The Orthodox Faith: Homilies and Catechism with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at ⁠St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA⁠.+++Homily, 02.01.2026 - Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican, Forefeast of the Presentation (Meeting) of ChristTHE EPISTLE(For Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican)Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.The Reading from the Second Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy. (3:10-15) My son Timothy, you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience, persecutions, sufferings, what things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra. What persecutions I endured! And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Indeed all who would live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But people who are wicked and deceivers will proceed from worse to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and how from infancy you have known the sacred temple writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.THE GOSPEL(For Sunday of the Pharisee and Publican)The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (18:10-14)The Lord spoke this parable: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at ⁠St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA⁠.+++Homily, 01.25.2025 - Gregory the Theologian, archbishop of Constantinople & Fifteenth Sunday of Luke (Zacchaeus)THE EPISTLE(For Gregory the Theologian)My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.Hear this, all ye people.The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews. (7:26-8:2)Brethren, it was fitting that we should have such a High Priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; He did this once for all when He offered up Himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son Who has been made perfect forever. Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a High Priest, one Who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord.THE GOSPEL(For the Fifteenth Sunday of Luke—“Zacchaeus Sunday”)The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (19:1-10)At that time, Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich.  And he sought to see Who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature.  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus, for He was to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”  And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”  And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.+++Homily, 01.04.2026 - Forefeast of & Sunday before Theophany of Christ THE EPISTLE(For the Sunday before the Theophany of Christ)O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance. Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord my God.The Reading from St. Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy. (4:5-8) Timothy, my son, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.THE GOSPEL(For the Sunday before the Theophany of Christ)The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. (1:1-8)The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes He Who is mightier than I, the strap of Whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.+++THE EPISTLE(For the Sunday after Nativity of Christ)God is wondrous in His saints. Bless God in the congregations.The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. (1:11-19)Brethren, I would have you know that the Gospel, which was preached by me, is not man’s gospel.  For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.  For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people; so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.  But when He who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, in order that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus.  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days.  But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.THE GOSPEL(For the Sunday after Nativity of Christ)The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (2:13-23)When the wise men had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him.”  And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.  This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called My Son.”  Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region, who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.”  But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”  And he rose and took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.  And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” 

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 11.30.2025 - The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called; the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (4:9-16); the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (1:35-51)Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 11.23.2025 - Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost & Ninth Sunday of Luke; the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians. (2:14-22); the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (12:16-21)Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 11.02.2025 - Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost & Fifth Sunday of LukeOrthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 10.25.2025 - Great-Martyr Demetrios the Myrrh-Streaming & Sixth Sunday of Luke; the Second Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy. (2:1-10); the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (8:26-39)Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 10.19.2025 - Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost & Third Sunday of Luke; the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (11:31-12:9); the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (7:11-16)Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 10.12.2025 - Sunday of Holy Fathers of Seventh Ecumenical Council & Fourth Sunday of Luke; the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Titus. (3:8-15); the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (8:5-15)Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Homily, 10.05.2025 - Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost & Second Sunday of Luke; the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. (6:16-7:1); the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (6:31-36)Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.

Orthodox homilies and catechism classes with Fr. Jeremiah Vollman, priest at St. Paul Orthodox Church, Brier, WA.