St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Christian Church Lexington, Ma Podcast

On Sunday, May 4 our Parish Family held our Spring General Assembly.  Fr. Demetri offered his sermon and his report to the faithful at the end of The Divine Liturgy.Some highlights:Paschal Season and the beauty we find at this time of yearSpecial Thank you‘sGreat and Holy Week & PaschaA few ministriesAdult Education

Today is Palm Sunday and we hear in the Gospel Passage  about those who cried out to our Lord, "Hosanna in the Highest...".  We know that yesterday, Lazarus Saturday and today begin Great and Holy Week for us.Yet are we going to make this week Greater than the other 51 weeks of the year?Are we going to make this week "set apart" (that's what αγιος/holy) means.What can you and your household do this week?  Listen...

In the Gospel Passage today we hear how our Lord and Savior was greeted with palm trees and branches.  We too are holding palms today imitating those who cried out to Him.But are the palms blessed?  What do with them at home?Well, listen...

Today we are blessed to have Fr. Nicholas Andruchow who is the Executive Director of the Project Mexico St Innocent Orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico.Fr. Nicholas offers the Main Sermon today and how we are not to forget those in need especially the orphans.Please listen to his words and we pray that you share this message so many can offer their support in all ways!

Today Fr. Demetri offers a visual in the sermon, two ropes that are tied together.  The first rope has to do with our lifespan here on earth, from birth to elementary school, to high school, to college/careers, to retirement.  Yet we know that this life is not forever.What does the other rope have to do with this and what does it mean?Listen...

The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me..."One of the most discouraging aspects of sharing the Gospel is knowing that so many people will reject the message, and yes, even at times reject the messenger…you.At times, we might think that if we could just be a bit more like Jesus then everyone would accept this message because we would minister the way He wants us to minister. We would share the exact words they need to hear to make the decision for Christ.Yet, let me remind you that even Jesus Himself was often “despised and rejected”, and in fact was rejected so much that He was crucified on a Cross! Listen...

On this the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent, we begin the next 20 days of Great Lent.  Yes, 20 days have been completed and 20 days are ahead of us.   What can give us the strength to continue to move forward towards Christ?His Holy Cross!Listen...

St. Gregory of Palamas focused on stillness and finding time to be alone with God.What is our stillness like?  Do we spend quality time with our spouse?  WIth our children.One highlight of this sermon is the following quote:"If the devil can't make you sin, he can make you busy."Listen for more

We are blessed once again to have our Metropolis Youth & Young Adult Director Panos with us this morning. His youth sermon (which begins at the 30 second mark) focuses on the Saint we remember on this 2nd Sunday of Great Lent, St. Gregory of Palamas and a practice that is done at MBC.What is it?LISTEN!

Today we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy remembering the restoration of Holy Images - Iconography.In the sermon Fr Demetri asks an individual to see how many icons he sees in a particular pew?  Want to know the answer and how we are to see each person in this life?Listen…

Today, the day before Great Lent begins is known as Forgiveness Sunday, and in the Gospel Passage today we hear our Lord giving us the lessons we need to learn before we start Great Lent, so we can be "clean" and ready for this beautiful Lenten Journey.What are the lessons?Listen

When you think of treasure, what comes to your mind?  Is it gold? Special artifacts?  Jewels? Pirates?Have you ever thought of Heaven as treasure?Listen...

Today Fr Demetri offers the sermon on the first three Sundays of the Triodion Period, because we were not able to have The Divine Services for two consecutive weeks!What can happen when we allow pride to enter the root of our souls and forget to have the love God in and through us?Listen…

Today we are blessed to have our Metropolis Youth and Young Adults Director Panos Coufos to offer the youth sermon (the first 1min is an intro by Fr Demetri and sound quality is not great)Panos talks about the Gospel passage of the day and the importance of having love especially before we enter Great Lent!Listen…

On February 2nd, 40 days after the Birth of our Lord in the flesh, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple.  But what does that mean for us today?  Is it an event that we remember and celebrate liturgically or is there something that allows us to see where we are in our current relationship with our God?Listen...

Today Feb 2 we celebrate the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, yes 40 days ago was Christmas Day!  What do we see in Icon of the Feast?  Have we really looked at it?  Who is depicted in it?Listen...

Today is the final of three sermons, the first two focused on time and talent, while todays focus is on treasure.As Orthodox Christians we see the worlds as God's gift, as a sacrament of God's presence and means of communion with Him.  We witness to Christ by the way we set our priorities in life.   Same thing can happen with regards to our finances.Do we commit more to the streaming services a month more than you do to our Church?  Do we pay more for apps on our mobile devices that we support the spreading of the Good News?God does not ask us for a contribution, because His Church is not a club in which we pay dues.  He is asking for a total commitment of --- OUR LIFE!Listen...

Today in the Gospel Passage we hear about Zacchaios and what he did to see Christ.  When this happened Christ called him down from the tree (he did this in order to see Jesus) and told him he was going to his home.What is our home like (meaning our soul)?  Is it ready to receive Christ?No???  LISTEN...

Today Fr. Demetri continues the second of three sermons focused on the theme of Stewardship, todays focus is on Talent.  In this sermon we hear a short story about an owner checking up on his work which leads to us making sure we are doing the right thing in this life.How does the topic of talents connect with Vasilopita Cutting?Does God have the first rights of your life?  Does He get the first slice of you... or does He get the crumbs that are left over?LISTEN...

Today we hear the Gospel Passage about 10 lepers who asked Christ to heal them.  We hear Christ say "go and show yourselves to the priests" and while they were walking one noticed that he was healed and returned to thank Him?What about the other nine?  They didn't.Are we like the one who came back to say thank you or like the other nine who didn't???LISTEN...

This is the first of three sermons that will focus on our Stewardship in the life of the Church. Our brief time on earth is God's gift to us.  We are accountable for our stewardship of this precious gift.  Yet what are we doing with it?  Of the 168 hours in every week in which we have been blessed, how much do we REALLY offer back to God?We are all busy, but not all of that busy time is well-spent.  How can we improve the gift of time that God gives us?Listen...

In the youth sermon today Fr offers a reflecting question seeing if we have improved ourselves into the New Year. What were the answers that were given and how does it tie into our Faith?Listen...

On Election Tuesday, many will go and vote at the polls.  Yet we must remember that before we do anything we must do the following:1. Pray - it's ok to make the sign of the Cross over your ballot before filling it out, asking God to guide you through the process.2. Make sure you are aware of what is on the ballot3. Pray after - not that your candidate or for the outcome you want, rather that God's will be done here "on earth as it is in Heaven."4. Pray regardless of the final tally.  We hear in the petitions in our Divine Services "For our country, the president, all those in public service, and for our armed forces everywhere, let us pray to the Lord."  This comes from St. Paul himself as he writes to Timothy - and during those times, the civil leadersWERE PERSECUTING THE CHRISTIANS WHO WERE IN FACT PRAYING FOR THEM -WOW!!!Let that sink in for a moment.

On Election Tuesday many will go to the polls to vote for either candidates or on ballot questions that will affect ones area and possibly change laws.But did you know that as an Orthodox Christian, we vote everyday?No?  Listen How...

Yes it's the fall season and many are already watching or listening to Christmas music.  One character that comes to mind during this time of year is Scrooge.  How he was stingy and only thought of himself, yet we know that after his visit from 4 spirits, he repented and changed his life.This makes us ask ourselves the following question:Are we generous or being stingy in our daily lives?

Today during the Divine Services we hear about a couple in different places being remembered for different things.  At every Divine Liturgy we say in the Creed and remember the husband when we say "...and He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate".  Today we remember the wife, St. Procla.Yes, you read that right, the wife of Pontius Pilate is a Saint of the Church?This makes us ask the question...How do we what to be remembered???Listen...

Today we hear in the Epistle Reading , "you are the temple of the living God" and todays sermon focuses on the topic of Cremation and the view/practice of the Orthodox Church when a member of her falls asleep.Please listen and share with others...

"Clean Your Room" this phrase has been said to every single person at some point as they were growing up (unless they were the 1% that kept it clean).  Did you know that we are to keep other things clean too?What are they?Listen...

It is October, and the senses of the season are in full affect, pumpkin spice flavors, apple cider, leaves changing colors, etc.  In the Gospel Passage for today we hear about the Parable of the Sower and how our Lord goes into detail explaining the seed and each area that it landed/rooted in.Some questions that need to be asked are:What kind of "soil" best represents you right now?What kind of soil would have represented you five years ago?What kind of crop are you going to yield this year?

(Fr. Demetri offers his parish priest report during his sermon)When it is a rainy day out and we are leaving from one place to another, a strong sturdy umbrella is very helpful.   The same thing can be said about our stewardship in the life of the Church.Listen to the sermon to see where you (or your household) fall in line with the two umbrellas shown.For a visual of this sermon and to see what happened/why one umbrella is ripped in various places click here to watch  (fast foward to 2:45:20

In the Epistle Reading today we hear how the church of Corinth was beginning to doubt St. Paul, because they feel he let them down.  We also hear in the Gospel Passage about loving our enemies.How do these Scripture Passages connect?Listen...

In the Gospel Passage today, we hear our Lord mention loving people, and he mentions that we are to love our enemies?HOW???Listen...

In the Gospel passage today we hear about Christ needing to get into a fisherman's boat in order to preach/teach, because the crowd was so large.  Then something amazing happened to those fisherman who caught NOTHING and were packing up and getting ready to go home.What happened?  How does this relate to us today???LISTEN!

Today is the first day of Sunday School classes for the 2024-25 Church year.  Many things will be taught and discussed in these classes, yet ALL of us must remember what we need to on a daily basis.What is it?Listen!

The world defines success with either acquisitions, possessions or financial success.  In the Gospel passage this past Sunday we hear our Lord say "For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"What does it mean to deny ourselves?How do we pick up our cross and follow Him?Listen

Those of the Orthodox Faith know that the Chalice used for the Divine Liturgy is an important vessel.  We would treat it when not used with respect (we would never use it for anything else other than to hold the Holy Eucharist).Did you know that you are a walking Chalice?What does this mean?Listen...

Today, September 1st is the first day of a New Ecclesiastical (Church) Year.  What better way to begin a New Church Year than by bringing someone into the Sacramental Life of the Faith!!!When someone has been previously Baptized the individual may be brought into the Faith through the Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Chrismation.What is Holy Chrismation and what does this mean about being a soldier for Christ?Listen...Want to learn how/when Holy Chrism is made?  Click here to learn more

In the Gospel Passage today we hear the continuation of what happened after the Miracle of the feeding of the 5000 men (not counting the women and children).  The apostles were caught in a storm on the boat and Christ walked on the water to them.What happened miracle happened next?What's the difference between Faith and Fear?What does this passage have to do with our fear and anxieties today?Listen...

Many individuals struggle with understanding the difference between a want and a need.  Many, if not most, all of us struggle with what we want and what we need alongside our daily worries and anxieties.This beautiful Season dedicated to the Mother of God helps us to refocus on what is really needed in our life... CHRIST!Listen... 

An interesting thing can happen when people in a group work against each other... nothing!This happens even in the life of a community, especially in places of worship.What does an orchestra or sporting event have to do with harmony?What does it mean in the life of the Church???Listen...

The sermon originally was to be on the Scripture passages of the day and the season we are about to enter (the 15 days of August) and then like many of you I was excited to watch the Olympics.  What about the event changed the direction of this sermon?Listen...

Today is Palm Sunday, which means we are ready to participate in one of the GREATEST weeks of the year!What can we do to make this week set aside from the other 51 weeks of the year?What does God want from us?Listen...

On Palm Sunday we celebrate our Lord's humble entrance by sitting on the foal of a donkey, while those around him placed palm branches on the ground when we crossed in that direction.  What does this mean for us?Is the prayer on Palm Sunday blessing the palms or us???Listen...

Instead of offering words twice to the faithful, Fr Demetri offers as sermon combining with his Parish Priest Report for the Spring General Assembly.What does he say?Listen...

Many would say that they pray and some may agree that it is effective.  But how many believe that prayer is a powerful way to bring us, individually, and our families closer to God and each other?Listen ...One question to ask yourself "if prayer was a full-time position/job... would I still be employed?"

What is your favorite board game to play?  Monopoly, Sorry, how about Shutes and Ladders?  Well today, the 4th Sunday of Great Lent we celebrate St. John the Ladder who wrote a book about Divine Ascent.Listen...This sermon was inspired by Pres. Alexandra Houck

There are two Crosses we have in our Orthodox Faith.  The first one, is The Holy Cross of our Lord which we celebrate on this the third Sunday of Great Lent.The second one is a spiritual cross, the cross that ....Listen to find out more!

How is your bracket?  No, I'm not talking about the Bball one, I am referring to the sermon from a couple of weeks ago, click here to remember or listenToday we are about 4 people who brought a paralyzed man to Christ. What happened?  What does this have to do with my Lenten Bracket?Listen...

In the life of the Church, she gives us many opportunities to pray.  We pray as a Community during worship and we also give our focus at different services to.  When there is a memorial Service, we remember and pray that that person(s) be give eternal rest.  When a baby(ies) are brought into this world we have a Service for that too.Listen...

At 6pm on Sunday evening, many from around the states and some around the world will be watching with hopes and dreams.  Some will be happy they are in and others will be disappointed.  Did you know that we are also going into a Tournament?  No, not the Basketball one, a much deeper one that has steps for each round!What are they???Listen...

Today's youth sermon begins with some info (about St. Patrick and what happened to him) and focuses on a Journey that all of us will be going on starting tomorrow, which is called "Clean Monday."Where are we going?  Why is it called "Clean Monday"?Listen...