St. Mary Orthodox Church

December 01, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The heart of a faithful follower of the Prince of Peace is to bring peace to this world. 'Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.' (Mt. 5:9) The heart of the faithful Christian overflows with peace towards everyone and everything, to all of creation in fact.

November 24, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

I think this is the point of this Gospel reading. The lawyer knew himself in terms of the labels that defined him in the world: a faithful, law-abiding Jew, a lawyer, a rich man, etc. And yet what truly defines us is not our labels and accomplishments, but rather our hearts and souls, that which is deep down inside of us.

November 17, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The Gospel draws us to the overarching and inevitable reality of life: that it will end. At least, that is, life on this earth. We all know this and as we grow older we tend to think more and more about it. I do. Every new ache and pain takes me there. Maybe this is so for you as well. Of course, young people don’t give it much thought because the feeling of invulnerability is part of being young for most. It doesn’t last of course. The Rich Man in the parable learned this the hard way. No one is invulnerable.

November 10, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

That verse has always inspired me and mystified me. I hope that one day I can say that of myself as St. Paul did with confidence, having come to the place where it is true that I have become empty of self as he did and become one with Christ as we are all called to do.

October 21, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

If God is everywhere and fills all things and the kingdom of heaven is within us and around us and among us at all times, then what is there to fear? I fail to see a place in Christianity for terror. And instead of blaming outside forces for our temptations and failures, we must instead look within to discover the true sources of our unease.

October 13, 2019 - by Bishop John

Sermon preached by His Grace Bishop John on Sunday, October 13, 2019.

October 06, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

There is in scripture so much more than meets the eye. A literal interpretation is simply not enough! I believe it is so in the story of the widow of Nain and in every account of Christ pouring himself out for the life of the world, which he did each moment of his life. His was a life of total kenosis, self-emptying, that served to reveal the truth about God and the presence of the kingdom here and now.

September 22, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Detachment is what we see here. It is the beginning of the process of salvation. Letting go of the ties that bind us to this world, its expectations and demands, to its supposed rationality and false belief in the fragmentation of reality, to the continual noise of our busy lives, to the fear of death and the desire for power and security that cloud our perception of reality, and tied to our sinful thoughts and actions as a way to escape the inevitable, to the dead-end path of acquisition and attainment that Jesus so clearly rejected clears a space inside of where the new life of holiness can grow.

September 08, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

There are a number of characteristics that mark Christian spirituality. One of them is this: the Christian path is a first a way of descent. Most other spiritual traditions are about making an ascent. To be sure, St. Paul writes about ascending 'from glory to glory.' But first there must be a descent, for example, from the mind to the heart (in classical Orthodox terms). There are other descents as well.

August 26, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

I don’t think it was because the disciples and the father had no faith at all. In fact, Christ says explicitly that they had very little faith, I think it was because all of them had faith that was insufficient for the task at hand. I do not know if you know this, but there are stages of faith. Faith grows, changes, and matures or it lies stagnant and ineffective.

August 19, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Jesus asks us to let go of our clinging to the things of this world (even the trappings of religion) and instead to embrace the fullness of the Gospel. God is here, he is not far away. He is within us, not somewhere else looking on from a distance.

August 04, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

What about humility, long-suffering, and compassion in the face of this call to aggressiveness? Remember that when Jesus stood before Pilate falsely accused he did not speak a word in his own defense. Think of the Passion-Bearers Sts. Boris and Gleb who took the Lord’s call to non-resistance all the way to martyrdom.

July 14, 2019 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Today we hear more about light and Jesus puts it directly and deliberately. The truth is, we are as he is, the light of the world. The darkness in us is illusion. It does not define us, nor can it, for we are created by God as light and as St. John puts it, 'the darkness cannot overcome it.' While this is a theological and anthropological statement, modern science has, once again, born witness to this truth in part.

June 02, 2019 - by Dn. Jeff Smith

The most obvious is the need for power and control. The Pharisees want to preserve their own security, which is a basic human need. They want to preserve the consistency, the stability, the order and structure of their religion and their faith, all of which Jesus threatens by healing on the Sabbath. By calling Jesus a sinner for breaking the law, they are trying to preserve their sense of structure, which they feel crumbling before Jesus’ healing power. The Pharisees desire to matter.

March 31, 2019 - by Dr. Ioana Popa

Sermon by Dr. Iona Popa at St. Mary Orthodox Church in Cambridge, MA on March 31, 2019

March 24, 2019 - by Teva Regule

Worshipping God is not something we do on our own, but worshipping God includes our neighbor. God and neighbor are connected. Understanding the meaning of this parable from a more moral perspective gives us insight into how we can put our own faith into action.

March 18, 2019 - by Natasha Smith

We have many opportunities for service in our lives that are gifts from The Holy Spirit for spiritual Growth. It doesn’t require getting on a plane. We can serve others right around the corner in Central Square. We can mentor a young person in our community or work with parishioner in need. We can clean the church.  It does require humility and listening to what our Lord wants for us. This lent may I humbly suggest that we become like the Publican and take time for silence and, in humility, notice what is right in front of us, on vacation or not.

March 10, 2019 - by Christina Palis

Through this parable, the Church reminds us of what we have abandoned and lost and beckons us to find the courage to rise up from our exile and separation and to remember our true identity, that we are made in the image and likeness of God. In repentance, humility, and vulnerability, we can return home where God is ready and waiting to receive us with loving forgiveness and a joyful embrace.

March 03, 2019 - by Melissa Nassiff

Both the shepherd and the woman, after finding what they had lost, shared their joy with their friends and neighbors. As Jesus said in today’s gospel about the last judgment, we can share our joy by sharing what we have - feeding the hungry and thirsty, inviting in the stranger, giving clothes to the naked, and visiting the sick and prisoners.

February 24, 2019 - by Dn. Jeff Smith

Like the prodigal son, we can begin with compassion on ourselves. The lost son finds himself dying with the pigs, but he doesn’t die. Instead, he confronts his wretchedness and remembers his true home. He realizes that he has to get up and move.

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