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” The Divine Liturgy, celebrating our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, connects us directly with the source of all light and life itself. It’s through this sacred Communion that we experience not just an echo of transcendence but genuine participation in the Divine life.
The Divine Liturgy stands apart because it doesn’t merely commemorate human achievement or cultural identity but invites us into relationship with the Creator who fashioned us for communion with Himself. In this sacred assembly, we don’t simply encounter feelings of transcendence but encounter the transcendent One who gives meaning to all other human experiences and gatherings. This liturgical participation fulfills our deepest spiritual longings in ways that even the most meaningful secular gatherings cannot ultimately satisfy.
In the Gospels, Jesus only answers the questions of people who are sincerely asking. To people who come to try to trip him up, people who just want to argue and debate, he doesn’t offer an answer. This is our example for what to do when people want to debate points of faith with us.
Christianity, is not about debating it is about encountering the living Christ and the transformative power of his gospel. And that can only happen with a heart that’s open.
So to those who come to us with questions with an open mind and an open heart. Yes, let’s do our best to offer them a response, or to find somebody who can answer the questions. To those who just want to get into verbal jousting matches, we can save our breath, our time, and our energy.
However, it’s important to remember that even those who seem to be antagonistic may be doing so out of a place of hurt or confusion. Perhaps they’ve had negative experiences with the Church or with people who say they’re Christians, and they’re lashing out as a result. Or maybe they’ve simply never been exposed to a loving and compassionate understanding of the faith. As a result, it’s always be helpful to approach these conversations with empathy and understanding, rather than defensiveness or judgment. We can listen to their concerns, validate their feelings, and offer them a gentle and respectful response.
Of course, there will always be those who are simply looking for a fight. But even in these situations, we can choose to respond with love and grace. This is the most Christ-like response of all. We can pray for them, and we can trust that God will work in their hearts in His own time. In the meantime, we can focus on living out our faith in a way that is both authentic and inviting. By showing others the love of Christ through our words and our deeds, we can draw them closer to Him.
Too Big for Words (4)
In this fourth episode on the Holy Mysteries – the sacraments, we examine the Eastern Orthodox understanding of the Eucharist. In the Orthodox Church, Holy Communion is called “the medicine of immortality and the antidote to death.”
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Many thanks! Prayers & Blessings
In John 3 Jesus says that we need to be “born from above” (“born again”) “of water and Spirit”. In this video, we learn about the Eastern Orthodox Church’s understanding of the birth of the Holy Spirit. We discover that the roots of this belief are found in the earliest days of Christianity.
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Want to learn more about Eastern Orthodoxy? → https://fostrorthodoxy.podia.com
Support my online ministry ➔ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/frajarmus
Many thanks! Prayers & Blessings.
Agape is selfless love – a love that seeks nothing for itself and gives everything for the sake of the other. This is the love of Christ, who gave up his own life so that we may live forever.
True selfless love goes beyond seeking recognition for what we have done or expecting gratitude or repayment in return. It is not a tool to leverage favors in the future, nor is it reserved for those who have earned our affection in the past. Instead, genuine selfless love flows freely, reflecting the boundless and unconditional love of God. It means acting because we recognize a divine opportunity to reflect the love of Jesus Christ – a love that calls us to care for others as He has cared for us.
When we embrace this kind of love, our actions and words become a living testimony of Christ’s love. As we show kindness, extend forgiveness, or offer help to others, we open the door for them to encounter Christ’s presence through us. As 1 John 4:19 reminds us, “We love because He first loved us.” This truth underscores the foundation of our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.
To bear the name of Christ is to carry His love into the world. It is to make visible the invisible God by allowing His love to shine through our deeds, even when no one notices or thanks us. In doing so, we fulfill His command to love others as He has loved us. By being ambassadors of his Christ’s this love, we glorify Him and share the hope of salvation with others.
Eastern Orthodoxy 