Sermons At St. Nicholas

In order to further prepare our thoughts for the coming of Great Lent, the Church presents us with our Lord's description of His return in glory. Fr Thomas reminds us that the Last and Final Day is both terrifying and awesome, dread and joyful, as we prepare now in this life for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Sunday of the Last Judgment)

The Parable of the Publican and Pharisee is the Church's herald to prepare for Great Lent. To begin, Fr Thomas presents three important principles to bear in mind when approaching God in prayer. (Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee)

When we hear about Old Testament Temple worship, we can sometimes think we're far removed from it. Fr Thomas reminds us that Orthodox Christian worship is, in fact, directly related to Old Testament Temple worship, because it's the fulfillment of those old forms and rituals. (Great Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple)

Though oftentimes it seems God is silent and does not hear our prayers, Fr Thomas reminds us that God is always reaching out to us and uses the circumstances of our life to draw us closer to Him. (Thirty-first Sunday after Pentecost)

We all know of someone who's given up on The Faith for one reason or another. Fr Thomas reminds us that our love for God and for one another must be the bond that brings us together and keeps us together. (Thirtieth Sunday after Pentecost)

Technology has become so pervasive that many people are now enslaved to their smartphones, constantly looking down into them! Fr. Thomas reminds us that, like the woman bent over with a spirit of infirmity, the Lord heals us so that we can look up to see the gift of life in Christ. (22nd Sunday after Pentecost)

The parable of the soils sets the tone for other parables taught by our Lord. Fr. Thomas reminds us that this parable brilliantly expresses the importance of both hearing and actively receiving the Word of God in us. (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man is a dramatic illustration of the importance of being merciful to those in need. Fr Thomas reminds us that the torment experienced by the Rich Man is a result of his choice to ignore Lazarus laying at his gate. (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)

The American religious scene is full of false teachers preaching a "gospel" that is focused solely on making people feel good about themselves. Fr Thomas reminds us that the truth of Christ promises us God's comfort in suffering, not the absence of suffering in this world. (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

The cross of Christ is the ultimate sign of God's love for his creatures. Fr Thomas reminds us that the cross is also a sign of the path that awaits us: our own cross. (Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross)

The Orthodox Faith is rich with tradition and discipline, but sometimes we can seem disinterested in being faithful to it all in our lives. Fr Thomas reminds us that obedience done out of love for God and each other is the "linchpin" which holds it all together. (13th Sunday after Pentecost)

Time is both an inescapable reality and a gift of God full of promise. On the Church New Year, Fr Thomas reminds us that God takes the finite time of each day and redeems it to become an experience of the Kingdom of God for us.

Christ walking on the water is often portrayed as a demonstration of His power over creation. But Fr Thomas reminds us that even though the storms of this life are always present, Jesus uses this difficult circumstance to remind his disciples that He is always with those who love Him and that they should never fear. (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost)

Our Lord taught his disciples to put away anxiety about life and instead trust in God. Fr Thomas reminds us that by seeing life through the teachings of Christ, even the difficulties and tribulations of life will build us up to be stronger followers of Him. (Third Sunday after Pentecost)

On the second Sunday after Pentecost, the Orthodox Church celebrates local Saints of a particular land. Fr Thomas reminds us that Saints teach us in their way of life that they are devoted to accomplish a divine mission, that they have become holy through their practice of the Orthodox way of prayer, and most importantly, that they love God above all else. (Second Sunday after Pentecost - All Saints of North America)

The Samaritan Woman encountered the giver of Living Water at the well of her forefathers. Fr Thomas teaches us that we must seek the Living Water Who is pure Truth, and ourselves be clean containers to receive the grace that God grants to us.

The story of the appearance of Christ to his disciples on the evening of the Resurrection, as well as eight days later, richly demonstrates the importance of gathering together on the Lord's Day - Sunday. Fr. Thomas Soroka reminds us that our gathering together allows us to experience the coming eternal kingdom here and now. (Antipascha - St Thomas Sunday)

The healing of the paralytic is a wonderful gospel scene rich with meaning for us. Fr Tom reminds us that God demonstrates His power when formerly "paralyzed" lives are healed and transformed to become living testimonies to the truth of Christ.

The awesome day of the Lord's return in glory to judge the earth is presented powerfully by the words of the Lord Himself. Fr Tom reminds us that we will experience the mercy and truth of God's presence as the ultimate judgment of how we've lived His command to love God and neighbor.

The Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee is presented to us by the church to set the tone in our preparation for Great Lent. Fr Tom reminds us that both our actions and our attitude counts when it comes to loving God and neighbor. (Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee)