Episodes

  • No Parable: Works that Judge Us

    No Parable: Works that Judge Us
    Feb 16 2026

    In this powerful sermon on Matthew 25, Abp. Irineos emphasizes a startling reality: Christ's description of the Last Judgment is not a parable but a direct account of how all nations will be judged. The Archbishop explains that while other teachings required parables to convey difficult truths, Christ spoke plainly about judgment. He outlines the stark criteria by which humanity will be separated into sheep and goats—feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned—actions done unto "the least of these" that Christ counts as done unto Himself. Challenging the "faith alone" doctrine, Abp. Irineos argues that while no deed merits salvation on its own, our works inevitably reveal our faith, echoing James's teaching that "faith without works is dead". Perhaps most movingly, he distinguishes between God's eternal intentions: the Kingdom was prepared for humanity "from the foundation of the world," while the fires of judgment were prepared only "for the devil and his angels"—a place where the condemned cast themselves through their own negligence, hard-heartedness and lack of love. The Archbishop's message is both sobering and hopeful: God asks us to see Christ in every person we encounter and to love our neighbor not abstractly, but through concrete acts of mercy.
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    19 mins
  • While You Were Yet Far Off: The Prodigal's Journey Home

    While You Were Yet Far Off: The Prodigal's Journey Home
    Feb 9 2026
    In today's homily, Abp. Irineos explores the Parable of the Prodigal Son, revealing how modern believers enter "the far country" not through physical distance but through spiritual separation from God. The message emphasizes that sin creates a separation "not one of separation of place, but by separation in point of virtue," and that we enter this spiritual exile through digital distractions, consumerism, and neglecting prayer. The homily offers profound hope by highlighting the father's unconditional love—running to meet his son "while he was yet a great way off"—demonstrating that God doesn't wait for perfect repentance but rushes toward us with healing love. Additionally, the teaching addresses the danger of becoming like the older brother, who represents religious pride and serves God while resenting others, reminding Orthodox Christians to celebrate every soul that returns to God rather than judge them. As believers prepare for Great Lent, this message calls them to recognize their own spiritual wandering, trust in God's limitless forgiveness, and embrace both humility in personal struggle and joy in others' repentance.
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    14 mins
  • Humility Over Pride: The Foundation of Orthodox Life

    Humility Over Pride: The Foundation of Orthodox Life
    Feb 7 2026
    In this homily, Abp. Irineos conveys that the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, read on the First Sunday of the Triodion, establishes the essential foundation for authentic Orthodox Christian living by contrasting pride with humility. The homily teaches that external religious practices—fasting, tithing, and meticulous observance—cannot justify us if they stem from pride, as exemplified by the Pharisee who exalted himself above others. In contrast, the despised tax collector's humble, contrite prayer—"God be merciful to me a sinner"—demonstrates the proper approach to God that leads to justification. As the faithful prepare for Great Lent, the Archbishop warns against allowing ascetical practices to become sources of pride or boasting, emphasizing that humility must ground all spiritual endeavors. The core message is clear: true confession and prayer require humility, contrition, and recognition of our complete dependence on God's mercy, not our own worthiness, for only through such childlike trust can we receive justification as a gift from God.
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    11 mins
  • Trading Eternity for a Moment

    Trading Eternity for a Moment
    Dec 29 2025
    In today's homily, Abp. Irineos reflects on the Parable of the Great Supper from Luke’s Gospel, exploring the excuses given by those who rejected the Master’s invitation and how these mirror the ways people today turn away from God’s call to the Kingdom. He explains how attachments to wealth, worldly concerns, and bodily pleasures can blind us to the mysteries of faith and keep us from embracing life in Christ. Highlighting that God’s invitation extends to all—including the poor, the broken, and even the Gentiles—he urges listeners to examine their own hearts for the excuses that hinder their participation in the divine economy of salvation offered through the Church and the Eucharist. Abp. Irineos calls the faithful to steadfast endurance as “proven and tested soldiers of Christ,” ready to partake in His eternal supper in the Kingdom.
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    15 mins
  • The Persistence of the Faithful

    The Persistence of the Faithful
    Dec 29 2025
    On this Sunday we hear the Gospel of Luke and the account of the blind beggar who called for Christ as he made his way to Jerusalem. In the homily from December 14 (December 1 OS), Abp. Irineos commends the persistence of the beggar and his immediate transformation from beggar to evangelist as he gives glory to God for his healings. Let us also be guided by both the beggar's insistence to be heard, calling on God even when the crowd that surrounds us and tries to shut us down. And whenever we receive the grace of God, let us always give thanks, becoming evangelists of our own day, as we proclaim all the good things God has done for us!
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    11 mins
  • St. Stephen the New

    St. Stephen the New
    Dec 15 2025
    Following Wednesday Vespers, Abp. Irineos shared a little of the life of our father among the saints, Stephen the New. In this brief talk, he encourages the faithful to stand with the same firmness of faith and speak with the same clarity as St. Stephen.

    https://www.spreaker.com/episode/st-stephen-the-new--69049441
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    8 mins
  • Spiritual Blindness and Idoldatry - The Legacy of the Rich Fool

    Spiritual Blindness and Idoldatry - The Legacy of the Rich Fool
    Nov 30 2025
    In today's Gospel reading, we hear the parable of the rich fool. In the homily, Abp. Irineos touches on the Fool's delusional pursuit of self-sufficiency, his soul killing greed, and ultimately what it means for us to be rich toward God. Drawing on the patristic teaching, Abp. Irineos urges the faithul to take stock of their own giving of alms and to do what they can, to the greatest extent that they can.
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    12 mins
  • The Gadarene Demoniac: Christ's Power and Our Weakness

    The Gadarene Demoniac: Christ's Power and Our Weakness
    Nov 5 2025
    On the 6th Sunday of St. Luke, Abp. Irineos shares the gospel reading of the Gadarene Demoniac and challenges the faithful to consider both the power of Christ and our own weakness before Him. Beginning with a discussion of the position of the demoniac and the fear of the townspeople, Abp. Irineos compares the Demoniac's transformation by Christ with our own quest for Theosis.
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    13 mins