Homily on the Glorification of St. Olga of Alaska
This is a transcription of the sermon given by Archbishop Alexei, Bishop of Sitka and the Diocese of Alaska at the primatial Divine Liturgy for Saint Olga’s glorification on June 20th, 2025 at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, in Kwethluk, Alaska. “Today, the Holy Church in Alaska joins the choirs of heaven, glorifying our beloved matushka. […]
Blessed with Suffering
Make no mistake: it is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, one of the holy Trinity—he who formed the heavens and the earth, it is the hands of the Creator himself—who heals the blind man in the passage we read today. St. John Chrysostom points out: For since [the Jews] had heard that God made […]
Yes, Lord — Scriptures, Church, Christ
The holy scriptures—Christ’s Church—Christ himself: how incredibly fortunate we are! First, the scriptures. John Chrysostom says this: Great is the profit of the holy Scriptures, and all sufficient is the aid which comes from them…for the divine words are a treasury of all manner of medicines. Whether it be needful to quench pride, to lull […]
Tilling the Earth
On this day, for the Church new year, the appointed gospel passage is Christ reading the scriptures in the local synagogue. What does he read? The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives […]
Apply Wine and Oil
I just love the interaction between Christ and the lawyer that we see in Luke 10. Christ asks: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” The lawyer replies: “You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with […]