Musings From The High Desert

This week Fr. Gabriel explores the possible meaning of the additional verse, often left out of English Bibles, in which Jesus says that the particular demon in the child is only exorcised with "prayer and fasting." What could this have meant in the context of his ministry with the disciples? What can it mean for us today? (Matthew 17:9-16)

Matthew's Gospel is the only one with the additional story of Peter wanting to walk on water to Jesus when the disciples are in the boat alone and experience trials. We explore the surprising depth in the overall passage for Pentecost 9, along with the Gospel writer's overarching purpose of the Gospel writer in using the Peter story.

The feeding of the 5000 fits into the Gospel of Matthew at a strategic point. All of the gospels are written in such a way as to highlight each individual part in relation to the others. This story is no different. In this homily Fr Gabriel reaches especially toward the interpretation of the text by St. Hilary of Poitiers (310-367), known as "the Athanasius of the West" to highlight the text's meaning for our age.

Christ comes to us proclaiming the Kingdom of God, which comes to us via a two-part Gospel, each part of which connects to the other. The two parts are the forgiveness of sins and the alleviation of human misery. The story of the paralytic in Matthew 9 demonstrates these two aspects once again. In order for us to enact Christ's vision, we have to become a community of forgiveness and healing—but we are often held back. Listen.

This week we are given another healing story. As we always note these stories come to us on two levels: physical and spiritual. This week there is an added twist because the centurion asks on behalf of another. Listen in.

So often we think of these Councils as ancient history, but their message is clear. The Fathers were saving the Gospel in order to save the people. They were seeking to proclaim the Incarnation in all its glory. All these Councils are deeply important for your life and mine today. Listen in.

Simplicity and singularity of vision and purpose are the hallmarks of the week. Focus on the essentials, on what's central. Purity of heart is to will one thing, says Kierkegaard. St. Anthony of the Kievan Caves is a model, as are monastics in general. Avoid the distractions of life and focus on the Kingdom.

Fr. Gabriel focuses on discipleship, using the passage from Matthew 4 where the disciples are called as lead-in to the topic.

Fr Gabriel focuses on the dual nature of the stories of miraculous healing in the gospels, that healing occurs on both the physical and the spiritual levels. John's Gospel begins with the announcement of the Word made flesh who will bring Light and Life into our midst. The chapters from 9 to 11 in particular pick up this theme, speaking as they do of healings of vision and death, thus bringing light and life out of darkness.

Fr Gabriel looks at the communitarian spirit and life of the early church as depicted in Acts. This sub-text in the book makes us ponder the meaning of community in this day and age, particularly as we confront the trials of negotiating a Christian path through an increasingly secularized world. The book referred to in the homily is Rodney Stark's The Rise of Christianity.

So often we pass by the little notes in scripture that are of great importance. In this sermon Fr. Gabriel opens up the small things in the text to reveal the depth of the references to the Holy Myrrhbearers.

In this week's homily, Fr Gabriel outlines various ways in which Thomas—not really the "doubter" we think of according to the longstanding epithet—and we are alike in trying to discover the meaning of the Resurrection for our lives. The passage is quite clear about this, if we but clear our minds of preconceived notions and allow it to speak to us.

This week Fr. Gabriel, having spoken the message of the Triumphal Entry at Great Vespers, dwells on the Epistle for Palm Sunday from Philippians 4, showing its connection to our lives and the mysterious self-emptying of our Lord about which Paul spoke in the previous Christ-hymn at chapter 2.

Fr. Gabriel offers sermons weekly on both lessons, normally the Epistle at Great Vespers on Saturdays and the Gospel at Divine Liturgy on Sunday. This week's sermons explore St. Mary of Egypt weekend from the perspective of the Galatians 3 passage (Saturday), where Paul consider the place of the Law, and the Luke 7 passage on the woman who anoints Jesus and washes his feet with his tears.

Fr. Gabriel offers sermons weekly on both lessons, normally the Epistle at Great Vespers on Saturdays and the Gospel at Divine Liturgy on Sunday. This week's sermons explore St. Mary of Egypt weekend from the perspective of the Galatians 3 passage (Saturday), where Paul consider the place of the Law, and the Luke 7 passage on the woman who anoints Jesus and washes his feet with his tears.

Fr. Gabriel reflects this week on the "hinge" of the gospel of Mark (indeed, the hinge of all the Gospels) which is the movement from the question "who is this man who is so appealing and yet so elusive?" to Jesus' affirmation of what it means for him to be "Son of Man." The hinge that connects these two parts of the Gospel is the confession of Peter. Our text for this week comes shortly thereafter as a challenge to original and contemporary disciples to take up the cross.

This week Fr. Gabriel discusses the personal meaning of St. Gregory's work. Far from being academically theological in a way we cannot understand, St. Gregory's ministry safeguarded our integrity as Christians by focusing on demonstrating our relationship to God.

Fr. Gabriel opens up the big picture on the Iconoclastic Controversy, whose conclusion we commemorate this Sunday. There is much more here than dealing with idolatry, icons, and religious depictions of all kinds. This is about fundamental issues at the very heart of Christianity.

Fr. Gabriel offers his insights into the Gospel text from Matthew for Cheesefare/Forgiveness Sunday.

There are a number of ways to approach the parable of the Last Judgment, which is clearly a teaching parable that Jesus intended to be repetitive so it could be learned. In this year's approach to the parable, Fr. Gabriel emphasizes our response to the parable's admittedly frightening tone, using the words of St. Silouan, "keep your mind in hell, and despair not" as a prism through which to view the parable.