November 17, 2024

To be “rich toward God.” What does this mean? Take a moment and reflect on what this means – to be rich toward God. Read more »

November 09, 2024

Nothing is greater than a clean heart, because such a heart becomes the throne of God. And what’s more glorious than the throne of God? Nothing, of course. Regarding those who have a clean heart, God says: ‘I will live with them and walk among them; and I will be God to them and they will be a people to me’ (2 Cor. 6, 16). So who can be happier than these people? What good thing can they possibly lack? Don’t they find all the good things and gifts of the Holy Spirit within their blessed souls. What more do they need? Nothing. In truth, nothing. Because they have the greatest good in their heart: God himself. Read more »

November 04, 2024

Today Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos of Albania turns 95 Years Old. We thank God for the amazing life of this faithful Apostle of Christ. Here are two pieces related to his life taken from two books I published: "Missionaries, Monks and Martyrs: Making Disciples of All Nations" and "Go Forth: Stories of Missions and Resurrection in Albania." Even though these books were written years ago (1994 and 2006), they still capture the spirit and life of this faithful servant of Christ. Read more »

October 27, 2024

PRAYER is Connecting and Communing with God, and today I offer Part 2 in my sermon series on Prayer. In my last sermon, I mentioned how I want to challenge each of us to reflect on 1) how we pray, 2) why we pray, 3) what we pray, and 4) what the ultimate purpose of prayer is. I hope that by the end of this series we will understand prayer better and begin praying in a more serious, disciplined manner. Read more »

October 13, 2024

How many of us pray every day? Seriously. Passionately. Consistently. A psalm I pray every morning is Psalm 63 – O God, my God, Early do I seek You. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh faints for you like in a parched and weary land where there is no water… Your love is better than life itself and my lips will glorify You… I will praise you and be satisfied as with the richest foods. Read more »

September 30, 2024

"Do to others as you would have them do to you. Don't love only those who love you, but love all people. Love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Be merciful as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:31-35 Here are some of the most radical teachings of Jesus Christ, teachings that separate His followers from the ways of the world. The true mark of a disciple of Christ is how we love all people, even our enemies. Read more »

September 22, 2024

“Come Follow Me.” When Jesus said this to the Apostle Peter, what did He mean? What does it mean for one to truly become a follower of Jesus? Our Lord invited Peter and Andrew, James and John to follow Him, to become His disciples. We could even say Christ called them to become His apprentices. Jesus surely called His followers to become Apostles. Yet, each of these terms reflect a different aspect of what it means to follow Jesus. Let’s look at each of these terms. Read more »

September 11, 2024

“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” The call to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” is one of the most radical teaching of Jesus Christ and His Church, and yet, it is a teaching upon which we need to reflect today more than ever. Read more »

September 08, 2024

Today, during this weekend we combine three special, yet quite different, celebrations. First, we remember the birthday of the Virgin Mary. We honor the nativity of the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of God, the most blessed and ever-Virgin Mary who is the Mother of All of Us and the prototype of who we are called to be. Just like we make a big deal about birthdays in our families and with people we know, how much more should we celebrate and rejoice on this birthday of one of the most important figures in all of history of the world, the Birth-Giver of God! Read more »

September 01, 2024

Imagine living in a small town where everyone knows one another. You know someone for 30 years, someone you’ve grown up with. You think of him as a good man, maybe even a special man. He’s kind and loving to all. He’s an encourager who is always building people up. He sees the beauty in everyone he meets. You may think of him as one of the most special people you’ve ever known. He is humble, meek, compassionate, loving, kind, grace-filled. He is a man seeking and living out the truth of God. Read more »

August 25, 2024

We are God’s fellow workers, building a strong foundation upon which the Church, the people of God, can build something that will glorify His Holy Name! Imagine, here on earth, God waits for each one of us to become His co-worker. Are we, together with one another, building a worthy foundation. And will this foundation be strong and solid or will it crumble in times of adversity? Read more »

August 18, 2024

Dissension and division even in the church. Who likes that? What is wrong when we allow dissension and division to enter into the Body of Christ, into His Holy Church? And yet it happens. Read more »

August 15, 2024

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things but one thing is needful and Mary has chosen the better part and this shall not be taken away from her.” Read more »

August 11, 2024

“I credit all I do to God,” stated Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, after breaking her own world record with a new record in the 400 meter hurdles. “He’s given me a gift and a drive… I have a platform and I want to use whatever I have to glorify Him… Whenever I step on the track, I pray “Let me be a vessel of God.” Read more »

August 04, 2024

How many of you have been watching the Olympics this past week? Amazing athletes who have spent most of their lives sacrificing and cultivating their God-given talents, working unbelievably hard to simply make the Olympics, and then to only have three who will win a medal and only one who wins. Read more »

July 07, 2024

In a beautiful passage of St. Paul writing to the Christians in Rome, he says, “We have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function… Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them” (Rom 12:4,6) to serve God’s holy church and to glorify His Name. Read more »

June 30, 2024

How many times do we pray at every Divine Liturgy: “Remembering the most holy, pure blessed Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves, and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.” Read more »

June 23, 2024

Every day when I enter into our Church, the first thing I try to do is go into the altar and make sure the vigil candle is lit. I always want a light burning on the altar table. I fill it with oil and a new wick, so that it stays lit before the tabernacle of Christ, which holds His sacred Body and Blood. Read more »

June 16, 2024

My father passed away a year ago. We are celebrating his one year memorial today in our Church here in Webster, and in two weeks in Lancaster, PA. I think of my father often and thank God every day for blessing me with such an incredible role model in my life. Fr. Alexander Veronis exemplified for me all that he ever preached during his 64 years as a priest. Read more »

June 09, 2024

What do you do when you have great news told you? You share it with others. You want others to enter into the joy that you have. You don’t keep it for yourself but you go out and tell others the Good News. Read more »