The Orthodox Christian Studies Center (OCSC) of Fordham University, in collaboration with the Department of Religious Education (DRE) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, is pleased to announce the BONUS EDITION of the Speaker Series: Orthodox Scholars Preach. Almost every week until Pentecost, a different Orthodox Scholar will release a new 10-minute video. This Series provides a platform for Orthodox scholars to reflect on the spiritual themes of each Sunday's liturgical calendar while drawing on their expertise.

This week’s sermon for the Sunday of the Paralytic at the Bethesda Pool is given by Fr. Eugen J. Pentiuc.

One of the most defining marks of Judaism, past and present, is the observance of the Sabbath day. The canonical gospels depict Jesus healing sick folks on the Sabbath, thus attracting the harsh criticism of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day. Moreover, in John 5:1–15, Jesus commands the paralytic man to “carry” his pallet-to do some work,

which was forbidden on Sabbath. But this was just the starting point for Jesus to show his humanistic view on Sabbath, God and human beings. Fr. Pentiuc [hchc.edu: https://www.hchc.edu/faculty/rev-fr-e...] unpacks all these interesting details in his sermon.

Fr. Pentiuc is Archbishop Demetrios Professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Origins and Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Fr. Pentiuc, author of six monographs, among them The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition (OUP, 2014), and editor of The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in Orthodox Christianity (OUP, forthcoming 2022), he is currently working on a new book under contract with Oxford University Press, titled Reading the Hebrew Bible: An Orthodox Biblical Theology in Conversation with St. Basil’s Anaphora.