On this Sunday of "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," by St. John Climacus, we are called to ever greater heights of union with God by lowering ourselves through humble repentance.

Fr. Philip calls us to a life of repentance like St Mary of Egypt.

On Thomas Sunday, we are reminded that Christ rose victoriously with his wounds and that we too may bring our bodily limitations and challenges into the redeeming light of the risen Christ.

Like the Saints, our path to holiness will be through the daily struggle to be faithful in small ways that few will notice or celebrate.

Fr. Philip calls us to engage in the practices of prayer, fasting and generosity - the basic building blocks of Christian faithfulness.

Fr. Philip calls us to endure suffering in striving for the salvation of our souls as modeled by St. Joseph of Damascus.

Fr. Philip calls us to become vessels of the shocking love of God that is the salvation of the world.

Fr. Philip encourages us to be the light of the world by serving Christ in our immediate circumstances.

Fr. Philip calls us to actively engage in the journey towards the Kingdom of God through the Dormition Fast.

Are you stumbling around in spiritual darkness? Prayer is how we open the darkness of our soul to the brilliant light of Christ, presenting ourselves in faith for His healing.

The dormition of the Theotokos is an icon of our hope for eternal life.

How quickly are we to forgive those who have wronged us in some way?

In the story of Jesus raising to life the son of the widow of Nain, we see the author of life entering into the painful realities of our world. We too are called to extend the compassion of Christ to the world around us as living icons of His great mercy and salvation.

Jesus Christ gives us back our true identities, making us into faithful witnesses of His redeeming work.

Are we coming to Christ with a humble and sincere faith? If so, then we too will experience the gracious mercy which Jesus gives to all who reach out to Him in faith.

Like the Theotokos, we are called to welcome Christ into our own lives and become the Temple of God.

Are you prepared to receive the great blessing of the coming of Christ?

During the coming Lenten season, spiritual disciplines like prayer are intended to help us humble ourselves before the Lord and make us aware how far we are away from God. Pride threatens to weigh us down, while humility lifts us up to God.

Are you prepared to enter the Kingdom of God? If not, the Church calls us to enter through forgiveness into the journey of repentance of Great Lent.

How can we find joy and healing for our souls as image bearers of God?

How do we break free from the paralysis of our own sin and brokenness? The disciplines of Lent are tools given to us to help us move towards our own salvation.

Is the cross a symbol of death or life, victory or defeat? This Lent we are called once again to take up our cross and follow our Savior, setting us free from the fear of death.

The Myrrh-Bearers lived a life of service for the flourishing of the Church, much like the early Deacons, modeling the kind of life that all Christians are called to live.

Along with the paralytic man, Jesus asks us, "Do you want to be healed?" Or have we become so accustomed to our illnesses that we no longer feel the need for healing and transformation?

How do you decided whether you measure up or not? Does shame or blame keep us from opening our souls to the new life offered by our Lord?

Each of us are in need of the healing and illumination of our risen Lord, opening the eyes of our souls to himself.

All disciples of Jesus are called to follow Him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, into a new life of holiness.

Being set free from those things which possess us is just the beginning of the process of salvation.

Jesus called his followers to become the light of the world by becoming holy, united through the healing and transforming grace of the One who is the Light of the World.

We must open the eyes of our souls to the truth of where we stand before Christ. And then, when we know our own inadequacy, it will be possible to offer ourselves truthfully to Him.

Observing the Feast of the Transfiguration means that we enter into our own change into the likeness of Jesus Christ through the many opportunities provided to us by the Church.

Pride is one of the primary hinderances to our life in Christ. Instead, humility accepts the will of God in our lives, like the Theotokos, even if it makes look like fools to the world.

Self-centeredness is an act of idolatry, addressed by giving of ourselves and our desires to meet the needs of others.

Jesus calls all to take up our cross and follow him for our entire life.

What is the point of our lives according to Jesus?

Our favorite sins drive us into the isolation of the wilderness, away from the healing power of Jesus. Once healed, the best witness to the transforming power of Christ is the personal story of those set free.

The woman suffering from a physical ailment that made her ceremonially unclean is an example for us in how to approach Jesus in humility and faith.

When we become distracted by the indulgence of our passions, we will be like the rich fool who was blind to the ultimate purpose of his life before God.

Approaching God's requirements as a simple checklist for eternal life will leave us, like the Rich Young Ruler, outside of the great joy of Christmas.

As we prepare for the coming nativity of Jesus, we need to follow the example of Blind Bartimaeus who opened his life to the Light of Christ in humility.

The point of the Christian life is a participation in the healing of the human person, struggling against the forces of evil in our own souls.

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 calls us to enter the fast of Great Lent in order to find the fulfillment of our deep desires in God!

Fr. Philip LeMasters calls us to live in a life of genuine forgiveness that is empowered by the divine energy of God.

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.