When Good Things Get in the Way of Christ
OrthoAnalytika
Galatians 6:11-18; John 3:13-17 The bronze serpent was given by God for the healing of His people, but when Israel began treating the gift as though it possessed holiness in itself, Hezekiah destroyed it as Nehushtan—a mere piece of bronze. St. Paul confronts a similar temptation in Galatians, warning Christians not to mistake even good and God-given practices for the new life that comes only through union with Christ. This homily considers how Orthodox rituals, customs, cultures, and identities can form us in holiness without becoming substitutes for the One toward whom they are meant to...
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Catechism: The Subtle Work of Prayer
OrthoAnalytika
This is a recording of the class given at Christ the Saviour in Anderson SC on 09/09/2026 Prayer is more than asking God for things; it is one of the primary means He has given us for learning to know Him and becoming capable of doing His will. Like practicing music or learning a vocation, a regular prayer rule gradually trains the intellect, disciplines our instincts and passions, opens the heart to God, and joins us more deeply to the common life of the Church. Through prayer, God does not simply change the circumstances around us—He changes us, so that we can participate more faithfully...
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Homily - Decently and in Order: The Discipline of the Liturgy
OrthoAnalytika
In these excerpts from a teaching liturgy, Fr. Anthony reflects on St. Paul’s command that all things in the Church be done “decently and in order,” showing how liturgical discipline serves communion, healing, and holiness rather than mere conformity. From venerating icons and lighting candles to dressing modestly, singing together, moving during the services, and exchanging the kiss of peace (maybe - we'll see!), the rituals of the Church teach us how to live together as the Body of Christ. Good liturgical order is therefore less like a military parade than an orchestra or a dance:...
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Homily - Don’t Be a Jerk: Learning to Love
OrthoAnalytika
St. Matthew 21:33-42 1 Corinthians 16:13-24 St. Paul commands us to “let all that you do be done with love,” but what does love require when our feelings, impulses, and good intentions cannot be trusted? Fr. Anthony considers Christian love through duty, service, attention, and imitation, arguing that love means keeping our commitments, learning to listen before we act, and surrounding ourselves with people worth imitating. Ultimately, Christian love is not something we manufacture for ourselves, but something the Holy Spirit forms within us until commandment becomes virtue, discipline...
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Homily - Through the Eye of the Needle
OrthoAnalytika
St. Matthew 19:16–26 In the encounter with the rich young man, Christ reveals that the great obstacle to salvation is not simply wealth, but whatever possesses us and keeps us from following Him freely. Drawing on Saint John Chrysostom, Fr. Anthony reflects on the futility of trying to preserve our attachments when Christ is asking us to let them go, and on the trust required to pass through the “eye of the needle.” The Christian life is not a transaction but a continual surrender to Christ, who meets our weakness with His own sacrifice and makes possible what we could never...
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How Christians Love a Divided World
OrthoAnalytika
St. Matthew 18:23-35 I Corinthians 9:2-12 Why is it so easy to divide the world into "us" and "them"? Drawing on today's Gospel and Epistle, Fr. Anthony argues that Christian love does not erase differences but helps each person become who God created them to be. The result is a vision of the Church, work, culture, and forgiveness rooted in freedom rather than coercion. Visit the revised website for a full-text version. Enjoy the show!
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Homily - Reality Has the Last Word
OrthoAnalytika
Why do sincere people so often believe things that simply are not true? This homily examines the Orthodox understanding of prelest, or spiritual delusion, and explains how the ascetical life of the Church gradually heals our perception of reality. In an age of curated news feeds and ideological echo chambers, Christ remains the only Truth in whom faith never collides with reality. Enjoy the show. Matthew 17:14-23 Faith is a wonderful thing—but only if it is faith in the right thing. When I was a boy, I had an idea...[ the sword.] At the time, it made perfect sense to me. I was...
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Homily - Building a Life that Lasts
OrthoAnalytika
Saint Paul reminds us that the Church is God's building, founded on Jesus Christ alone, and that each of us is called to build our lives with materials that will endure. Drawing on St. John Chrysostom's homilies on this reading, this sermon explores how small acts of faithfulness—or neglect—shape the kind of people we are becoming. God's goal is not merely that we obey His commandments, but that, stone by stone, we become His holy temple, a dwelling place for His presence. Enjoy the show! --- Gold or Straw? Building a Life That Lasts I Corinthians 3:9-17 In today's Epistle, Saint Paul...
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Homily - Raised for Sonship
OrthoAnalytika
What if prayer, fasting, confession, and Holy Communion are not assignments from a strict schoolmaster but the ordinary practices of life in our Father's house? Reflecting on Galatians 3:23–4:5, this homily invites us to see the Christian life as a journey from guardianship to sonship, from preparation to fulfillment, and from obedience to loving communion with God. --- Galatians 3:23-4:5 In today's Epistle, Saint Paul says something that has puzzled Christians for centuries. He tells us that "before faith came, we were kept under guard by the Law." Then he says that "the Law was our...
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Homily: From Obedience to Transformation
OrthoAnalytika
The Christian life can seem difficult at first, but Christ does more than command holiness—He heals the heart. Reflecting on St. John Chrysostom's homily on Matthew 5, this sermon shows how the Holy Spirit gradually reshapes our desires so that virtue becomes joyful and love becomes natural. Christ fulfills the Law not only in Himself but also, by His grace, in us. Enjoy the show! --- The Sunday of the Fourth Ecumenical Council Matthew 5:14-19; Titus 3:8-15 In today's Gospel, our Lord says something that must have surprised His listeners. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the...
info_outlineSt. Matthew 18:23-35
I Corinthians 9:2-12
Why is it so easy to divide the world into "us" and "them"? Drawing on today's Gospel and Epistle, Fr. Anthony argues that Christian love does not erase differences but helps each person become who God created them to be. The result is a vision of the Church, work, culture, and forgiveness rooted in freedom rather than coercion. Visit the revised OrthoAnalytika website for a full-text version. Enjoy the show!