Confessing Our Poverty: What to Do When You Don't Have Enough Why did Jesus perform the miracle of feeding the 5,000 immediately after hearing about the death of St. John the Baptist? In this homily on the Gospel reading before the start of the Dormition Fast, Fr. David contrasts the miraculous feeding in the wilderness with two dark, cautionary feasts in Scripture: the Israelites' anxious hoarding of manna in the desert, and the gruesome, passionate feast of King Herod. When we feel lacking—whether in time, energy, patience, money, or wisdom—we are frequently tempted to give in to either despairing hoarding or aggressive grasping. By looking at the example of the Apostles, we learn that the true Christian path begins when we simply confess our poverty to God, place our "five loaves and two fish" in His hands, and allow His blessing to transform our lack into divine abundance. To support our parish and its ongoing ministries as we share the light of Christ with our community, you can give securely online here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=E3E4Q2M6NHJT4 #OrthodoxChristian #FeedingOfThe5000 #DormitionFast #GospelReflection #FrDavid #OrthodoxSermon #ChristianFaith #SpiritualPoverty

On the 5th Sunday of Matthew In an era marked by a massive surge of converts entering the Orthodox Christian Church, a common spiritual pitfall has re-emerged: "convertitis." In this sermon on Galatians 5 & 6, Fr. Andrew addresses the strong temptation for new believers to obsess over rules, correct rubrics, and online debates rather than cultivating the actual fruits of the Holy Spirit. By analyzing St. Paul's definition of the "Law of Christ," we explore how true spiritual maturity isn't found in checking off scrupulous fasting boxes or policing our neighbors, but in the challenging, daily work of bearing one another's burdens. Fr. Andrew shares humorous and cautionary modern examples—including the paradox of intentional "Orthodox villages"—to remind us that our online reading and book knowledge must always serve love, joy, peace, and gentleness. To support our parish and its ongoing ministries as we share the light of Christ with our community, you can give securely online here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=E3E4Q2M6NHJT4 #OrthodoxChristian #Convertitis #OrthodoxSermon #Galatians #SpiritualMaturity #BearingBurdens #ChristianLife #ChurchCommunity