Sermons & Homilies – Tagged "Sower"– Holy Cross Monastery

Oct 26, 2025

Becoming Good Soil - Homily for the Parable of the Sower (2025)

What is the state of our heart? In today’s Gospel our Savior presents the parable of the Sower in order to get us to ponder this question. What is the state of our heart? Are we able to bear spiritual fruit? This is the most important question of our life, and we need to be constantly reminded to keep it front and center.

Nov 29, 2020

On the Apostolic Life - A Homily on the Feast of the Evangelist Matthew (2020)

St. Matthew's Gospel not only introduces its readers to Jesus Christ as the prophesied Messiah who came to save sinners, but also illustrates this through the life of the Apostle Matthew.

Oct 29, 2017

Sermon for the 21st Sunday After Pentecost (2017)

In today’s Gospel reading, we heard about the garden of the heart, that area in each person wherein the grace of the Holy Spirit acts and, depending on how the heart has been cultivated, helps each grow spiritually.

How are we to understand this Gospel passage? We should understand that the purpose of instructing with parables is not to convey images which are visible to the eyes of the body. Rather, those images which are understood by our senses are used to communicate spiritual and intellectual realities to the eyes of the mind.

Nov 01, 2015

Sermon on the Parable of the Sower (22nd Sunday after Pentecost, 2015)

We hear in today’s Gospel, the Gospel for Sunday from Luke chapter 8, the Parable of the Sower. In this parable the Lord illustrates four different types of people. Three of these types of people – those on the way, those on the rock, and those in the thorns, do not bring forth any fruit from the sowing. Only those on the ground, that is, those with rich soil, bring forth fruit and are saved. What is this seed which is being sown? It is the Word of God, yes, in one sense being the good news of salvation, the Gospel itself, but what is the seed in essence? Is it not love – pure, undefiled, unmingled, personal, all-powerful, life-creating Divine love?