Nehemiah 2:11–18 With the support of the king and the burning desire in his heart to rebuild the wall, Nehemiah completed the grueling journey from Persia to Jerusalem (about 800 miles). Understandably, he and his companions just rested for three days (vs. 11); no doubt thinking through the task...

(This piece could have taken place in a “rest area” somewhere between Persia and Judah on the long journey toward Jerusalem). Prior to our mystical arrival with Nehemiah in Jerusalem, we pause to consider the upcoming events and some applicable meaning for us here and now. To be sure,...

Nehemiah 1:1 – 2:8 As mentioned in the previous introduction, only a small portion (about 2%) of the Jewish exiles in Babylon and Persia elected to return to Judah when King Cyrus offered their release. By the time of Nehemiah, none of those remaining would have ever lived in...

The book of Nehemiah is placed among the Old Testament writings known as the “Historical Books” (Joshua – Esther; and including the three books of the Maccabees in the Orthodox canon). The events therein took place between 444 B.C. and 425 B.C. Nehemiah was neither a priest nor a...

Matthew 25:40 The following homily was delivered at the Parish Life Conference in Memphis, Tennessee around June 2000. The theme of that conference was a statement made by our Lord Jesus to His disciples in a private conversation on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 25:31-46). He tells them what...

The following homily was delivered on June 14, 2012, at the Diocesan Parish Life Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. That year, the theme throughout our Archdiocese was taken from a portion of a writing of St. John of Damascus. St. John lived in the Eighth Century (675 – 749AD). ...

Romans 7:6 The following homily was delivered to the Antiochian Archdiocese Convention in Los Angeles in the summer of 2001. I was assigned this verse (much to my dismay) and given a limited time. By God’s mercy, the opportunity was truly a blessing. Your Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP; Your Eminences;...

It is May; across our country students are graduating from high schools, colleges and universities with hopes and plans for their future. Meanwhile, their parents are sharing in the joys of their children’s successes but also experiencing the anxieties and fears of their departing from home. Perhaps the following...

II Samuel 9:1-13 Of all the virtues ascribed to God and available to mankind by His grace, one of the most revered is that of kindness. The psalmist, David, expressed it well, “Your lovingkindness is better than life” (Psalm 63:3). St. Paul lists it among the fruit of the...

Haggai 2:20-23 We come now to the fourth and final message delivered by Haggai. It came on the same day as the third message to the priests, December 24, 520 B.C. This one was delivered to only one person, Zerubbabel, the governor. It is clearly much shorter than the...