9.14.23: The Exaltation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross
On this day we commemorate the Exaltation of the Venerable and Life-giving Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Read more about the story of the cross here.
Wishing all those named Stavroula, Stavros, Steven, and others a wonderful and happy name’s day.
09.01.23: Ecclesiastical New Year
Happy New Year!
No, it’s not January 1 – we celebrate the Ecclesiastical New Year today, September 1. On this day, we celebrate Christ entering the synagogue as he began His earthly ministry, fulfilling the Scriptures. To learn more about the Ecclesiastical New Year, click here.
08.15.23: Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Today we celebrate the Dormition (falling asleep) of the Theotokos, the Mother of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. It is not only one of the twelve Great Feast Days of the Orthodox Church but also the feast day and namesake of our Parish. We celebrate not just her assumption into Heaven, but the entirety of her life. Being human like all of us, she willingly accepted God’s plan for her, to be the bearer of God, and to bring Salvation into the world through Jesus Christ. Her life exemplifies living a life devoted to Christ. Join us for the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. today to celebrate this beautiful feast.
Icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos by Athanasios Clark (tomclarkicons.com)
08.09.23: Akathist to the Theotokos: Nurturer of Children
During this period of fasting and prayer in preparation for the feast day of the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15, we gather each Wednesday and Friday for an evening service directed to the Theotokos called the Paraklesis, asking for her intercession to her Son, our God, for our salvation. Prior to this service, we pray the “Akathist to the Mother of God: Nurturer of Children.” Poetic petitions are recited in the hymn, asking for the Holy mother to intercede for the protection, nourishment, and salvation of our children. You can find the petitions here.
We invite you to join us for these beautiful services beginning at 5:30 p.m. (sharp) in the Nave prior to the Paraklesis services (6:00 p.m.).
6.28.23: Feast of Apostles Peter and Paul
On Thursday, June 29, we commemorate Saints Peter and Paul, the Holy Apostles. They were chosen by Jesus to spread His teachings and build His Church, leaving an indelible mark on Christianity. Saint Peter, the rock upon which the Church was built, exemplified faith and leadership. His unwavering devotion to Christ inspires us to be strong pillars of faith in our own lives. Saint Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, underwent a profound conversion and became an ardent advocate for the Gospel. Join us for the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.
Learn more about the lives of Saints Peter and Paul Here.
6.15.23: Sign Up for June 25th, Meal Packing Event
On Sunday, June 25, St. Mary’s is hosting another Harvest Pack meal-packing event to help nourish those in our community who are in need. To date, we have packed 144,080 meals. With your help, we will add an additional 15,000. It’s a fun, quick, and rewarding 2 hours. So, sign up today right here.
WEBINAR
Understanding Social Media From an Orthodox Perspective: Practical Tips for Parenting in the Digital Age
Wednesday, Jun 14, 2023—8:30 pm (CST)
Join us for a presentation focusing on how we, as Orthodox Christians, can better use social media, and help our children develop healthy relationships with these platforms. We will cover how to protect your children online, how to teach your children discernment, as well as provide a breakdown of the most popular social media. Register HERE
6.07.23: We Share Wednesday—Pentecost
This past Sunday, we celebrated the feast of Holy Pentecost, which is the celebration of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Fr. Timothy Sas delivered a sermon on the importance of God as the All-Holy Spirit in our lives and why we absolutely need Him to help us realize our purpose. Watch the full sermon here.
5.10.23: We Share Wednesday—Mid-Pentecost
The icon is a depiction of Christ as a young man teaching the elders at the Temple (John 7:14-30). This icon is associated with today’s Feast of Mid-Pentecost, a midpoint between the two great Feasts of Pascha and Pentecost. The theme of the Feast focuses on Christ as Teacher and is closely linked to the Sunday of the Paralytic which just passed.
Learn more about the significance of today’s Feast and the relationship between the religious practices of Jesus’ time and how we observe them in our Orthodox Christian liturgical life.
Click Here.
On this past Sunday of the Paralytic, Fr. Tim delivers a sermon on the Gospel Reading (John 5:1–15). He explains what it means to continue the healing work of Jesus Christ and to be a helpful hand in leading those in need to the healing waters of Jesus Christ. Watch the full sermon here.
Fr. Jason Houck gives a sermon on how “leaving out critical information” can be dangerous for Christians, especially when we are afraid to share this “critical information”. Watch the full sermon here.
The Jesus Prayer is a short formulaic prayer, recited often in Eastern Christianity: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The prayer has been widely taught and discussed throughout the history of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Though identified more closely with Eastern Christianity, the prayer is found in Western Christianity as well. To learn more about this powerful little prayer, click here.
4.26.23: Mark the Apostle and Evangelist
Yesterday, April 25, we celebrated the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark. Learn more about the follower of Christ, martyr, church founder, and author of the second Gospel here and here.
On this past Sunday of Thomas, Fr. John gives a sermon on what it means to live a life in Christ and what the promise of the Resurrection means for us in our lives today. Watch the full sermon here.
4.23.23: The feast of Holy Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer
Today we commemorate the Holy Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer. He is one of the more popular Saints of the church because of his legendary story and his namesake. A blessed name’s day to all those named George or Georgia and all the variations of the name. Also, a blessed Feast Day to our sister parish, St. George Greek Orthodox in St. Paul, Minnesota. Click here to read more about St. George.
Fr. Timothy gives a sermon about what the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem means for us and how we should remember the Gospel of Palm Sunday. Watch the full sermon here.
On the Saturday before Holy Week, the Orthodox Church commemorates a major feast day: the miracle of Christ raising Lazarus from the dead. In triumph and joy, the Church bears witness to the power of Christ over death and exalts Him as King before entering the most solemn week of the year, one that leads the faithful in remembrance of His suffering and death and concludes with the great and glorious Feast of Pascha. The full story of the miracle of Lazarus, its significance, and meaning of the icon, can be found here.
4.05.23: We Share Wednesday – Be The Bee #36: Confession
This episode of “Be the Bee” explores the practical ways Holy Confession is a powerful tool offered to us on our road to repentance. It reminds us: “Confession isn’t about God’s judgment. It’s about His mercy and His love.” Watch the full video here.
Holy Confession will be offered at St. Mary’s tonight from 4:00-5:45 p.m., or by scheduling time directly with a priest.
This past Sunday, St. Mary’s was blessed to have our former Presbyter, Fr. Paul Paris, join us. Fr. Paul discusses in his sermon where we are at in our Lenten journey, what we are called to do as followers of Christ, and the timely example of St. Mary of Egypt. Watch the full sermon here.
On a recent episode of “Live with The Louhs,” a weekly podcast by Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne Louh, guest Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis shares insights about staying strong during Great Lent. He offers practical encouragement to those who have been deeply committed throughout Lent, as well as those struggling to get their journey going. Regardless of where you are on your walk of faith this Lent, we’d like to offer this beautiful conversation as a word of encouragement. Listen to the episode here.
Like the superheroes of our pop culture, we too have tools to fight evil. Fr. Jason Houck talks about these tools given to us by God as he reflects on the Gospel reading from Mark 9:17-31. Watch the video of the sermon here.
As we were recently reminded on the Sunday of the Holy Cross, we now find ourselves at the midway point of Great Lent. Perhaps it’s a good time to ask ourselves: How is our Lenten journey going? There’s a wonderful article over on GOARCH by George Tsongranis (M.Div) if you’d like to read more about balancing these supports linked here.
On this past Sunday of the Holy Cross, the Third Sunday of Great Lent, Fr. Timothy Sas delivered a sermon on the Gospel Reading (Mark 8:34—9:1). Fr. Tim explored the message of our Lord when He told his disciples to “deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. Watch the sermon here.
St. Mary’s hosted the second Sunday of Lenten Pan-Orthodox Vespers during which Fr. Timothy Sas delivered a brief sermon on the Aposticha that was chanted during the service. Watch the full sermon here.
3.10.23: Foster Your Spiritual Fitness With This Book Recommendation
A few weeks ago, we offered Daily Prayer as a helpful practice to foster one’s spiritual fitness. Today, we offer the idea of reading a Christian-themed book. As March is recognized as Women’s History Month, we’d like to recommend “The Forgotten Desert Mothers: Sayings, Lives, and Stories of Early Christian Women” by Laura Swan. Both informative and inspiring, the book makes a great accompaniment to your Lenten journey. We invite you to join us in reading this book as an informal St. Mary’s Social Media Book Club. We’ll be sharing select insights from the text a bit later this spring. “The Forgotten Desert Mothers” can be purchased through the St. Mary’s Bookstore or online…but we recommend the bookstore!
Over this past weekend, the Twin Cities welcomed Priest and Master Iconographer Fr. Anthony Salzman who was the honored guest at a Pan-Orthodox Lenten retreat on iconography. On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, St. Mary’s was blessed to have him deliver the sermon. Fr. Anthony spoke on his roots in Minnesota, how he was transformed from artist to Orthodox and was called to the priesthood and “take up his cross” as we are told in the Gospel that was read during Liturgy. Watch the full video of his sermon here.
For more information on Fr. Anthony’s iconography work, visit his website here.
3.3.23: Fast Friday | The Akathist Hymn
On the first four Fridays of Lent, we chant the Service of the Salutations to the Theotokos at Small Compline. On the fifth Friday of Lent, we chant the Canon of the Akathist in its entirety.
To learn how to chant these beautiful hymns of Our Church here.
3.1.23: We Share Wednesday | Be the Bee #25: Fasting From More Than Food
Great Lent is underway, and with that, Orthodox Christians around the world have begun their Lenten fasts. But while conversations about fasting often focus on what we can and cannot eat, that’s only part of the story. This episode of “Be the Bee” explores Scriptural teachings revealing the importance of controlling not only what goes into our mouths, but what comes out of them as we work to grow in Christ and prepare for His Resurrection. We hope this reminder may serve you as you begin your Lenten journey. To view the full video, click here.
In preparation for the Lenten journey and in light of Forgiveness Sunday, Fr. John Kostas delivers a sermon on a subject that can be difficult in practice; forgiveness. Fr. John describes what it means to truly forgive, as it is written in the Gospels, and provides meditations on ways to prepare the heart for the act of forgiveness. Watch the video here.
2.22.23: We Share Wednesday: The Person of Christ, Episode 5
Recently, the Metropolis of Chicago launched a twelve-part video series, “The Person of Christ.” Today, we’re highlighting episode 5: Temple: Jesus Christ, the Church, Your Body. In this episode, Fr. Alexis Torrance shares the many appearances of temples in the Bible before exploring the way that Christ “became our temple to make us His temple” and what that means for us. To learn more about Living Water and “The Person of Christ”, and to view additional study resources, click here.
Fr. Timothy Sas examines the message from Jesus in the Gospel reading of Matthew 25:31-46 and what it means in regard to our Final Judgement. Watch the full video of the sermon here.
St. Mary’s was blessed to have Dan Christopulos, Development Director at OCMC (Orthodox Christian Mission Center), deliver a sermon on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. Dan shared his thoughts on the joy inherent in the Gospel Reading and related it to the mission work of OCMC. Watch the full video here.
2.8.23: Recipe for a Married Life
Proverbs 3:3-4: Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Today we conclude our series sharing selections from Fr. Anthony Coniaris’ “A Recipe for Married Life.” To download the entire recipe, click here.
This past weekend, St. Mary’s hosted the Western Region Family Basketball Tournament, a longstanding event that brings together parishes within the Chicago Metropolis to participate in a weekend full of fellowship in faith. St. Mary’s welcomed several guest clergy members from the parishes that participated in the tournament. The Sunday sermon was delivered by the parish priest of The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Fr. Ciprian Sas.
Fr. Ciprian spoke on the Gospel reading about the Publican and the Pharisee and reflected on aspects of the tournament weekend including highlights from the Saturday Banquet’s keynote speech by Paul Karos. Watch the full video here.
2.3.23: Western Region Family Basketball Tournament
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20) In keeping with the tournament’s theme, “Fellowship in Faith,” we at St. Mary’s GOC would like to extend a warm welcome to all participating churches: St. Mary’s OCA, Annunciation GOC of Milwaukee, Sts. Constantine and Helen of Milwaukee, and St. George GOC of St. Paul. Good health, fellowship and blessings to all those participating! For this weekend’s schedule of events, click here.
Fr. Jason Houck uses the analogy of “cleaning house” to relate this past Sunday’s Epistle reading (II Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1) to today’s family life. He underscores the importance of preparing for “The Most Important Guest” and what that means in the context of liturgical life. Watch the video here.
Fr. Timothy Sas delivers a sermon on the Gospel reading about the tax collector Zacchaeus and his thirst and hunger to know Jesus Christ. Fr. Timothy draws an important connection between the person of Zacchaeus and all of us who desire Jesus Christ in our lives. Watch the video here.
Fr. Jason Houck delivers a sermon on the 12th Sunday of Luke that reflects on how we embrace those who are foreigners to our community and how we are called by Christ to treat them. Watch the full video here.
Fr. Timothy Sas presents a sermon on the balance of humility and confidence and ultimately addresses where the source of our confidence should come from. Watch the video here.
Happy New Year! This past Sunday we not only celebrated the first day of the new year, but we also celebrated the Divine Liturgy and commemorated the Circumcision of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, as well as the Feast Day of St. Basil the Great. Fr. Timothy Sas gave a sermon on the covenant of circumcision and how this relates to us today. Watch the full video here.
12.28.22: We Share Wednesday: The Person of Christ, Episode 4 “The Stone the Builders Rejected: The Cornerstone”
Earlier this month, the Metropolis of Chicago launched a twelve-part video series, “The Person of Christ.” Today, we’re highlighting episode 4: “The Stone the Builders Rejected: The Cornerstone.” To learn more about Living Water and “The Person of Christ”, and to view additional study resources, click here.
On this Eleventh Sunday of Luke, Fr. Paul Kalina delivers a sermon that reflects on the excuses of those who were invited to the banquet in the Gospel reading (Luke 14:16-24) and our own excuses for not drawing closer to God. Watch the full video here.
12.7.22: We Share Wednesday: The Person of Christ, Episode 3: Jesus THE Christ
Earlier this month, the Metropolis of Chicago launched a twelve-part video series, “The Person of Christ.” Today, we’re highlighting episode 3: Jesus THE Christ. To learn more about Living Water and “The Person of Christ”, and to view additional study resources, click here.
12.6.22: A Lesson on St. Nicholas
Fr. Timothy Sas gives a sermon on St. Nicholas the Wonderworker whose Feast Day we celebrate on December 6. Watch the video here.
Fr. Jason Houck gives a sermon on how understanding the larger context, specifically when reading the Bible, allows for the proper interpretation of The Message. His example is illustrated by reading the paragraphs that precede the Gospel from Luke 13:10–17 on the Tenth Sunday of Luke (12/04/22). Watch the full video here.
11.30.22: We Share Wednesday: The Person of Christ, Episode 2: The Power of the Name: Jesus
Earlier this month, the Metropolis of Chicago launched a twelve-part video series, “The Person of Christ.” Today, we’re highlighting episode 2: The Power of the Name: Jesus. To learn more about Living Water and “The Person of Christ”, and to view additional study resources, click here.
11.28.22 Monday Message: The Impossible is Possible with God
On this Thirteenth Sunday of Luke, Fr. John Kostas shared a relevant and timely message on the Gospel reading (Luke 18:18-27) and how the difficult and seemingly impossible things become possible through God. Watch the full video here.
11.23.22 Happy Thanksgiving From St. Mary’s! Harvest Pack Dec. 4th.
We at St. Mary’s pray that the Lord will bless you with warmth, love and a full table this Thanksgiving. And what better way to give thanks this holiday season than to offer your time to help put food on the table for others in our community. This year, St. Mary’s Missions and Outreach Ministry is hosting a meal pack event for Harvest Pack on Sunday, December 4 after Liturgy. To sign up, click here.
11.21.22: Monday Message: Ownership
Engagement, Generosity, and Ownership are the key principal topics that are part of our stewardship theme for 2023. Last week, Fr. Paul Kalina shared his thoughts on “generosity and the Church”. The week prior, Fr. Jason Houck spoke about engagement. This week, Fr. Timothy Sas spoke about “Ownership in Christian Life” in his sermon on the Ninth Sunday of Luke.
Watch the full video here.
11.18.22: The Symbolism of Color in the Orthodox Church and Advent
The Orthodox Church is rich with symbolism, and one of the times this is most evident is: Advent. For a deeper dive into the symbolism of color in the Orthodox Church and the Liturgy, we recommend starting here.
11.16.22: We Share Wednesday: Living Water 12-Part Series: The Person of Christ
This week, the Metropolis of Chicago launched the inaugural production of Living Water Productions called “The Person of Christ”. The 12-episode video series explores the question, Who is Jesus Christ? The video series is intended for Orthodox Christian faithful, as well as faith seekers, to deepen knowledge of and relationship with Jesus Christ. To learn more about Living Water and “The Person of Christ”, and to view additional study resources, click here.
11.14.22: Monday Message: Generosity
Engagement, generosity, and ownership are the three key principal topics that are part of our stewardship theme. Last week Fr. Jason Houck spoke about engagement. This week, Fr. Paul Kalina shared his thoughts on generosity and the Church in his sermon given on the Eighth Sunday of Luke. Watch the full video on YouTube here.
11.7.22: Monday Message: Engagement
In our Monday Message, we replay the sermon by Fr. Jason Houck on the Seventh Sunday of Luke. Fr. Jason references “jargon” commonly found in the workplace. One such reference is “Say, Stay, and Strive”—a term used in human resource departments to describe how engaged employees are. Fr. Jason applies this thinking to ways we can live an engaged life in the Church. Watch the full video on YouTube here.
11.2.22: We Share Wednesday: Sts. Kosmas and Damianos
Yesterday the Orthodox Church commemorated the Feast of Saints Kosmas and Damianos, the Holy Unmercenaries and Patron Saints of the Greek Orthodox Church in Rochester, Minnesota. These Saints were physicians of all kinds of illnesses and maladies. They did their work freely, not accepting payment for attending to the sick. In the spirit of We Share Wednesday, we want to give a special shout-out to our sister parish in Rochester. For more information about Sts. Kosmos and Damianos, click here. .
This week on the Fifth Sunday of Luke, October 30, 2022, Fr. Timothy Sas delivered the sermon on the Gospel reading from Luke 16:19–31. For our Monday Message, we replay this sermon on how “being awake” and “being present” allows us to be more like Lazaros instead of the rich man. Watch the full video on YouTube here.
10.19.22: We Share Wednesday: Patristix | Making the Sign of the Cross
Making the sign of the cross with our right hand across our bodies is a short prayer and statement of faith, which beautifully affirms the victory of Christ. While we don’t know exactly where the ritual first came into being, historical references do suggest it likely goes back to the very earliest days of the church. You can watch the full video from Patristix here.
10.12.22: We Share Wednesday: Hesychasm & St. Symeon the New Theologian
Today we commemorate St. Symeon the New Theologian. A “hesychast,” he was dedicated to the practice of acquiring inner stillness and divine quietness. He personally experienced a series of visions of divine radiance while alone in prayer. His life and example remind us that, in stillness, we may worship the incomprehensible. One way to pray in such a way is to repeat the Jesus prayer in solitude: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”
View a short video depicting Orthodox Hesychasm by clicking here.
10.7.22: Feast Day of St. Sergius and St. Bacchus of Syria
Today we commemorate the Feast Day of St. Sergius and Bacchus of Syria, Romans of high rank who were martyred after refusing to honor the pagan gods and confessing their Christian Faith. The two friends were inseparable, “one in the love of Christ,” and serve as a reminder of the importance of friendship for Orthodox Christians today. We are called by St. Paul in Thessalonians 5:11 to “encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” Build up a friend today! Learn more about St. Sergius and Bacchus here.
10.5.22: We Share Wednesday: Be the Bee Podcast #32: Faith and Doubt
On October 6, we commemorate the Feast Day of the Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas- known to many as “Doubting Thomas,” Episode 32 of the Orthodox Series “Be the Bee” explores this and other instances of doubt referenced in the New Testament. The episode calls the term “Doubting Thomas” into question, and it reminds us: “Doubt isn’t a problem. In fact, it’s the very thing that allows us to have faith.”
10.5.22: We Share Wednesday: Person to Person Podcast
The Person to Person Podcast, hosted by St. Mary’s own Paul Karos and Dr. Harry Boosalis, recently wrapped up a four-part series on love, during which the hosts took a deep dive into these questions and more. Find the full series here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
9.14.22: The Exaltation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross
On this day we commemorate the Exaltation of the Venerable and Life-giving Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Read more about the story of the cross here.
Wishing all those named Stavroula, Stavros, Steven, and others a wonderful and happy name’s day.
This past weekend St. Mary’s celebrated its Greek Festival and took some time on Sunday to reflect on the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In tribute to this tragic event, Fr. Timothy Sas delivers a sermon on the importance of embracing life without fear and with faith in the resurrection. Watch the full video on YouTube here.
9.7.22: We Share Wednesday: Taste of Greece is Back!
The event returns after a two-year hiatus, and plans to bring people together to experience Greek culture and the Orthodox Christian faith while supporting philanthropy. For more information on the Minneapolis Taste of Greece Festival, food menu, and activities, please visit MPLSGreekFest.org, or follow us on socials: Facebook @MPLSGreekFest or Instagram @MPLSGreekFestival
9.7.22: We Share Wednesday: Intro to Orthodox Christianity
Join MEOCCA for a 12-week Intro to Orthodox Christianity Catechism Course. The course is free and is open to anyone interested in learning more about Orthodox Christianity. For more info, please visit www.meocca.org. Classes will take place in person and on Zoom.
Register here.
9.1.22: Ecclesiastical New Year
Happy New Year!
September 1 marks the beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year for Orthodox Christians worldwide. Today we also commemorate Jesus’s entry into the synagogue in Nazareth, where He read from the book of the Prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for which cause He hath anointed Me…” (Luke 4:16-30). Read more about the Ecclesiastical New Year, Here.
St. Mary’s was blessed to have Fr. George Dokos in town to celebrate the Divine Liturgy with us on the Eleventh Sunday of Matthew, August 28, 2022. In this week’s Monday Message, we replay Fr. George’s sermon from yesterday on how “Meekness is not weakness.“
Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ByqaLNPeU08
8.29.22: :The Beheading of St. John the Baptist
Today we commemorate The Beheading of the Prophet and Forerunner of the Lord, St. John the Baptist. It is the celebration of his martyrdom at the orders of Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee, the son of Herod the Great. Although an established Feast day by the church, it is observed as a day of strict fast day because of the violent death of the saint. The martyrdom of John the Baptist is accounted in Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29 in the New Testament. Read more on the history of the feast day here.
To continue the joy of the Sunday liturgy into the week, we present the Monday Message—a replay of the Sunday Sermon. This week on the Tenth Sunday of Matthew, August 21, 2022, Fr. Timothy Sas delivers the sermon “Christ Can Move Mountains Through Us”
8.15.22: The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady, The Theotokos
Each year on August 15, we commemorate the Dormition or “Kimisis” (Greek: “falling asleep”) of the Mother of Jesus Christ, Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos (Greek: “One who gave birth to God”), and Ever-Virgin Mary. Additionally, we celebrate the assumption of her body and soul into God’s heavenly kingdom.