All Saints Homilies

Fr. Pat compares an event from the life of Xerxes as told by Herodotus in Book 7 of The Histories to a similar event in the lives of Paul and his companions as told by Luke in Acts 16:1-12.

In this homily from the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt in 2008, Fr. Pat discusses the occasion for the writing of the Gospel of Mark, the response of the Apostles to the cross, and the question Jesus asks James and John in the 10th chapter of Mark, which is the same question He asks us as we approach the chalice.

The 9th chapter of the Gospel of Mark opens with the account of the Transfiguration, then is immediately followed by the the story of Jesus healing a boy possessed by an unclean spirit, a spirit which Jesus’ disciples were unable to cast out. Fr. Pat makes three observations about faith which we can learn from this story. The painting Fr. Pat refers to is The Transfiguration by Rafael.

Both Saint Paul and Faust, the man who sells his soul to the devil, have something to say about faith, hope, and patience. Fr. Pat considers the great divide between these two men.

In this homily from 2008 preached on the Feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (which was also Forgiveness Sunday), Fr. Pat reminds us of the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. The text is Hebrews 12:1-10.

When the Apostle Paul lists faith, hope, and love as a triad of things that abide, he takes care to assert that the greatest of these is love. In this homily from Vespers on January 5, 2014, Fr. Pat examines these three things more closely.

January 30 in the Orthodox Church is the Feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. In this homily from 2011, Fr. Pat teaches us about these three Fathers of the Church and their contributions to the Faith.

This past Sunday evening All Saints Church hosted a Pan-Orthodox Prayer Service for the Sanctity of Life, sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Clergy Association of Chicago. Fr. Pat was the guest speaker. These were his remarks.

Paul transforms his prison cell into a hub of missions work. The text is Colossians 3:4-11.

Fr. Pat preaches on Ephesians 4:7-13 in this homily from January 2016.

Fr. Pat gave this brief meditation at approximately midnight on January 1, 2014.

In this homily from Christmas Day 2007, Fr. Pat reflects upon the Incarnation in terms of Christ the Only Holy One, Christ our Mediator, and Christ our Brother.

John's Gospel tells us of a time during the Feast of Hanukkah when Jesus was teaching on Solomon's porch (John 10:22-23). Hanukkah is the feast of dedication; Fr. Pat examines this theme of dedication in the lives of three Old Testament saints.

The theory of the perenial philosophy says that there’s a certain core experience of truth that all human beings have. Fr. Pat discusses this theory in light of Luke 14:16-24, the Parable of the Great Banquet.

Paul tells us in Galatians that if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed. In this homily from 2016, Fr. Pat takes a closer look at Abraham, considering historical fact, theological truth, and moral responsibility. The text is Galatians 3:23-4:5.

In this homily from Thanksgiving of 2010, Fr. Pat considers with us God's Covenant with Noah given in Genesis 9.

In this homily from 2014, Fr. Pat takes a close look at the word "who" in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

A homily from Fr. Pat on Galatians 2:16-20, given in 2004.

A vesperal homily about James the Just. The text is James 1:1-11.

A vesperal homily based upon Joshua 1:1-9.