Kingdom of Heaven is a Mother

Kingdom of Heaven is a Mother

For the festival of the Falling Asleep of Mary; also called the Dormition and the Assumption, Fr. John Brian goes into the symbolism in our daily practical Orthodox Christian spirituality. He refers to Hebrews Chapter 9 to enhance the teaching of symbols in Christianity.

Mary, Theotokos, Mother of God, is a symbol of the church and the church ought to be a representation of heaven on earth, as our Holy Fathers in Orthodoxy have taught us.

Please pray for Fr. John Brian who continues to encourage us in the continuing development of Christian spirituality.

This sermon uses and refers to scripture readings appointed by the Syrian Malankara calendar and was given on Sunday, August 18, 2013 by Fr. John-Brian Paprock at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission Chapel, Madison, Wisconsin.

Please pray for our mission and help us as you are able.

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Kingdom of Heaven is Being More Alive

Kingdom of Heaven is Being More Alive

For the mission festival of Transfiguration, Fr. John Brian gives an inspirational sermon on the epistle readings from 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 and James chapter 2.

Therein is the key to understanding what it is to be Christian. Christian spirituality and living requires faith and good works.

We need such trust of Christ toward God to know that our sufficiency is from God. And, we are called live that way - and be more alive.

Please pray for Fr. John Brian who continues to encourage us in the continuing development of Christian spirituality.

This sermon uses and refers to scripture readings appointed by the Syrian Malankara calendar and was given on Sunday, August 4, 2013 by Fr. John-Brian Paprock at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission Chapel, Madison, Wisconsin.

Please pray for our mission and help us as you are able.

PODCAST OR DOWNLOAD: http://feeds.feedburner.com/frjohnbrian or
http://frjohnbrian.hipcast.com/rss/spiritual_reflections_or_fr_john_brian.xml
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Kingdom of Heaven is for Children

Kingdom of Heaven is for Children

Today's sermon is about Matthew Chapter 18 where there is a recorded event where Jesus uses children among the crowd to emphasize an important lesson: the quality of children ought to emulated.

There is some variety of which qualities He was emphasizing, but one which is mentioned today is humility. But it is often overlooked that, in Matthew's gospel, it is not only the manner we approach the kingdom of heaven, but also how we should receive others.

Entering the Kingdom of Heaven is a present moment dilemma. As we grow up in the ways of the world, we lose the very things we need to know God and be with Him.

Please pray for Fr. John Brian who continues to encourage us in the continuing development of Christian spirituality.

This sermon uses and refers to scripture readings appointed by the Syrian Malankara calendar and was given on Sunday, July 28, 2013 by Fr. John-Brian Paprock at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission Chapel, Madison, Wisconsin.

Please pray for our mission and help us as you are able.

PODCAST OR DOWNLOAD: http://feeds.feedburner.com/frjohnbrian or
http://frjohnbrian.hipcast.com/rss/spiritual_reflections_or_fr_john_brian.xml
LISTEN ON-LINE HERE:

Kingdom of Heaven is a Garden

Kingdom of Heaven is a Garden

Three different parables about the Kingdom of Heaven are given in Matthew Chapter 13: field for harvest; the mustard seed; and leavening.

The beginning of our connectedness to God is a garden and its fruit, a place where life is allowed to grow.

Parables are filled with spiritual symbolism and moral lessons. Jesus taught in this way to ensure that person to person instruction, a certain connectedness, happened in Christian spiritual development.

Combining the lesson from St Paul's second Epistle to the Corinthians, Fr. John Brian moves us to greater closeness to that garden of truth and life and love of God.

Please pray for Fr. John Brian who continues to encourage us in the continuing development of Christian spirituality.

This sermon uses and refers to scripture readings appointed by the Syrian Malankara calendar and was given on Sunday, July 21, 2013 by Fr. John-Brian Paprock at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission Chapel, Madison, Wisconsin.

Please pray for our mission and help us as you are able.

PODCAST OR DOWNLOAD: http://feeds.feedburner.com/frjohnbrian or
http://frjohnbrian.hipcast.com/rss/spiritual_reflections_or_fr_john_brian.xml
LISTEN ON-LINE HERE: