Hill Country Homilies

In today's Gospel reading for the Parable of the Rich Fool, Abp. Irineos focuses on the moral of the parable: "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." While we can all imagine what it means to lay up treasures for ourselves, the much more difficult question is what it means to be rich toward God. Drawing on patristic commentary, Abp. Irineos urges

In today's Gospel account, Christ shows compassion upon the grieving widow of Nain and raises her son from his funeral bier. In his homily, Abp. Irineos challenges the faithful to go beyond the literal account of the scripture and consider how the weeping mother stands in the stead of each of us, and how Christ's compassion extends to our tears as well.

Today's Gospel Readings included Matthew's version of the parable of the wedding feast. Abp. Irineos draws on the patristic understanding of those who decline the invitation and then urges the faithful to be transformed in love and righteousness, so that their own wedding garment be found fitting when the king calls!

For the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Abp. Irineos delivers a homily in Spanish and then in English on the reason why we remember the birth of the Theotokos as a great feast of the Church, and how she is truly the beginning of our salvation!

In this homily on the day of the Ecclesiastical New Year, Abp. Irineos speaks about the history of the feast and its origins. He discusses the relationship between the Incarnation, our understanding of time, and of salvation. May God bless the crown of the year!

The Gospel of Matthew's Parable of the Unmerciful Servant is appointed for today's Gospel. Discussing the parable, Abp. Irineos considers the debt incurred by the unmericful servant, the purpose for which he received forgiveness of the debt, and the immensity of the penalty he suffers on revocation of the gift. Finally, we explore the connection between the debt owed in the parable

The Gospel reading of Christ walking upon the water and bidding Peter to come to him is instructive in many ways for Orthodox Christians. Peter conquered the sea, walking upon the waters as he drew near to Christ fell prey to a far lesser threat - the wind - as his faith turned to fear and he began to sink. Today, we Orthodox have accomplished the more difficult feat - finding Chri

On the Feast of Pentecost, Abp. Irineos looks back at Genesis and the account of the building of the tower of Babel. In this short homily he considers the Fall and the confusion of tongues together in their contribution to the state of mankind before the Incarnation. Expounding on the Orthodox understanding of Pentecost as the reversal of Babel, he then explains how the Incarnation

On the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, Abp. Irineos looks at both the Epistle and Gospel appointed for today. He urges the faithful to heed the warning of Paul and always be on guard for those who would pervert the faith. He then looks at the High Priestly Prayer as both a confirmation of the Creed and a confirmation of the unity and oneness of the Churc

On this Great Feast of the Ascension of Christ, Abp. Irineos draws on the homilies of St. Leo the Great to discuss how Christ's parting from His disciples on the day of His Ascension, rather than being a time of sorrow and mourning became instead a source of great joy and strength.