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5th Sunday after Pentecost – the Two Demoniacs

Homily From “The One Thing Needful,” Sermons of Archbishop Andrei (Rymarenko)

The Gospel reading for last Sunday taught us a lesson on the deep humility of the Roman Centurion, who came to ask Christ for the healing of his servant. But today’s Gospel does not give us a lesson of what we should do, but rather shows us what we should avoid, what we should not do. This shows us the striking reality of the existence of the power of evil. In our time such a reality doesn’t even require proof. Every day, every newspaper tells about a whole list of crimes which simply cannot be explained without recognizing that the person is possessed by an external, evil power.

Today’s Gospel draws a terrible picture for us: two demoniacs came out from the tombs, “exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way” (Mt. 8:28). Christ permitted the de-mons to enter into a huge herd of swine. The possessed ones were healed, but the whole herd of swine jumped from the precipice into the sea. What a terrible force! A real, overt force of evil!Continue Reading

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5th Sunday after Pentecost

MATINS (V)

Luke 24:12-35

12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. 13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? Continue Reading

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Sunday 5 July 2009. On a beautiful, crisp, clear Canberra morning, the parishioners of St John the Baptist, led by their rector Archpriest Alexander Morozow, welcomed their beloved hierarch His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand to their Church to celebrate their patronal feastday – the Nativity of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John.

On the preceding evening, His Eminence celebrated the All Night Vigil Service with Litia (Blessing of the Loaves), and earlier that morning according to the traditional practice, a Blessing of the Waters service was conducted by the assistant Priest of the parish Fr Alexander Borodin and Fr Protodeacon Alexander Kotlaroff (from Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral in Strathfield, Sydney), with assistance from Reader Victor Kargin.Continue Reading

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On Monday the 22nd of June, His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion departed from Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport to begin an eight day visitation of the parishes in South Korea and Indonesia that are under the canonical protection of the Australian & New Zealand Diocese.

His first destination was Seoul, capital of South Korea where he was met by Deacon Father Paul Kang, who drove the Metropolitan to Holy Trinity Skete in the rural seaside village of Yonghwa.

On Tuesday the 23rd of June, His Eminence served the Divine Liturgy in the Skete’s Church of St Anna. The Head of the Korean Orthodox Mission, Father Justin Kang and his wife Matushka Helen, have both felt for a long time the call to the monastic life. Thus, during the Liturgy Father Justin Kang was tonsured to the small schema with the new name of John – Johan in Korean – in honour of St John of Kronstadt and will be based at Holy Trinity Skete. Matushka Helen Kang was tonsured into the small schema with the new name of Elizabeth in honour of the New Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia. Mother Elizabeth is attached to St Helen’s Chapel in the village of Chanjho.Continue Reading

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On Saturday the 4th of July 2009, His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion travelled 2 and half hours from Sydney to the township of Gunning. Here, in the home of Father Seraphim and Matushka Helen Slade he served the Divine Liturgy in English and blessed a chapel in honour of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco. Ordained priest only a year ago and of aboriginal heritage, Father Seraphim’s work with aboriginal media organisations obliges him to travel widely around Australia to many indigenous communities. This provides him with many excellent opportunities to introduce Orthodox Christianity to indigenous Australians in many different locations. The blessing of the home chapel provides Father Seraphim with a base where the Divine Liturgy can be regularly served for a small but growing number of converts to the Orthodox faith in Gunning and surrounding areas.Continue Reading

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On July 2, 1966 (new calendar) the great hierarch, of universal significance, St. John (Maximovich) passed away. This year marks the 15th anniversary of his glorification by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR). In almost all the churches of ROCOR (and now also in the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate) prayful services were conducted on the occasion of this remarkable date.Continue Reading

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4th Sunday after Pentecost – the Roman Centurion

Homily From “The One Thing Needful,” Sermons of Archbishop Andrei (Rymarenko)

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Mt. 6:33). This is what last Sunday’s Gospel left with us.

On the day of Pentecost the Lord sent down upon His Church the Holy Spirit. Just as all of nature which, after it had been warmed up by the sun, began to grow flowers, plants, and fruits  —  so the Holy Church, upon receiving the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, began to grow spiritual flowers  —  her wonderful Saints.

All the Gospel readings since the coming down of the Holy Spirit have been telling us what we must do to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven; what all the Saints did, how they sought and how they found “the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” We were given the command-ments of the Lord. But today we are not given commandments, or a teaching. No, but rather life itself, a living example. And as an example for us, the Gospel reading gives us a Roman centu-rion, a pagan. This is an example of the most profound humility. This example shows us how a master, out of love for his neighbor, becomes a slave. After all, according to his civic position, this Centurion was master not only over the hundred soldiers which he commanded, but also over all Jews, which meant even over Christ; because the Jews were enslaved by the Romans.Continue Reading

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4th Sunday after Pentecost

MATINS (IV)

Luke 24:1-12

1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words, 9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.Continue Reading