Sunday homilies given by Fr. Andrew Summerson & Deacon Timothy Woods at St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church in Whiting, IN. Other audio recordings will be added occasionally.
St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church
As we enter into the Philip's Fast, Father Andrew describes how the many of the hymns sung during this period are an example of ekphrastic poetry.
On the Sunday of the Good Smaritan gospel, Father Andrew talks about what it truly means to be a "Good samaritan" in today's world, where the phrase has become a cliché.
On this Sunday, Father Andrew discusses how skepticism has become the natural posture for many people today, who are invariably questioning and digging deep to unveil the "truth". Unlike the many unreliable narrators in our daily lives, we can always depend on Christ to reveal to us the Truth of his everlasting love.
Father Andrew talks about the process of walking with Christ by unlearning what we thought to be true and doing it according to God's will.
On the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Father Andrew discusses how we are called to undo the falsities we are told or tell ourselves in society and choose to embrace what is real and good in this world.
Guest homilist Father Thomas J. Loya of Annunciation Byzantine Catholic church, discusses how the liturgy of the church gives us the blueprint for life. Just as the Samaritan woman at the well was able to see the world intertwined and connected with Christ, we too must allow God to work through our spiritual eyes and give us the graces to interface with life and the ability to change the world.
On Thomas Sunday, Deacon Tim discusses how just as Christ called the twelve men to be his disciples, we too are called to discipleship, as well as being called to be blessed children of God. All of us will face the challenge of defending our faith at some point and we must be ready to be sent out into the world to proclaim the Gospel.
For Palm Sunday, Fr. Andrew shares how the Holy Spirit gathers us together not in vain, but rather to give our sufferings to Christ and the Cross during Holy Week, so we can be made new in the Resurrection on the third day.
On the 5th Sunday of the Great Fast, Father Andrew compares two stories, that of St. Mary of Egypt and of twentieth-century Greek Catholic priest and martyr, Blessed Emilian Kovch. While both of them had sins and struggles, they both chose to live the Eucharistic life. Are you?
Fr Hilarion Heagy of Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, visited the parish March 22-24 for a weekend of prayer. He brought with him an icon of the Mother of God, Searcher for the Lost, who intercedes for all those who are lost spiritually. The parish has been praying to Mary during Lent this year (2019), to bring back all those who have left the church. Listen to Fr. Hilarion's homily from the Divine Liturgy on 3/24/19.
In this homily, Father Andrew talks about the importance of attending church services, especially Divine Liturgy.
Father Andrew asks the congregation and listeners how are you engaging with your spiritual lives? Are you like Zacchaeus and content with interacting with Jesus from a far? Or are you like Simeon who greets Jesus with open arms when he presented in the temple?
This week, Deacon Timothy Woods discusses how confession is the epic weapon against good and evil and how we must slay our sins away through the mystery of reconciliation.
In this week’s homily podcast, Fr. Andrew talks about how we are to let Christ dwell in our hearts.