St. Mary Orthodox Church

September 16, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Orthodoxy is not a spectator sport! Today is the Elevation of the Holy Cross. But why today? They think we celebrate the Feast because of St. Helen’s finding the cross. That’s really not true, though if she hadn’t found it, we couldn’t celebrate it, could we?

September 08, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The story of the bronze serpent in the wilderness is an interesting one. The Israelites are grumbling about their time in the wilderness and the Lord gets royally annoyed, so he sends poisonous snakes into the encampment to bite them. They cry out to Moses for help.

September 01, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The Lord’s first sermon was, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, meaning, repent of the belief that the kingdom is not at hand. Jesus reveals the kingdom’s presence already in the world. He, his preaching and his signs make this abundantly clear.

August 25, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

As we begin let me introduce you to an interesting fact from Jungian psychology. When bodies of water appear in dreams or visions they are often recognized as metaphors for the unconscious. Notice that the storm in today’s Gospel happens on the Sea of Galilee and the Savior comes to them walking on the sea.

August 12, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The parables and miracle stories of Jesus are multilayered. We have the event, we have the meaning of the event in context, and then we can move even deeper into psychological and metaphorical meaning. Today’s miracle stories are great examples.

July 21, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Today we read a most beautiful, inspiring and enlightening story in the life of Jesus. It is a story of a meeting between kindred spirits, an awakened soul and the One who awakens all. They meet and recognize each other.

July 14, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Jesus says that we are the light of the world, but that it is possible to hide the light so that no one can see it. The goal of the spiritual life is to remove all the covers, draw back the curtains and raise the shades so that the light can be seen.

June 23, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

Today, we celebrate the giving of the Spirit, the pouring out of the Spirit at a particular time and place for a specific purpose: the energizing and empowerment of the Apostles, the birthday of the Church. In Scripture, there is a word kairos, which means "at the right moment." This was the right moment for this outpouring.

June 16, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus is a dangerous passage. It directs us to consider lofty and mysterious things. It gets us to the heart of the spiritual life which is uncomfortable for us. In this prayer the Lord speaks of intimacy, oneness, communion and identification with God – not just his, but ours.

June 10, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

We come to the subject of blindness and enlightenment. But blindness, as you know, isn't just a physical feat involving our two eyes. There is also an interior blindness that is far more difficult and important to heal. The Gospel of John tends to point us in the direction of esoteric things, inner things. The mystical life, much more than the synoptic Gospels do, and that is why John for the Orthodox tends to be favored.

June 03, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

For many years, through study and practice, I have become convinced that today's Gospel is the key to understanding what the spiritual life is all about. The basics are all here. The essential elements are all here. It is true that the healing is in the practice. Jesus reveals the secrets of the kingdom, not to a scholar, nor to a jew, nor to a man, but to a woman, a Samaritan and an adulteress.

May 26, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

The Gospels do not change, but our perspectives should change as we grow spriitually and psychologically. More and more meaning should become clear. Of course, if we are not commited to the spiritual path, it all seems rather boring. So now that we have gotten to the other side of Pascha, and the light of the Resurrection is shining, we should be able to look at these Gospels with a new eye. Since the Resurrection of Jesus is a cosmic event, affecting all of the universe, we all have been affected by it. Why Cosmic? Because He is the Alpha and the Omega, the One through Whom, in Whom, and for Whom, all things are created!

May 20, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

In the church, we have become trapped in literalism, excessive literalism, worshipping historical events so much that we miss altogether the meaning behind them, or rather the message that they point to. I fear that in this way, the church becomes an idol of truth, rather than a vehicle of truth. Religion must become for us more than a system of beliefs. It must become a pathway to enlightenment and awakening.

April 28, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

We are encouraged to put aside our worldly cares, to rest our weary minds, and enter into a period of spiritual contemplation that has the power to transform us not only for seven days, but for all days.

April 25, 2013 - by Rebecca S.

Dear Dhokhar Tsarnaev, On Average the passenger of a car has 2.83 life changing revelations per car ride. I know what you're thinking, how does this have to do with you? I was thinking about forgiveness.

April 21, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

I have two points to make today and they are about Mary of Egypt. They will lead me to the subject of this last week in our beloved city of Boston. Why did Mary go to the desert the most inhospitable place in the whole world? For one reason: she decided it was time to stop running from her pain, to face it, and be healed.

April 15, 2013 - by Fr. Antony Hughes

What is the point of bringing up the story of the epileptic boy on the Fourth Sunday of Lent? There is one practical reason. It is because our lives are a mess.

April 07, 2013 - by Alexey Orlovsky

The joy of the faithful, transmitted over centuries, the joy of the Resurrection is handed down to us through the Cross. The very bonds of time are shattered by the Cross and the Resurrection. This is but a small foretaste of how we participate in the Kingdom of God.

March 31, 2013 - by Jennifer Nahas

Today we commemorate St. Gregory Palamas, known as the Theologian of Hesychasm - the mystical tradition of experiential prayer in the Orthodox Church.

March 25, 2013 - by Nadia Abuelezam

Sermon preached by Nadia Abuelezam on March 24, 2013 at St. Mary Orthodox Church in Cambridge, MA on the Feast of the Annunciation.

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