Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects on the genealogy of Jesus, and healing work of redemption that comes through Christ.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects on the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus during his baptism and upon His followers as beautiful epiphanies in the world.

Fr. Philip LeMasters calls us to open our lives to the Holy God in humility, following the example of the Publican.

Fr. Philip LeMasters invites us to embrace the courageous humility of the Prodigal Son as we prepare to enter Great Lent.

Fr. Philip LeMasters explains how the Sunday of Orthodoxy calls us to become living icons of the risen Savior.

Fr. Philip LeMasters calls us to offer ourselves to the Christ who offered Himself for the life of the world.

Fr. Philip LeMasters calls us to embrace the Good News of our Savior's resurrection over all the corrupting power of sin.

Fr. Philip LeMasters describes the way in which the Holy Ascension of our Lord provides the way for us to be raised up from the tomb and into heavenly glory.

Fr. Philip LeMasters explains the significance of the sending of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects on the nativity of St. John the Baptist and it's meaning for us today.

Fr. Philip LeMasters addresses the healing of our souls in light of the Saints like Sts. Cosmas and Damian the Holy Unmercenaries.

Fr. Philip LeMasters calls us to live as the reflection of the One who is 'Light of the World.'

Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects on the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.

Fr. Philip LeMasters calls us to take up our cross and walk the way of the cross of Christ.

Fr. Philip LeMasters shares the story of the conception of St. John the Baptist, and how the troubles of our lives provide us with an additional opportunity to walk by faith.

Fr. Philip LeMasters recounts the story of the healing of the widow of Nain, and calls all of us turn to the Lord for the healing of our souls.

Fr. Philip LeMasters addresses the violence in our world today by reflecting on the call to love our neighbor in the story of Lazarus.

Fr. Philip LeMasters calls us to reflect upon the fulfillment of the promises to the descendants of Abraham in Jesus Christ.

Fr. Philip LeMasters recounts the Christmas story that is for all humanity.

Fr. Philip LeMasters explains our connection with the ancestors of Jesus.

Fr. Philip LeMasters asks, "Can physical things, including our bodies, become holy?"

Fr. Philip LeMasters calls us to offer our lives in service of the Kingdom of God.

Fr. Philip LeMasters introduces the significance of the Sunday of Orthodoxy and the restoration of the Holy Icons.

Fr. Philip LeMasters invites us to embrace humility, as did St. Mary of Egypt who became a model of sanctity through the healing of her soul.

Fr. Philip LeMasters explains the impact of the resurrection of Christ through the story of the Samaritan Woman.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects upon the significance of the ascension of Jesus into the fullness of the Kingdom of God.

Fr. Philip LeMasters preaches on the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Fr. Philip LeMasters shares the importance of becoming saints in the Orthodox Church.

Fr. Philip LeMasters preaches on the example of the twelve holy apostles who sacrificed all for the sake of following Jesus.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects on the Feasts of the Transfiguration of our Lord and the Dormition of the Theotokos.

Fr. Philip LeMasters shares a homily based on this Sunday's Epistle and Gospel readings, reminding us to follow St. Paul's humble obedience to the way of Christ.

Fr. Philip LeMasters speaks about our God-given purpose in life on the Feast Day of the Nativity of the Theotokos.

Fr. Philip LeMasters speaks about the importance of the Cross.

Fr. Philip LeMasters shares the story of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain. The Savior has conquered death and shares His great victory with those who respond to Him with humble faith and repentance.

It is sobering how easily we can corrupt any good thing, including faith in Jesus Christ. Some people fall into the delusion of thinking that they love God and neighbor, when in reality they serve only themselves. One symptom of doing so is to narrow down the kind of people who count as our neighbors such that we excuse ourselves from seeing and serving Christ in all who bear His image and likeness. When we do so, we disregard not only them, but our Lord Himself. Our actions then reveal that we do not truly have faith in Him because we are only seeking to justify ourselves.

Christ came to restore sight to the blind beggars of the world. Let us embrace the disciplines and spirit of the Nativity Fast in ways that will help us see that that is precisely who we are. Let us acquire the humility necessary to receive and share the peace that He was born to bring to the world. That is how we must all prepare to welcome Him into our hearts and lives at Christmas.

In today’s gospel lesson, there were people so used to focusing on their daily routines and worldly responsibilities that they had lost the ability to recognize something new and joyful. One owned real estate, another had animals, and a third was married. Even though these are commonplace conditions, they used them to justify their refusal to accept the invitation to the great party. No one forced them to do so; instead, they excused themselves. As a result, the master commanded his servant to “Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.” Because there was still room, the master ordered him to go out even further to “the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”

The Lord’s genealogy in St. Matthew’s gospel traces the Savior’s human ancestry back through many generations to Abraham. The story of the ancestors of Christ, who helped to prepare the way across the centuries for the incarnation of the God-Man, certainly does not read like a Facebook posting. The Old Testament presents them realistically as unlikely members of His family tree.

At Theophany, we celebrate that no dimension of our life or world is intrinsically profane or cut off from sharing in the holiness of God. All things, physical and spiritual, visible and invisible, are called to participate in the divine glory that our Lord has brought to the world, to become even now signs of the coming fullness of God’s Kingdom.

Let us get over our pride and become living epiphanies of the salvation of the One Who was baptized by St. John the Forerunner in the Jordan.

In preparing for Great Lent this year, we must remain on guard against the temptation of self-exaltation in any form.

On this second Sunday of Great Lent, we commemorate St. Gregory Palamas, who defended the experience of monks who, in the stillness of prayer from their hearts, saw the Uncreated Light of God.

Regardless of the particulars of our life circumstances, let us use the challenges posed by the global pandemic as reminders of the folly of making life in this world our false god.

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” The father of the young man in today’s gospel lesson cried out these words with tears in response to the Lord’s statement that “all things are possible to him who believes.” The father in this passage provides a good example of how we should respond to the spiritual challenges posed by our current public health crisis.

Whenever we give our time, resources, or attention to help anyone who is in need in any way, we embrace an opportunity to serve our Savior and participate more fully in His life.

St. Photini’s encounter with the Lord was truly transformative. He did not merely give her ideas about religion. He gave her the “Living Water” of the Holy Spirit which made her a participant in eternal life by grace.

At Pentecost, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit as a sign of the restoration of human persons, both individually and collectively, in the divine image and likeness.

People try to serve two masters because they lack the spiritual clarity to see that the good things of the creation are not God’s equals or rivals, but blessings to be offered back to Him for the salvation of the world.

As odd as it will sound to many in our culture, Christ does not call us to become successful or powerful by earthly standards, including those of our own society. He calls us to shine with holiness such that His glory radiates through us and illumines a world darkened by sin and death. Doing so requires that we do not rest content with being good citizens or moral people, regardless of how those terms are defined.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reminds us that our words reveal the state of our souls.