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Weekly sermons from Holy Trinity + Holy Cross Cathedral in Birmingham, Alabama.
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7 SEP 2026 · On this Sunday, we commemorate the miracle of the Archangel Michael at Chonae. Fr. Micah gathers the children to tell them this marvelous story and to teach them about Saint Archippos, the young man who dedicated his life to prayer and asceticism at Chonae. Using St. Archippos' story, Fr. Micah encourages the children to be brave and to call upon Christ for help in times of need.
30 AUG 2026 · In today’s Epistle reading, St. Paul concludes his first letter to the Corinthians with several exhortations: “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” Then, he gives a concrete example of this. He says that Stephanas and his household have “devoted themselves to the service of the saints.” In his sermon, Fr. Gregory focuses on what it means to stand firm in the faith and to devote oneself to the service of the saints, and he explains how the two go together.
23 AUG 2026 · Fr. Micah begins today’s sermon with the ending of the Gospel reading: “With men, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” Though this is a simple saying, Fr. Micah argues that most of us deeply struggle with this in the manner we live, because we live as if we can do anything.
Fr. Micah then turns to what precedes today’s Gospel reading, when Christ tells us how we must become like children. Fr. Micah connects this with the end of the Gospel reading, explaining that children have no problem accepting that things are not possible for them. However, they also have the trust that all things are possible for their parents. To become like a child, Fr. Micah explains that we must be able to say, “I can’t, but he can.”
He applies this to Christ’s teaching in the Gospel reading about following the commandments. He explains that following Christ’s commands is a road to freedom — freedom from our passions and freedom from death. It often feels impossible and hopeless for us to attain this freedom. However, Fr. Micah encourages us, instead of putting our hope in ourselves, to put our hope in Christ.
26 JUL 2026 · In today’s Gospel reading, we hear of Christ’s compassion on a great crowd, teaching and healing them. When evening came, the apostles ask him to send them away that they may find something to eat. Christ responds, “You give them something to eat.” He asks them to give what little they have into his hands. After he multiplies the loaves, he gives it to the disciples to give to the crowds.
Fr. Gregory points out that the compassion and the miracle is Christ’s, but he places the bread into human hands — not because he needs them, but because he wills that his disciples be bearers of his compassion, participants in what he’s doing.
Throughout the life of the Church, Christ’s compassion has continued to pass through human hands. Through his body, the Church, Christ continues to teach, forgive, heal, feed, and comfort. Within that body, he raises up his saints, who reveal the present Christ acting in his members. One such saint is St. Paraskevi, whom we celebrate today. Fr. Gregory tells this saint’s story, explains her icon, and gives a personal account of when St. Paraskevi’s relics filled a room with a heavenly myrrh scent.
23 JUL 2026 · Today’s Epistle reading from Romans 12 describe a way of life that Fr. Gregory sums up with the Greek word philotimo. This word is translated as “love of honor,” but it has no true equivalent in the English language.
This Sunday is the feast day of St. Paisios, who spoke of philotimo and embodied it radiantly, and Fr. Gregory draws from his teachings in today’s sermon. Using the rich meaning of philotimo, Fr. Gregory encourages us to notice a need before it’s announced and meet it quietly, to give more than expected and never mention it again, to offer hospitality that comforts rather than impresses, and to refuse to shame another. This is the free overflow of the grateful heart — philotimo.
19 JUL 2026 · In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, our Lord tells us to, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Fr. Micah poses the question, “What are these good works?” He asserts that the key to this question is found in the passage that follows, when Christ says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law and the Prophets. I have come not to destroy but to complete.” And later, Christ says that the Law and Prophets can be found in two commandments: love of God and love of neighbor.
This work that shines before men is nothing but love. Fr. Micah explores love’s meaning, distilling it to the giving and sacrificing for our family, our friends, and even our enemies — something that Christ makes very clear. Fr. Micah encourages us to learn to thank those who give us difficulty and to glorify God for them, patiently, lovingly, and humbly bearing the difficulties that the other gives us, because this is the way of blessedness.
5 JUL 2026 · In this Sunday’s epistle reading, St. Paul gives us one of the most beautiful descriptions of the Christian life: “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Fr. Gregory emphasizes the verse that follows, though, which says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” He explains that the fruits of the spirit are given that we may be capable of bearing another’s burdens. One by one, he goes through each fruit of the spirit and connects it to how it helps us bear another’s burdens.
28 JUN 2026 · In today’s sermon, Fr. Gregory focuses on a specific part of the Epistle reading in Romans 6 in which St. Paul says, “Just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.” He expounds on the phrase “yield your members,” explaining that “yield” here means “to offer,” and “members” refers to our body. Fr. Gregory continues, explaining that “sanctification” is far deeper than moral self-improvement. It is participation in God’s life and light, his own holiness poured out upon us.
Taking these key phrases together, Fr. Gregory explains that St. Paul is encouraging us not to abandon our bodies but to turn every one of our members — our eyes, ears, tongue, hands, and feet — from the service of death to the service of God. He gives examples of how to do this, such as our eyes looking upon the holy icons, our ears hearing the Gospel and the cry of our neighbor, and the tongue blessing God and comforting others. Our members are always being yielded, offered, to something, and Fr. Gregory challenges us to ask ourselves if we are yielding our members to sanctification throughout our days.
21 JUN 2026 · In today’s Gospel reading, Christ commands us to not be anxious, and Fr. Micah presents the question, “How are we to not be anxious?” In the beginning of today’s Gospel reading, Fr. Micah asserts, we find the answer. Christ says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness.”
This passage reminds us that we have been given the freedom to choose what we focus on, where our attention sits. Fr. Micah encourages us to focus on the good, the beautiful, and the true, because, as St. Nicholas Cabasilas said, “What we reflect on, we will desire; and that desire will lead us to action.”
Fr. Micah encourages us to practice giving our attention to the good, beautiful, and true, and he gives us examples of how to do so each day. These habits of attention can help us follow Christ’s command to not be anxious.
14 JUN 2026 · In this Sunday’s sermon, Fr. Gregory presents the question, “Is nothing sacred?” Beneath that, he says, lies another question: “Do we have eyes to see what is holy?”
To answer these questions, Fr. Gregory focuses on the topics of reverence and the fear of God. Reverence, he explains, is approaching and handling holy things in a holy way. The fear of God is avoiding evil out of love for God and the dread of grieving him. Fr. Gregory points out our prayers for reverence and the fear of God in every Divine Liturgy.
In our utilitarian culture, Fr. Gregory explains, most things are seen for how they can serve us. Everything is an object for our use. However, this desanctified view of reality blinds us to seeing what is holy and acting with reverence.
Fr. Gregory encourages us to ask for the gift of seeing what is holy and sacred, to approach the holy things with reverence, preparation, repentance, the fear of God, faith, and love.
Weekly sermons from Holy Trinity + Holy Cross Cathedral in Birmingham, Alabama.
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| Author | Parish Life Connect |
| Organization | Finding God |
| Categories | Religion & Spirituality |
| Website | www.spreaker.com |
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