The Orthodox Vine

The story of the 10 lepers teaches us about physical and spiritual illness and healing and the power of calling upon the name of Jesus Christ. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-vine/message

Christ changes the nature of water when he was baptized, reclaiming it for our sanctification. In the same way, when we are baptized in Christ, our true identity is reclaimed and our purpose is revealed and we are called to fulfill it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-vine/message

Welcoming a new year let us prepare the way of the Lord and make his path straight within our hearts and lives. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-vine/message

Called to be disciples --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

John 3:16 The love of God and our love for God --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

What do we posses and what possesses us? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the torturers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The power of prayer and fasting --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

There is another reality that we too often forget about or don't allow ourselves to see. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Cultivating an attitude of giving. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The blind men cried out the words we say in every Divine Liturgy. This is the cry of the universe. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The Light of Christ in us --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Obedience and trust demonstrates faith --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Do we desire God or Mammon? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The cost of following Christ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Denying Christ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The Holy Spirit --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The Holy Fathers --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The consequences of spiritual blindness in our world --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The spiritual dangers of laziness. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Living in expectation of the second coming of Jesus Christ by being always prepared for death. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The parable of the Prodigal Son reveals God's unchangeable and unending love and how it attracts us back to Him even though we have spent all our love on something else. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

As we begin the Triodion period, we are reminded of two ways of praying. One that God hears and the another which he doesn't. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

What God expects from us. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Christ desires to come to us. Let us remove the things in our lives that block his path to our hearts. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

You're invited to the Great Banquet. How will you respond? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Sermon on Galatians 5:22 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Sermon on the parable of the Sower. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

God is love. And we are called to be his love in the world. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

A recording of our catechism class discussing the Creed and the old and new Covenant that God made with human beings. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

We often talk about how much God loves us. But how much do we love God and how can we grow that love? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

There are few gospel readings where we hear Christ giving us a stern warning. The reading from Matthew 18:25-35 is one of them. If we are to be true Christians and children of our Father, we must have the compassion and forgiveness of the King in the parable and not be like the wicked servant. The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the torturers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

A sermon on the commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

In this session from our Orthodox Faith and Life catechism class we discuss the Orthodox Icon of the Nativity and reflect on the meaning and universal significance of the Incarnation of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

We all fear something. But fear is not a natural condition of human beings but something that entered into us when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Ultimately, all fear is rooted in the fear of death. In the gospel reading from Matthew 14:23-33, we see how fear leads to doubt and this makes it difficult to keep and increase our faith. But there's a way to overcome both fear and doubt and trust and live in the power of God. At that time, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying "Take heart, it is I; have no fear." And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they entered the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. Sermon on Matthew 14:23-33. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Sermon on the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

A recording from our Orthodox Faith & Life Catechism Seminar --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Love for Christ makes a person truly human. Without knowing Christ and loving him, we remain incomplete beings. This love for Christ is something that must be developed so that faith might also grow. The key to growing in both love and faith is humility. If we do not humble ourselves before God who humbled himself before us, then God will humble us by allowing us to suffer in order that this development of our love and faith might occur. We see this demonstrated in the two blind men in the gospel reading today. It was their suffering which had humbled them and thus increased their love and their faith; a faith so great that they believed with all their heart that Christ could heal their blindness instantaneously. And that is what he did, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." The Gospel reading is from Matthew 9:27 At that time, as Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, "See that no one knows it." But they went away and spread his fame through all that district. As they were going away, behold, a dumb demoniac was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons." And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

A recording of the first lecture from our Orthodox Faith & Life catechism class discussing the unknowable essence of God, how God reveals himself as Holy Trinity, and how we can know God through the participation and experience of his energies. We also discuss the reason why God created the world and his plan for human beings which he never revoked even after the fall of Adam and Eve. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The first class of our Orthodox Faith & Life catechism seminar where Fr. Ninos explains the Orthodox approach to catechism as beyond learning with our minds but, more importantly, cultivating an Orthodox phronema (mindset) so that love for God and the journey of union and life with Christ can occur in accordance to one's struggle in the spiritual life within the arms of the Church. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

We can spend our short lifetime on this Earth worrying about our bodily health only and neglect the health of our souls. The sickness and wounds of the soul that are caused by sin will be eternal, if left untreated. But if we desire it, they can be healed through our repentance and the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as we heard in the gospel reading today. At that time, getting into a boat Jesus crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say 'Rise and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. - Matthew 9:1-8 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Matthew 5:14-19 The Lord said to his disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Sermon on the Sunday gospel reading from Matthew 6:22-33. What is the purpose of our eyes? How do we use them to increase our spiritual vision? How does that affect our daily lives? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Today's Sunday Gospel reading is from Matthew 4:18-23. At that time, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left their boat and their father, and followed him. And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The Sunday of All Saints Gospel reading and sermon. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

Pentecost is the day when true unity between human beings was made possible through The Church and through the Holy Spirit our path to reunion with God was opened. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The Gospel reading and Sermon on John 17:1-13. At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made. "I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

From our bible study discussion on St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6. God's purpose for marriage is hidden in the mystery of Christ's love for the Church. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message

The more we repent the more we receive God's mercy and the greater our capacity to love becomes. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-vine/message