Part 1 of our series on “From Scandal to Saint” tells the powerful story of St Theodora the Penitent. A respected Christian woman falls into adultery, flees in shame, disguises herself as a monk, and embraces a life of tears, prayer, fasting, and hidden obedience. Accused falsely. Banished unjustly. Silent under ridicule. Through deep repentance, God transforms her into a miracle worker whose holiness outlasts every scandal. This talk challenges a culture of ease and comfort, calls us to vigilance against temptation, and shows how grace can turn our deepest failures into healing for others.

From Scandal to Saint - Part 1: St. Theodora the Penitent

This series presents a detailed teaching on the Ten Commandments, emphasizing their significance as a covenant between God and His people rather than merely a set of rules. It begins by explaining that the Commandments were given on two tablets on Mount Horeb in a dramatic and awe-inspiring event, highlighting their divine origin and importance. This sermon stresses that the Commandments came with promises of blessing for obedience, illustrating God’s desire for a relationship based on love and covenant faithfulness.
The Ten Commandments are divided into two groups: the first four address our relationship with God, and the remaining six concern our relationship with others. This division reflects the biblical teaching that the greatest commandments are to love God fully and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. This series explores how these commandments are not just ancient laws but reflect a timeless moral order implanted in human nature, supported by psychological studies showing innate moral awareness in infants.
This sermon also clarifies that different faith traditions number the Ten Commandments differently but agree on their total number and core principles. The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me,” is elaborated upon extensively, revealing it as a call to exclusive worship of God, grounded in the historical fact that God freed the Israelites from slavery. The discussion extends to modern forms of idolatry, such as the worship of money, pleasure, or power, and explains that God’s commandments are not burdensome but protective and life-giving. Reflection on the commandments as a joyful and protective guide in a sinful world.

The Ten Commandments [Part 1]

Tune in for Day 1 of St. Mary’s Revival 2025 as Father Arsanious explores “Love Without Hypocrisy” based on Romans 12:9. This powerful message challenges us to love genuinely, hate evil, and cling to what is good—living as followers of Christ in all areas of life.

Love without Hypocrisy

Tune in to Father David as he reflects on the “Imitation of Christ” during the Fast of the Virgin Mary, challenging us to live out our faith authentically, being Christ-like in our daily interactions and to those around us.

The Imitation Of Christ

This sermon offers a detailed theological examination of the Ten Commandments, with a primary focus on the first three commandments, and an emphasis on the second commandment, which prohibits making carved images or idols for worship. Father explains that this commandment forbids worshiping God through physical idols, a common practice among pagan nations that believed their gods were physical objects. However, the commandment does not ban the use of icons or religious images as reminders of God or the saints. Examples from the Old Testament and church tradition, such as the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant and the bronze serpent made by Moses, illustrate how God commanded the 2nd commandment.
  God is supreme, beyond physical representation, creator of all things, and incomparable to any creature or object. The commandment warns against limiting God by attributing to Him physical likenesses or finite images for worship.
Furthermore, the natural consequences of idolatry often affect subsequent generations, as children learn values and beliefs from their parents, underscoring the importance of godly parenting.
 The name of God is unique and should be treated with reverence and honor

The Ten Commandments [Part 2]

            This sermon presents a detailed study of the themes presented in the book "The Marketing of Evil", particularly relating to social shifts concerning homosexuality, transgenderism, multiculturalism, and their effects on society and the Church. Father analyzes these phenomena through a religious and cultural lens, emphasizing manipulation, societal engineering, and the decline of traditional Christian values.

The Marketing of Evil [Part 2]

A gripping journey from addiction to holy repentance. Fr. Paul tells the story of St. Mary of Egypt and her encounter with a desert monk, her radical conversion at the Feast of the Cross, seventeen years of fierce warfare in the wilderness, and the grace that made her a vessel of light. This is a call to real repentance, tears before God, and a renewed vow to Christ.

From Scandal to Saint - Part 3: St. Mary of Egypt

        This sermon presents a detailed examination of the sexual revolution and its profound impact on American society, tracing its roots back to the controversial research of Alfred Kinsey.

        The shift in societal attitudes toward sexuality—from the conservative values of the 1950s to the liberal and permissive culture of today. It was a deliberate, orchestrated transformation rather than a natural evolution. Central to this transformation is Kinsey’s research, which purportedly normalized behaviors such as masturbation, premarital sex, extramarital affairs, homosexuality, and even pedophilia.
  Kinsey’s work involved deeply flawed, fraudulent, and unethical practices. Despite the discreditation of his methods, Kinsey’s research remains foundational to modern sex education, law, and cultural norms, effectively reshaping American views on sexuality and undermining traditional moral frameworks.

 This sermon warns about the dangers of blindly accepting these types of opinions without scrutiny, urging vigilance in discerning truth from deception and adherence to Biblical teachings as a moral compass.

The Marketing of Evil [Part 4]

This sermon presents an in-depth study of the Ten Commandments, focusing specifically on the Fourth Commandment concerning the Sabbath day.
 Its origin,  spiritual significance, and fulfillment in Christian theology. The distinction between physical rest and spiritual rest, noting that the Sabbath is primarily about dedicating time to God rather than mere physical inactivity.
Listen to this sermon to learn Sabbath observance with the Christian understanding, which focuses more on the spirit of the law—doing good and honoring God.

The Ten Commandments [Part 3]

What do you do when a friendship breaks your heart?
In Part 3 of the "Christian Friendships" series, Fr. Paul Girguis goes deep into the hard side of friendship, when people wound us, betray us, or simply let us down. Drawing from Matthew 18 and the parable of the unforgiving servant, he contrasts the way of revenge with the way of forgiveness, and shows how the Gospel calls us to something much higher than canceling people.
In this talk Fr. Paul explores:
Why true friendship is a covenant, not a casual connection
How our hearts get broken when trust is betrayed
The "law of Lamech" (revenge 77 times) versus Christ’s call to forgive 70 times 7
The only force strong enough to heal relationships that are marked by hurt and betrayal
What forgiveness is and what it is not
Not excusing
Not forgetting
Not the same as instant reconciliation
The stages of forgiveness
Letting go of revenge
Seeing the person beyond the wound
Beginning to genuinely wish them well
How refusing to forgive keeps us chained in bitterness while forgiving sets our own heart free
If you have lost a close friend, struggle with resentment, or feel stuck in hurt from someone you trusted, this message will gently confront and invite you into the freedom of Christlike forgiveness.

Christian Friendships - Part 3

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The Orthodox Church worships God in continuity with the earliest Church, and as such is the oldest Church. It is a Church of balance: between the mystical and the tangible; between spirituality and theology; between the worship of God and service to humanity. Everything is in balance, otherwise known as right worship, which means Orthodox. It is not a denomination, but rather pre-denominational. It is not a religion but rather a life with God in Christ. 

The Orthodox Church worships God in spirit and truth (John 4:24) and dynamically incarnates that truth in every age - empowering all people from all walks of life to love God, others, and themselves. 

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New tracks tagged #Spiritual Reflections