All Saints Homilies

On the occasion of the third night of Hanukkah, Fr. Pat talks about the divisions God built into creation, about the consecration and desecration of sacred space, and about dedication of God's temple and of ourselves.

Fr. Pat reflects upon the encounter between Jesus and the woman with the chronic bleeding who touched the hem of His robe.

On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Fr. Pat reminds us that the Cross ought to be the lens through which we examine every question and regard every problem; it is what gives godly shape to the Christian life.

There’s a sense in which The Vocation of Mary was the most special and the most common. In this homily given on the Feast of the Dormition in 2010, Fr. Pat considers these two vocations of our Lord's Mother.

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).Who

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

Preaching from Luke 6:31-26, Fr. Pat discusses the Golden Rule.

On the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, Fr. Pat compares our Lord's Mother with the rich man in Luke 12, today's Gospel reading.

A homily on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, given on August 26, 2012.

Fr. Pat discusses three words from the first chapter of 2 Corinthians.

n 1 Corinthian 4:9-16, the Apostle Paul gives a portrayal of a style of life very much in contrast with the style of life preferred by the Corinthians. In this homily from 2009, Fr. Pat looks at the contrasts enumerated by St. Paul.

Fr. Pat explains why the Church emphasizes Christ's multiplication of the loaves and fish.

Fr. Pat compares the story of Peter walking on the water with that of the man who brings his son to Jesus.

In this homily given on the Feast of the Dormition in 2010, Fr. Pat reflects upon the revelation of the Gospel disclosed in the human face

In this homily from 2006, Fr. Pat reflects upon the Body of Christ, the Sacraments, and our own transfiguration in Christ.

Based on the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14, Fr. Pat reflects upon the freedom presupposed in the invitation, the nature of the banquet itself, and the messengers of the banquet.

What was Jesus wearing in the manger? When he carried out his ministry? In his Resurrection appearances? How is he clothed today? We reflect on these questions with Fr. Pat.

Both Galatians 1 and Luke 8 contain stories of men converting to Christ. Fr. Pat examines these two accounts.

There is no easy way to eternal life. We are made to know God, to love God, to serve God, and that is hard. Fr. Pat offers reflections on this via three theses.

Jesus' healing of the Paralytic in Matthew 9 teaches us many things about man's biggest problem, about the corporate nature of the Church's service to the sinner, and about the Lord's authority to forgive sins.

The mid-5th century was a time of chaos, war, poverty, decay, and destruction, but the one concern of the Church was an abbott named Eutyches

Fr. Pat focuses his attention on that which Saint Paul calls “of primary importance” for us to learn both from the saint’s words and from his life experience.

Using as a jumping-off point the Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew 21, Fr. Pat asks the same question asked by Nathaniel in John 1.

What sort of life we live is determined by who we think we are. If we are servants of God, that means that not one of us belongs to himself. His time, his energy, his resources, all belong to the King that he serves.

The call placed on every man’s life is to walk under the direct gaze of God. And the joy of heaven consists of gazing upon the transfigured face of Christ, and going from glory to glory, as much as we are able to bear.

Fr. Pat shows us how the Roman centurion who comes to Jesus for healing for his servant can be a model to us of how to approach Jesus. The text is Matthew 8:5-13.

Fr. Pat reflects upon the Apostolic Office by means of three adjectives, which, when considered, can greatly enrich our understanding of the apostles, and can deepen our own relationship with Christ.

Being a disciple, a student of Christ, is very serious business. Fr. Pat discusses what it means to have Christ as a teacher.

In a homily delivered on Pentecost Sunday 2010, Fr. Pat offers reflections on the Orthodox wedding service, the Holy Spirit, faith, and the Creed.

Fr. Pat explores the question, "What makes something evil?”

The institution of the Twelve Apostles is the link between the Church and the Resurrection of Christ. Fr. Pat preaches from Acts 1:15-26. This homily was given April 2, 2015.

Mary of Bethany appears in the gospels of St. Luke and St. John, and in both books she stands as a point of contrast with someone else. Fr. Pat's brief meditation on these contrasts was given at Bridegroom Matins on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

In this homily given on St. Thomas Sunday, 2012, Fr. Pat examines three subjects related to the resurrection of Christ our Lord.

Fr. Pat offers reflections on baptism and the Creed. This homily was given on Great and Holy Saturday,

In the Holy Communion, there is a change of substance. The bread and the wine have been transformed. We receive into our flesh the risen power of Christ.

Is the god we’re worshipping actually the God of the Bible? Or are we worshiping the benevolent, optimistic, political, social, economic god of contemporary American culture? Because the worship of a false god is worse than the worship of no god.

On the Sunday of the Paralytic, Fr. Pat reflects upon a most pernicious kind of paralysis—the spiritual kind.

Fr. Pat's homily delivered on the Sunday of the Holy Cross, 2008.

The heart of Feast of the Annunciation is evangelism in its most perfect reception, by a Woman who hears and believes the proclamation of the Gospel.

Fr. Pat's homily from Forgiveness Vespers 2012.

On the Sunday of the Last Judgment, Fr. Pat preaches from Matthew 25:31-46.

Fr. Pat preaches on the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15.

Fr. Pat considers three aspects of what St. Paul calls "the mind of Christ"; three ways in which Christ thought of himself with respect to us.

We are all familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Fr. Pat looks at persons from this story seldom, if ever, considered: the thieves who set the events in motion.

Fr. Pat preaches on the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican found in Luke 18.

Fr. Pat preaches from Matthew 15:21-28, the encounter of Jesus with the Canaanite woman.

Fr. Pat preaches from Luke 18:35-43, the story of the blind beggar of Jericho whom Jesus heals

When Holy Scripture speaks of the sacrifice of the cross in connection with God's anger, it is invariably in terms of deliverance; it has nothing to do with placating that anger. Fr. Pat addresses St. Anselm's theory of the Atonement.

Preaching from Luke 17 (The Healing of the Ten Lepers), Fr. Pat examines what it is to have a Christian perspective toward the world.

In this homily given on the Sunday before the Elevation of the Holy Cross, Fr. Pat looks at what death means to the Christian.

When, in Matthew 18, Jesus instructs us to be merciful as the Heavenly Father is merciful, he is telling us how to partake of the life of God; how to arrive at theosis.

Fr. Pat preaches on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness as told in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 4.

When at His baptism the Father speaks of Jesus as his "Beloved Son", declaring Him "well-pleased", the expression would have evoked in the mind of Jesus and anyone else who heard them two Biblical texts with which Jesus Himself was already familiar from the years of study in the synagogue.

Fr. Pat looks at God’s providence with respect to three things: our sin, the moral order, and our conduct.

In Romans 8 Paul asserts that God causes all things to work for good to those who love him. Fr. Pat examines this thesis in regards to general history, in the lives of individuals, and in the life of Christ, the supreme example of this.

Fr. Pat preaches on the Apostle Andrew, whose feast day is November 30. He gave this homily on November 30, 2014.

The calling of the first four apostles gives us a model of the calling each of us receives from Christ. Fr. Pat looks at three qualities of this calling.

Holy Scripture uses three verbs in relation to the making of a covenant. In this homily from Palm Sunday, Fr. Pat explores these three Hebrew words.

Christ died for each of us personally, but he also died for families; and the context of the family is often the locus in our experience of the Cross. Fr. Pat considers three individuals whom Jesus loves as a family: Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.

Jesus' encounter with the Syrophoenician woman as recounted by Matthew (chapter 15) has much to teach us when we consider Phoenicia's history, the woman herself, and the meaning of the children's bread.

The season of Advent is not only a time when we prepare for the Feast of Christ's Birth; it is also the season in which we reflect more directly on the Second Coming of Christ. In this homily from 2009, Fr. Pat preaches from Colossians 3:4-11 about the Hope that is within us.

Fr. Pat preaches from Luke 13:10-17, the story of Jesus healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath. This homily was given on December 4, 2014

The Parable of the Talents is often used as a reminder to be the best you can be. It's really about the structure of history and the Lordship of Jesus.

Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon warns us about three things which impede our ability to walk worthy of the vocation with which we have been called.

Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon discusses Paul’s response to the Gentile converts in Galatia being compelled by Jewish Christian teachers to live according to Jewish customs.

A meditation on Thanksgiving from Fr. Pat, given in 2008.

Fr. Pat preaches on the Parable of the Rich Fool found in Luke 12:16-21.

Fr. Pat takes a closer look at the true meaning of Hanukkah.

Preaching from Luke 8:41-56, Fr. Pat considers what is important to know.

The account of the devout centurion that appears in both Matthew and Luke, but not in Mark, and obviously it is Matthew's version that we are considering today. The centurion serves as a model, I believe, for how Christ our Lord is to be approached, unless Christ our Lord is to be approached as a figment of our own imagination or simply as a projection of what we want out of religion.