Homilies, Messages & Encyclicals

HOMILY By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Vespers of Contrition Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church

On this evening, when entering upon our journey of Great Lent, I would ask each and every one of you to look as deeply as possible into your hearts. Search out your motivations, and set an intention for these next Forty Days. Each of us has been blessed by God and received grace to travel through Lent, but our destination may not be as obvious as you might think. Read More
Homily of Archbishop Elpidophoros at the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Holy and Great Thursday

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, Today, we gather in the Upper Room, the Ἀνώγαιον on Mount Zion, with our Master and Lord, and we celebrate the foretaste of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This Mystical Meal is not a so-called, “Last Supper,” as it is known in the West. This designation comes from the desire to reduce the importance of the Eucharist in the early Reformation, by denying the repeatability of the Supper in the Roman Catholic Mass. If the Mystical Supper, as we Orthodox know it, is a “Last Supper,” then the Eucharist is somehow diminished, which is what happened in the Reformed Movement we know as Protestantism. The reality of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist disappeared in Protestantism over the centuries, even if the Roman Catholic Church stood firm with its doctrine of Transubstantiation. Read More
Homily of Archbishop Elpidophoros at the Service of Holy Unction and Holy and Great Wednesday

Beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, Tonight, we come to the Lord, so as to be anointed by Him with the oil of gladness and healing, and for the forgiveness of our sins.1 Last evening, we witnessed the Lord receiving Anointing with Holy Myrrh in anticipation of His Burial. But why? Because there would be no time to anoint His Sacred Body in the Grave. For when the Sabbath was finally past, and the Myrrh-bearers returned, the Tomb was Empty. Read More
Archiepiscopal Encyclical on the Great and Holy Pascha April 24, 2022

My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Christ descended alone to the Gates of Hades, He returned taking many spoils of His victory. Read More
Homily of Archbishop Elpidophoros for Palm Sunday

Beloved in Christ, Today, the Assembly of the Orthodox celebrates with great joy and thanksgiving, as we behold our King – the King of Kings – coming to us, to the Holy City of Jerusalem, to conquer death, the greatest enemy of all. Read More
SPEAKER SERIES: Orthodox Scholars Preach - Palm Sunday, April 17

Fr. Nicolas Kazarian: Ecumenical Officer and Director | Parish Priest Read More
Archbishop Elpidophoros Homily for the Sunday of Orthodoxy

On this First Sunday of Holy and Great Lent, we gather as a community of Greek Orthodox Christians in one of the historic neighborhoods of our Archdiocese and its Cathedral Church of Saint Demetrios. We gather in prayer and supplication on behalf of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, who are suffering from the barbaric invasion of their country by a tyrant with no regard for the rule of law or moral decency. Read More
SPEAKER SERIES: Orthodox Scholars Preach - Forgiveness Sunday, March 6

Dr. Donna Rizk Asdourian: Author | Blogger | Founder of Orthodox Women's Ministry Read More
Homily for the Divine Liturgy of the First Resurrection

We observe silence and interior stillness in the presence of this profound mystery, the Sabbath of Rest, of our Lord in the Tomb. The Church is muted and even in some, no lights are on, except on the Holy Altar. Read More
Homily for the Service of the Lamentations at the Tomb

In this, our holy Epitaphios Service, we read this prophecy and the vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones, after our chants of eager expectation in the resurrection of the Life in the Tomb – Ἡ Ζωὴ ἐν τάφῳ. Read More

HOMILY By His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America At the Vespers of Contrition Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church

Homily of Archbishop Elpidophoros at the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Holy and Great Thursday

Homily of Archbishop Elpidophoros at the Service of Holy Unction and Holy and Great Wednesday

Archiepiscopal Encyclical on the Great and Holy Pascha April 24, 2022

Homily of Archbishop Elpidophoros for Palm Sunday

SPEAKER SERIES: Orthodox Scholars Preach - Palm Sunday, April 17

Archbishop Elpidophoros Homily for the Sunday of Orthodoxy

SPEAKER SERIES: Orthodox Scholars Preach - Forgiveness Sunday, March 6

Homily for the Divine Liturgy of the First Resurrection

Homily for the Service of the Lamentations at the Tomb

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Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Celebrating 100 years!