Dormition Parish Homily Replay

We often think a full life means having more—more security, more success, more comfort, more certainty. When Simon and his companions pull in two boatloads of fish, it seems like they have received everything they could hope for. Yet when they reach the shore, they leave it all behind and follow Jesus.

What are we holding on to, and what is it giving us? Our possessions aren’t the only things that can keep us anchored. W...

Disillusionment can come when the story we believed about our lives, our world, or even our faith no longer seems to make sense. It can leave us frustrated, divided and convinced that we know how things ought to be. Peter experiences that same struggle when Jesus challenges everything he thought the Messiah was supposed to be.

But disillusionment doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Jesus points toward a different way&mdas...

As the Church prepares to celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Bishop Michael Smolinski reflects on the enduring power of the Cross through four vivid images: a hammer that destroys death, a key that opens paradise, a butterfly that transforms sorrow into joy, and a lightning bolt that gives the apostles courage to proclaim the Resurrection.

The Cross changed the lives of the thief, the myrrh-bearing women, and the apostles&m...

Jesus’ miracles can become so familiar that it’s easy to overlook their meaning, yet God’s mercy continues to be at work in countless ways today. Through the Gospel and two powerful real-life encounters, this message is an invitation to recognize the quiet miracles that surround us each day, renew our awareness of Christ’s presence, and rediscover the simple prayer that helps keep our hearts attentive: ...

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to faith isn’t disbelief—it’s familiarity. When sacred words become routine, it’s easy to stop listening and miss what God is trying to say. This message is an invitation to approach the Gospel with fresh eyes, renewed attention, and an open heart, trusting that even a passage we’ve heard many times can speak to us in a new way.

The healing of the paralytic reveals that C...

Healthy boundaries can protect what matters most, while barriers built out of fear, resentment, or hopelessness can quietly separate us from God and from one another. This message explores why some boundaries are essential for a healthy spiritual life, while others prevent us from experiencing the freedom and healing Christ offers.

We’re invited to take an honest look at the walls we’ve built in our own hearts and relati...

When we hear the word slavery, we naturally think of one of history’s greatest injustices. Yet St. Paul uses that same language to challenge a difficult truth: everyone serves something. The question is not whether we have a master, but who or what has our allegiance.

Sin often presents itself as freedom, but what begins as a choice can become a habit, and habits can become chains. Through Christ, those chains can be brok...

For many people, life can feel like an endless cycle of responsibilities, deadlines, bills, and worries. Yet Christ asks a simple question that cuts through the noise: Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? How we answer that question shapes everything else.

When our attention is fixed only on worldly concerns, anxiety quickly takes hold. But when our eyes and hearts are turned toward God, we begin to ...

For the first disciples, leaving their nets behind meant far more than walking away from a profession. Nets can become a powerful image of the burdens, distractions, and tangled priorities that often accumulate throughout life. Yet Christ’s call opens the door to something greater, transforming what once held us back into a path toward freedom and purpose.

The Gospel reminds us that Christ does not simply call people away from...

Pentecost may be behind us on the calendar, but the work of the Holy Spirit continues every day in the life of the Church. On the Sunday of All Saints, we’re reminded that holiness is not reserved for a select few. The same Spirit who guided the apostles, inspired the saints, and continues to lead the Church is also at work in each of us.

Many of the saints we admire lived extraordinary lives, but they were not perfect people....

Pentecost is not simply a moment remembered from the past — it is the living breath of God entering the world again and again. Drawing from Genesis, Acts, and the words of St. Paul, this episode connects the “mighty rushing wind” of Pentecost to the very breath that gave life to Adam. The same Spirit that hovered over creation and descended upon the Apostles is still being poured out today, renewing hearts, restor...

Between Ascension and Pentecost, the apostles waited — not with fear or panic, but with trust that God was already at work. Christ’s prayer “that they may be one” reveals that the Church was never meant to be built on power, strategy, or perfection, but on communion with God and with one another.

The quiet moments of faith often shape the Church more than we realize: a prayer through grief, forgiveness in a m...

The healing of the man born blind reveals that true blindness is often spiritual, not physical. While some recognize the work of God, others remain consumed by pride, power, profit, and self-interest. The stories from the Gospel and Acts both ask the same difficult question: what are we unable to see when our hearts become attached to the wrong things?

The message also reflects on modern distractions, especially social media and dig...

Guilt says, “I made a mistake.”
Shame says, “I am the mistake.”

In this Gospel about the Samaritan Woman at the Well, Christ reveals the difference. He speaks truth without shaming, showing her that being fully known does not lead to rejection. Instead, it becomes the place of encounter.

She comes to the well burdened and hidden, but leaves seen, known, and transformed—no longer defined by her shame, ...

In today’s Gospel, a man waits for years beside the pool, hoping for healing to come at just the right moment. But Christ doesn’t wait for conditions to change—He steps forward, speaks, and restores.

This challenges a way of thinking we can easily fall into: treating faith like a formula instead of a living relationship. Christ meets us directly, offering healing through His presence, not through perfect timing or ...

In the quiet of the early morning, the myrrh-bearing women come to the tomb carrying both spices and sorrow. They are not expecting resurrection—only seeking to remain faithful in love, even in the face of loss. Their actions reveal something deeply human: love does not simply end, even when death seems to have the final word.

Drawing on the understanding that grief is something we move through rather than overcome, this refle...

One week after Pascha, the Gospel brings us back to the upper room, where fear, doubt, and faith meet face to face. Thomas seeks more than secondhand belief—he desires a real encounter with the risen Christ. And Christ responds, not with rejection, but with invitation.

This reflection draws a connection between Thomas’s experience and the gift of the Eucharist, especially as young members of the parish receive their Firs...