In Sermons:

Forgiveness -- The Epitome Of God's Love For Us Series

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 16, 2024

God's forgiveness heals, forgiveness restores, and forgiveness returns lost souls Home.

While I was on the faculty at Trinity College Theological School, I had the privilege of being invited to serve on the Human Ethics Committee of the Royal Melbourne Hospital. As we know, the Royal Melbourne Hospital is the teaching hospital of Melbourne University. It is directly attached to the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Children Are Windows To Heaven Series

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

Babies and toddlers are windows to Heaven, our Home. I often ask them to tell me of their memories of Heaven because they still remember Home and are windows for us to glimpse into our unfathomable, infinite, glorious Home we have forgotten about.

One thing you may not have heard me say is that I have enjoyed a love affair with children, especially newborns, infants, and toddlers. This love affair started in 1991 when my wife was pregnant with our first child. Let me share with you how this love affair began. In 1990, I was in my second ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:30-37, Philippians 1:21-23, Isaiah 25:8-12, Colossians 3:1-7

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Compassion & Understanding Of The Lord Heals The Canaanite Woman’s Daughter

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

Because we harbour differences, misunderstandings, resentments, and issues that we must sort out with the Lord, he may growl at us when we ask for a favour. But if our faith in God remains unshaken, the Lord will ensure that God will answer our cries for help.

Today, I want to hear God speaking to us through the story of Jesus healing the Canaanite woman’s daughter, who was tormented by a demon. For many reasons, this is a unique and fascinating story. For starters, this story, which is placed in the region of Tyre and Sidon, is among the two stories ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28, Mark 7:24-30

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Thank You, God For Dad, Mum, Grand And Great-Grand Pas And Mas

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

Thanking God for our God-fearing fathers, mothers, and grand- and great-grandparents, who, living and departed, instilled in us the faith.

In Western Christianity, this day (July 26th) is celebrated as the “feast of grandparents.” This feast began with the earliest church traditions, which marked the maternal grandparents of Jesus, Joachim, and Anne. A little bit later, in about the third and fourth centuries, the universal church ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:14-28

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

St. Michael And All Angels

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

Angels are God's agents sent to protect us from all harm

This year, the official feast day of St Michael and All Angels fell on 29 September. It was the Tuesday which preceded the feast of St. Francis last Sunday; we did not get to celebrate God’s angels and talk about them. There are about six hundred references to angels in the Bible, but we seldom ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-14, Revelation 12:7-12

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Light Of God That Falls Upon Us

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

The Light of God appears, falls upon individuals, and shines at events when Heaven and Earth meet. This meeting between Heaven and Earth, God and his people, happens more often than we think. The Light falls upon us and bathes us even though we may not see it unless we are in direct union with God.

The church tradition tells us that Jesus's transfiguration took place on Mount Tabor. The mountain rises like a sugarloaf in a vast plain in the middle of Galilee. The mountain is exceedingly high and beautiful and was anciently covered with green trees and shrubs. Therewith Jesus was Peter ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:16-18, Luke 9:28-36

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Father, The Son And The Holy Spirit

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

God’s love is made known to us through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and continues to work among us in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the church.

I wonder whether you could recall your experiences during the first few months or years when you started working and were a junior employee. Among those experiences, could you remember a few extra things you were expected to do outside your job description that people who had been around for some ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-17, Romans 8:12-17

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Parable Of The Five Wise And Five Foolish Bridesmaids

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

Five Wise and Five Foolish Bridesmaids

Today, as we read in the Gospel Jesus’ parable about the Ten Bridesmaids, I couldn’t but reminisce two memorable experiences I had in September 2013. First, my experience of visiting the Holy Land during the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah is one of Judaism’s holiest days. It ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

St. Luke, The Lord's Apostle And Physician

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

St. Luke—the Turk, the brother of Titus, Paul's personal physician, the historian, and the Evangelist—witnessed Jesus's miracles from a medical doctor's viewpoint and called Jesus the "physician."

Since COVID-19 gripped the world, the first responders such as paramedics, doctors, nurses, law enforcement officers and emergency department personnel have been hailed as heroes and heroines. Indeed, they are. Last Tuesday, I also became somewhat of a first responder when I was called out to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:1-4, 2 Timothy 4:5-18

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Who Are The All Souls & All Saints?

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

All Saints and All Souls are the Church triumphant in Heaven in union with us, the church militant, on earth. There is a deep bond between the two communities, and we join them in Heaven to worship and praise God unceasingly when we come to worship God.

To my understanding, there are three Church festivals that we celebrate grandly, far from knowing what is being genuinely celebrated. They are Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. Out of these three festivals, the most misunderstood and distorted feast is Halloween. We are still fortunate that the ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 34:1-22, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus Is Risen! - He Is Risen Indeed, Halleluiah! Series

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

Jesus' triumph over death on Easter wasn't just his triumph — it is ours, too.

Today's Easter celebration marks the end of Holy Week, in which we commemorate the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is the linchpin of the Christian faith. In his first epistle to the Corinthians – written about twenty years after Jesus' ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-18, Psalm 118:1-2

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Walking Through The Valley Of Death With The Good Shepherd

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

The Valley of Death is a real place and also metaphoric for describing life's trials and daring challenges. Fearlessly, we can walk through any Valley of Death with Jesus, the Good Shephard

The readings you/we have just read are among my most loved passages from God's Word. I know that you love them the most, too. Psalm 23, which we love so much, is, without any doubt, the song of our souls as we live this life as Christians. Even if only we were made to recite and memorise ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:19-25

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Our Home In Heaven & Hope Beyond Death, Series

Contributed by Revd Dr Ruwan Palapathwala on Dec 14, 2024

The Father’s house, where Jesus said he would go and prepare a place for us, is real. Heaven is our home base

The English poet and playwright William Shakespeare is hailed as the most excellent writer of the English language and the world’s greatest dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet. His influence over the last six centuries is immense and continues to influence new authors. He is ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Isaac And The Dirty Wells

Contributed by Alan Mccann on Mar 6, 2023

ISaac digs out the wells his father had dug and the Philistines had filled in

Genesis 26:17-23 - Jacob and dirty wells Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Of the three very little is actually devoted to the life of Isaac. Chapter 26 is entirely devoted to a story about Isaac and if you have time to read the whole chapter you will see that Isaac ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Othniel - Who Won A Bride In A Battle

Contributed by Alan Mccann on Feb 6, 2023

Othniel stands tall and wins Achsah as his bride.

Judges 1.1-13 - Othniel I am not sure how many of you have read the story of Othniel or even know who he is. Othniel’s name means God has helped me or God is my strength. Both of these reflect the character and life of Othniel. He was in fact the first of the Judges sent by God to deliver Israel ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican