Speaking the Truth in Love Compelling Commentary on Christian Belief and Behavior

Start date: February 2008 5277 minutes, 18 seconds in 153 episodes

Providing compelling commentary on Christian belief and behavior, Fr. Tom Hopko has joined the growing podcast family of Ancient Faith Radio. Also want to check out his other podcast on Ancient Faith Radio called The Names of Jesus.

Fr. Tom reads all of his email and he will do his best to respond if requested as he is able.

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Episodes

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Date	Title & Description	Duration
Feb 06, 2010	The Sunday of the Last Judgment Fr. Tom reflects upon Matthew 25:31 - 46, the Parable of the Last Judgment Click to play	29:15
Feb 04, 2010	Theological Reflections On Calamity How should we reflect on calamity and disasters like what was experienced in Haiti from a Christian perspective? Is God exacting judgment or is there another explanation? Fr. Tom Hopko helps us think this through. Click to play	54:31
Feb 03, 2010	The Prodigal Son and The Father’s House Fr. Thomas takes a second look at the story of The Prodigal Son, this time focusing on the meaning of The Father's House. Click to play	20:42
Jan 31, 2010	Doctrinal Development Today Fr. Tom talks about theological formulation and explanation in the Orthodox Christian Church. Click to play	47:17
Jan 31, 2010	The Prodigal Son, The Elder Brother, The Merciful Father In the first of two meditations on the story known as The Prodigal Son, Fr. Tom takes a look at the three characters in the drama. Click to play	17:15
Jan 29, 2010	Speaking Out For Life Fr. Tom was unable to attend the March for Life rally in Washington DC earlier this week but he did think about what he would have said had he been given the opportunity to speak. Click to play	23:15
Jan 28, 2010	Meeting of Christ in the Temple Fr. Hopko explains that this feast marks the end of the Winter Pascha and the beginning of the season of repentance. Click to play	50:13
Jan 26, 2010	Christianity in the Time of Darwin In part 3 of the Darwin series, Fr. Tom explores the Darwin era and what was happening at that time in Christianity. Click to play	48:47
Jan 23, 2010	Reflections on the Life and Work of Charles Darwin Fr. Tom continues his series on Darwin and Christianity. This is part 2. Click to play	53:47
Jan 20, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 1 What is the relationship between the concepts of natural selection and Christian theology? Fr. Tom begins a series of reflections on Charles Darwin and what he has learned in his research may surprise you!	52:32
Jan 14, 2010	A Conversation With St. Seraphim On The Holy Spirit Fr. Tom Hopko talks about St. Seraphim's conversation with Nicholas Motovilov on "acquisition of the Holy Spirit."	58:24
Jan 07, 2010	Acquisition of the Holy Spirit St. Seraphim of Sarov taught that the aim of the Christian life is to live by the Spirit of God. Today Fr. Tom explores the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.	48:41
Jan 06, 2010	Theophany - The Radiant Shining Forth! From the Speaking the Truth in Love archives, Fr. Tom Hopko offers this very helpful meditation on the feast of Theophany.	38:13
Jan 02, 2010	Circumcised on the 8th Day Enthroned on high with the Eternal Father and Your divine Spirit, O Jesus, You willed to be born on earth of the unwedded handmaid, your Mother. Therefore You were circumcised as an eight-day old Child. Glory to Your most gracious counsel; glory to Your dispensation; glory to Your condescension, O only Lover of mankind.	47:23
Dec 24, 2009	God Is With Us! In a new reflection, Fr. Thomas Hopko teaches about the virgin birth and the significance of this Orthodox dogma on the identify of Christ.	53:56
Dec 22, 2009	Nativity, Epiphany, and Pascha - Patterns of Worship Fr. Thomas Hopko presents a meditation on how the liturgical services of Christmas and Epiphany pattern those of the Christ’s Holy Pascha of Easter.	33:42
Dec 19, 2009	The Genealogies What is the significance of all of those "begats" in the Gospel lesson just before Nativity? Fr. Tom breaks it down for us in the current episode.	44:23
Dec 12, 2009	The Fathers Prepare On the 1st two Sundays before Christmas, we commerate and sing about all of the faithful throughout the ages who prepared for the birth of Christ. Fr. Tom references the book "Surprised by Chris"t by Fr. A. James Bernstein which is available from Conciliar Press.	37:07
Dec 04, 2009	Come and See We are invited like Philip invited Nathaniel to “come and see”, really see as we fix our hearts and minds on Christ the Savior during this paschal lenten season.	34:34
Nov 30, 2009	A Saturday Afternoon Reflection On a beautiful fall afternoon at the family home in Canada, Fr. Tom is reflecting on the disparity between the beauty of God's creation and the tremendous suffering happening in the world.	40:56
Nov 25, 2009	A Deeper Level of Thanksgiving Fr. Tom encourages us to remember the place of gratitude and thanksgiving in the Christian life and tells us how we can go deeper and higher into the meaning of gratitude.	48:23
Nov 20, 2009	The Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple Fr. Tom teaches on this significant feast at the beginning of the Nativity season.	39:24
Nov 15, 2009	On Sadness and Grief in Human Life God grieves, we grieve, and life is often permeated with sadness. What does this mean when we also contemplate the "joy" of the Christian life?	44:46
Nov 14, 2009	The Nativity Fast As we are in the beginning days of the Nativity fast, Fr. Tom takes us on a journey from the Presentation of Mary in the Temple to Theophany. Fr. Tom referenced a couple of resources: Winter Pascha by Fr. Tom Hopko Putting Christmas Back into Christ-CD series by Fr. Tom Hopko	44:01
Nov 09, 2009	Angels and Demons Having just celebrated the Feast of the Angels, Fr. Tom asks - Who are the angels and the demons? Were the demons created evil? Can they repent? Get the answer to these questions and much more in this episode.	37:34
Nov 04, 2009	Anger and Wrath in Human Life Following his two part series on the Wrath of God, Fr. Tom turns his attention to our own anger and wrath and how that differs from God's.	40:51
Oct 25, 2009	The Wrath Of God - Part 2 Fr. Thomas continues to get listener feedback on his teaching on God's wrath. In this follow-up lesson, he explores further how the Scriptures and the Fathers express this difficult concept as compared to the hellenistic and platonic views sometimes expressed through history.	42:27
Oct 06, 2009	The Wrath Of God Fr. Tom Hopko addresses an issue that he gets the most email about - how are we to understand the wrath of God and how does it relate to our salvation?	57:52
Oct 01, 2009	The Protecting Veil Of The Holy Theotokos Whether you celebrate it on October 1 or on October 28 (traditions differ), you will enjoy Fr. Thomas' account of how the Mother of God protected a Constantinople church from an invading army, and how that inspires our own worship.	41:24
Sep 18, 2009	A Reflection on the Past 50 Years of the Orthodox Church Sitting in his study, Fr. Tom reflects on the past 50 years of the Orthodox Church. August marked the 46th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.	54:55
Sep 11, 2009	The Universal Exaltation Of The Precious And Life-Giving Cross Celebrating one of the twelve great feasts of the Church (Click here to view the children's choir Fr. Thomas mentions in the podcast).	33:14
Sep 11, 2009	A Christian Response To Terrorism Fr. Tom follows up on his thoughts on suffering and pain by looking specifically at the events of 9-11-2001.	31:24
Sep 09, 2009	When Bishops Disappoint Throughout the history of the Church, there have been moments of scandal and disappointment with various hierarchs of the Church. How are we to respond as faithful Orthodox Christians? Fr. Tom shares his reflections.	54:36
Sep 04, 2009	The Gate Facing East Fr. Thomas teaches about the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.	23:52
Aug 28, 2009	Happy New (Church) Year! September 1 marks the beginning of the Church year and Fr. Tom Hopko is meditating on the meaning of times and seasons in Church life.	49:57
Aug 27, 2009	The Greatest Born Of Woman - St. John The Baptist - Part 2 In commemoration of the Feast of his beheading, Fr. Tom continues his discussion of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptizer, John.	29:30
Aug 25, 2009	Crossroad- Orthodox Youth Take The Challenge - Part 2 Fr. Tom speaks with 2 students and a leader in the Crossroad program.	21:41
Aug 20, 2009	The Greatest Born Of Woman - St. John The Baptist - Part 1 With the Feast Day of the Beheading of St. John approaching (August 29), Fr. Thomas examines the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptizer, John.	30:33
Aug 11, 2009	Crossroad- Orthodox Youth Take The Challenge Fr. Tom interviews the leaders of the Crossroad program at Hellenic College in Brookline, MA. Crossroad is intended to help High School students discern their life callings, matching their personal gifts with the needs of the world. His guests are Ann Bezzerides, Mary Long, and Dan Belonic. He referenced in this interview his very informative AFR podcast series on the Church and State. After clicking the link, go to the series which started on September 25, 2008. In the next program, Fr. Tom will interview some of the participants in Crossroad.	37:05
Aug 08, 2009	The Resurrection School of Theology in Albania In his final interview series from Albania, Fr. Tom talks with John and Alex from the Resurrection School of Theology in Albania.	32:53
Jul 29, 2009	4 U.S. Missionaries to Albania In his continuing interview series from Albania, Fr. Tom interviews four US missionaries including full time OCMC missionary Pamela Anastasia Barksdale.	21:05
Jul 12, 2009	Missionary to Albania Nathan Hoppe The next interview from Albania is with veteran OCMC missionary Nathan Hoppe. Fr. Tom references a recording of Nathan's late wife Lynette made only a week or two before she died. That recording was featured on AFR in an interview with Fr. Luke Veronis and can be heard HERE. You can purchase Fr. Luke's book by clicking HERE. For Lynette's pictorial album about the re-birth of the Church in Albania, click HERE.	35:00
Jul 01, 2009	Archbishop Anastasios of Albania Fr. Thomas took the traveling Ancient Faith Radio microphone with him to Albania and captured several fascinating interviews there. Today we begin with this wonderful conversation between Fr. Tom and Archbishop Anastasios where we will learn about the circumstances that brought the Archbishop there as well as the current work going on in this country on behalf of the Church. To learn more about the Orthodox Church in Albania and, in particular, the mission work taking place there through the Orthodox Christian Missions Center, go to the OCMC WEBSITE.	51:20
Jun 27, 2009	A Chosen Instrument of Mine - St. Paul Fr. Thomas shows how, despite his persecution of the early Church, St. Paul was indeed an Apostle-- by having seen the risen Lord and through his suffering.	43:49
Jun 27, 2009	Keys to the Kingdom - St. Peter Fr. Thomas discusses "the rock" upon whom Christ built His Church and St. Peter's role in that early Church.	40:41
Jun 16, 2009	The Apostle’s Fast What is this current fasting period all about? We reach back into the archives and re-introduce this helpful teaching from Fr. Tom originally given last year.	22:29
Jun 06, 2009	The Roots of Pentecost Fr. Thomas looks at the roots of Pentecost-- the coming of the Spirit-- in Old Testament worship.	37:34
Jun 04, 2009	The God Who Works Wonders Psalm 77 (76 in the Septuagint) is the basis of a favorite hymn in the Orthodox Church - Who Is So Great A God As Our God? Our God is the God Who Works Wonders!	49:20
May 31, 2009	Sunday of the Fathers Fr. Thomas takes a closer look at the seventh Sunday of Pascha-- the Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost.	47:37
May 27, 2009	Ascension Fr. Thomas rejoices in the enthronement of the crucified One, raised and glorified.	27:34
May 22, 2009	Fr. Tom Hopko Interviews Fr. Steve Tsichlis Fr. Tom is on the road and chats with Fr. Steve Tsichlis of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine, CA. Learn about and be encouraged with this outreach minded parish and priest.	33:21
May 15, 2009	The Samaritan Woman At The Well Fr. Thomas looks at the Gospel for the fifth Sunday of Pascha-- a miraculous sign that at first glance doesn't seem to involve a miracle.	34:41
May 06, 2009	The Healing of the Paralytic Fr. Thomas enumerates the seven great messianic signs of Jesus in St. John's Gospel, focusing on the healing of the paralytic at Bethesda.	35:38
May 01, 2009	The Myrrhbearing Women Fr. Thomas examines who the Myrrhbearing Women were and clears up some misconceptions about Mary Magdalene in the process.	38:04
Apr 25, 2009	Thomas Sunday Father Thomas educates us on why the Sunday a week after our Lord's Resurrection is also called Antipascha.	42:43
Apr 24, 2009	The Descent Of Jesus Into Hades Fr. Thomas uses the Paschal icon as an opportunity to clear up some misconceptions about Sheol/Hades and Gahenna/Hell.	32:25
Apr 18, 2009	Christ Is Risen - Truly He Is Risen On this, the greatest of all Feast Days, Fr. Thomas explains what we, as Orthodox Christians, know for certain about Jesus Christ.	37:12
Apr 18, 2009	Great and Holy Week - Part 2 Fr. Thomas continues his examination of Passion Week with Jesus' teachings on the final judgement.	17:10
Apr 17, 2009	Great and Holy Friday Fr. Thomas examines the Mystery of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord and how it led to the re-creation of the world.	50:23
Apr 13, 2009	Great And Holy Week - Part 1 The week before Pascha begins with the Bridegroom Matins. Christ is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride, joined in perfect unity through His crucifixion.	20:58
Apr 12, 2009	Hosanna! Fr. Thomas takes a closer look at the "Celebration of the Kingship of Christ".	18:19
Apr 10, 2009	Lazarus Saturday Fr. Thomas explores the ultimate Messianic sign from the Gospel of St. John.	19:06
Apr 08, 2009	Great Lent - Week 6 In this last week of Great Lent, Father Thomas connects the parable of the rich man and Lazarus with Christ's raising from the dead of the actual Lazarus.	24:48
Apr 04, 2009	St. Mary of Egypt Fr. Thomas contrasts the story of the fallen, then raised Mary of Alexandria with that of another Mary-- the Theotokos. 17:16.	17:17
Apr 04, 2009	Lent Week 5 - part 2 Fr. Thomas gives an overview of the services for the 5th week of Great Lent and their final emphasis on penitance and repentance. 18:38.	18:39
Mar 31, 2009	Lent Week 5 Fr. Thomas starts with a review of the Gospel reading of Mark for the Fourth Sunday of Lent and transitions to the 5th Sunday explaining how reigning with our Lord is dependent on suffering with Him.	23:02
Mar 29, 2009	St. John of the Ladder It is at this point in our Lenten journey that the Church contemplates the instruction of St. John Climacus and his Ladder of Divine Ascent. Fr. Tom takes us step by step through this treasure and makes it practical for us non-monastics!	33:36
Mar 24, 2009	The Annunciation On March 25, exactly 9 months before Nativity, the Church celebrates the Annunciation to the Theotokos that she will be the Mother of God. God's declaration through the angel Gabriel, however, had a contingency attached. Listen to find out what it was.	31:45
Mar 22, 2009	Sunday of the Cross On the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent, we concentrate on the Cross of Christ and Fr. Tom helps us understand what it means to take up our cross.	37:17
Mar 19, 2009	Read the Bible During Lent Looking for an inspiring book to read during Lent? Try the Bible! Fr. Tom specifically recommends certain books of the Bible during this season.	09:58
Mar 13, 2009	St. Gregory Palamas - 2nd Sunday of Great Lent On the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent we remember St. Gregory Palamas and Fr. Tom instructs us on why he is so important in our theology about knowing the unknowable God.	34:04
Mar 07, 2009	The Triumph of Orthodoxy You won't find a more concise and helpful explanation of why Orthodox Christians keep and venerate icons.	29:21
Mar 06, 2009	The Names of Jesus—Christ Fr. Hopko continues his series on the names of Jesus, this time focusing on the name Christ, which means "the anointed one." Next week, he will revisit the appellation Son of God.	56:07
Mar 02, 2009	Forgiveness Sunday 2 - Asking for Forgiveness Fr. Tom considers the act of asking for forgiveness, as well as who it is we hurt when we sin.	13:24
Feb 27, 2009	Forgiveness Sunday- The Expulsion of Adam Fr. Tom reflects upon the expulsion of Adam from Paradise, one of the two themes of Forgiveness Sunday.	16:20
Feb 27, 2009	The Names of Jesus—Son of God Fr. Tom discusses Christ's divinity. Jesus is human, yes, but he is also God!	45:54
Feb 18, 2009	A President’s Day Reflection Fr. Tom traces the history of America's secular religion, paying particular attention to that religion's cherished patriarchs and dogmas, in a special podcast dedicated to this week's President's Day.	54:20
Feb 15, 2009	The Names of Jesus - 1 A brand new series! Each episode, Fr. Tom will address one of the names of Christ. He begins by examining "Jesus," which means "God saves."	45:51
Feb 13, 2009	The Prodigal Son, The Elder Brother, The Merciful Father In the first of two meditations on the story known as The Prodigal Son, Fr. Tom takes a look at the three characters in the drama.	17:15
Feb 10, 2009	The Publican and the Pharisee Fr. Tom teaches on the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee as we prepare for the Lenten season.	19:12
Feb 07, 2009	The Great Festival of the Three Holy Hierarchs What do Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and St. John Chrysostom mean to the Orthodox Church? Try "light, wisdom, and pastoral care." Fr. Hopko explains why we celebrate these unique and holy men.	53:47
Jan 31, 2009	The January Ascetic Fathers As we bring the month of January to a close, Fr. Tom thinks back on the spiritual fathers we have celebrated during this month in particular, St. Anthony. The following resources were recommended: Saying of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical CollectionTranslated by Sister Benedicta Ward The Arena: An Offering to Contemporary Monasticism by Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov The Philokalia Ladder of Divine Ascent Symeon the New Theologian: The Discourses St. Maximus the Confessor: The Ascetic Life, The Four Centuries on Charity St Athanasius: The Life of St. Antony Love's Immensity: Mystics on the Endless Life by Scott Cairns Orthodoxy Alive 2008 Sessions 1-3 presented by Fr. Thomas Hopko available on St George Orthodox Christian Cathedral website	45:27
Jan 24, 2009	The Day After and The Day Before Fr. Tom recorded this on Jan 21 - the day after the inauguration of President Barak Obama and the day before the March for Life in Washington DC. He draws on Scripture, Tradition and St. Maximus to help us know how to react to rampant abortions in our world.	55:09
Jan 17, 2009	Baptism With Fire There are radical differences in John's baptism, the baptism that Jesus' disciples were doing before Jesus was crucified, and the baptism that came afterward. Fr. Tom helps us understand how our baptism is a baptism with fire.	41:22
Dec 24, 2008	What’s In A Name? The Angel told the Theotokos "You will call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sin." Fr. Tom explores the significance of that Name as well as its origins.	36:15
Dec 12, 2008	Falling Asleep Father Thomas Hopko remembers the last days of Fr. Alexander Schmemann on the 25th anniversary of his falling asleep in our Lord Jesus Christ. May his memory be eternal.	37:17
Dec 02, 2008	The Demons and the Swine Fr. Tom expounds on one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament.	33:33
Nov 07, 2008	Spiritual Springtime: Reflection on 40 Years Fr. Tom spoke at the 40th Anniversary of the consecration of the chapel at the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA on September 27, 2008. In this lecture he reflects on 40 years of Orthodoxy in North America.	35:41
Oct 31, 2008	Church And State - Part 8 Fr. Thomas concludes his series by reflecting on what it means to be a Christian in America today.	42:30
Oct 28, 2008	Church And State - Part 7 Fr. Hopko outlines how the Church fared in the 20th century in lands that were not traditionally Orthodox.	42:26
Oct 24, 2008	Church And State - Part 6 Fr. Tom looks at the Church in the 20th century, especially in Communist countries.	32:34
Oct 16, 2008	Church And State - Part 5 Fr. Tom discusses how the Orthodox Church fared in Russia before the revolution.	39:30
Oct 13, 2008	Church And State - Part 4 Fr. Thomas examines the four centuries of Muslim rule over Eastern Orthodox Christians.	39:23
Oct 09, 2008	Church And State - Part 3 Fr. Tom examines the fifth through fifteenth centuries.	40:59
Oct 02, 2008	Church And State - Part 2 Fr. Tom looks at the Roman-Byzantine empire of the 4th century.	41:01
Sep 25, 2008	Church And State - Part 1 What does it mean to be a Christian and to live in this world? To answer that question, Fr. Tom examines the ancient New Testament Church.	40:48
Sep 22, 2008	The Meaning Of Life With the meaning of life no longer explored on our college campuses, Fr. Thomas reflects on a piece he wrote on that subject 18 years ago. (Click here to purchase "Education's End", which Fr. Tom recommends in the podcast and Click here to purchase a used copy of the Life book which includes Fr. Tom's essay.)	20:18
Sep 18, 2008	Mercy And Forgiveness Fr. Thomas recreates the homily from earlier in the month on Christ's parable of forgiveness by Fr. Maxym Lysack of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church in Ottawa (If you e-mail Fr. Maxym, please note the Canadian spelling of "saviour" and the ".ca" domain extension).	33:19
Sep 11, 2008	Pain And Suffering Fr. Tom reflects on why there is sickness, suffering and death in our world.	12:03
Sep 04, 2008	Calluses And Blisters On Our Souls Think Labor Day is past? Not until Fr. Tom reflects on our spiritual labors.	36:30
Sep 01, 2008	Let Us Not Live By Lies - The Life Of Alexander Solzhenitsyn Fr. Thomas examines the life of the prominent Russian Orthodox dissident, writer and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who passed away just last month (Click here to order the "Solzhenitsyn Reader" recommended by Fr. Tom).	40:22
Aug 28, 2008	Not Made By Human Hands Fr. Thomas relates the story of the icon not made by hand which is celebrated each August after the Dormition of the Theotokos. Could it actually be the shroud of Turin?	16:04
Aug 25, 2008	The End Of The Church Year Fr. Tom couldn't let the Church Year end without looking back on the inspiring feasts during its last month, August.	35:07
Aug 14, 2008	Teaching Doctrine In The World We Live In Today - Part Three Fr. Thomas concludes his three-part lecture on teaching doctrine given in June, 2008 at the Met. Andrey Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa.	27:12
Aug 11, 2008	Teaching Doctrine In The World We Live In Today - Part Two We continue with part two of Fr. Thomas' three-part lecture on teaching doctrine given in June, 2008 at the Met. Andrey Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa.	25:07
Aug 07, 2008	Teaching Doctrine In The World We Live In Today - Part 1 Ancient Faith Radio is proud to present a three-part lecture on teaching doctrine by Fr. Thomas given in June, 2008 at the Met. Andrey Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa.	21:54
Aug 04, 2008	Icons And Their Placement Father Thomas reveals how icons are painted and the proper procedure for placing them in the church building.	31:04
Jul 31, 2008	The Singing Of Psalms Fr. Tom takes a close look at the psalmody of the Church and its use in Orthodox worship.	24:34
Jul 28, 2008	Intercessory Prayer Fr. Thomas examines how we ask the Mother of God and Saints to pray on our behalf, and the misunderstood prayer for them to "save" us.	22:48
Jul 24, 2008	Person, Nature And Action As an epilogue to his series on the language of God, Fr. Tom explains these technical, theological, terms used by the Church.	45:58
Jul 21, 2008	How We Speak Of God - Part 4 In the final part of his series, Fr. Tom reflects on the metaphors and similes for God.	29:50
Jul 17, 2008	How We Speak Of God - Part 3 This time, Fr. Thomas speaks of the Activities and Actions of God.	37:42
Jul 14, 2008	How We Speak Of God - Part 2 Fr. Tom continues his discussion, this time focusing on the Divine Attributes of God.	38:18
Jul 10, 2008	How We Speak Of God - Part 1 Fr. Thomas begins a four-part series on naming God and the language and words we use in the process.	35:51
Jul 06, 2008	The Iconographic Tradition Of The Holy Trinity Fr. Thomas explains the two ways the Holy Trinity are depicted in icons.	43:02
Jul 03, 2008	The Holy Trinity Fr. Thomas examines the Holy Trinity, which leads to the answer to Christ's question, "Who do you say I am?"	48:46
Jun 22, 2008	Fasting With the Apostles' fast at hand, Fr. Thomas reflects on the practice and rules for fasting.	22:29
Jun 19, 2008	The Sunday Of All The Saints Fr. Thomas shows how we are all called to be Saints and examines the many different kinds of Saints.	40:28
Jun 16, 2008	The Holy Spirit The day after Pentecost is the Feast of the Holy Spirit in the Orthodox Church and Fr. Thomas uses it to examine more closely the "Spirit who proceeds from the Father."	35:28
Jun 12, 2008	Pentecost Fr. Thomas looks at the roots of Pentecost-- the coming of the Spirit-- in Old Testament worship.	37:34
Jun 06, 2008	The Sunday Of The Holy Fathers Fr. Thomas takes a closer look at the seventh Sunday of Pascha-- the Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost.	47:37
May 29, 2008	Granting Sight To The Blind Man What does this miracle of Christ tell us about the blind man, about God, about Jesus and ultimately, about us?	44:13
May 26, 2008	Commencement Fr. Thomas outlines a hypothetical commencement address he would give to graduates of all faiths and beliefs, then blesses us with his actual address last year to the graduates of St. Vladimir's.	44:38
May 19, 2008	The Book Of Acts Comparing the two sources for readings during the Paschal season-- the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John.	40:20
May 15, 2008	The Healing Of The Paralytic Fr. Thomas enumerates the seven great messianic signs of Jesus in St. John's Gospel, focusing on the healing of the paralytic at Bethesda.	36:14
May 02, 2008	Thomas Sunday Father Thomas educates us on why the Sunday a week after our Lord's Resurrection is also called Antipascha.	43:20
May 01, 2008	The Myrrhbearing Women Fr. Thomas examines who the Myrrhbearing Women were and clears up some misconceptions about Mary Magdalene in the process.	38:40
Apr 30, 2008	The Descent Of Jesus Into Hades Fr. Thomas uses the Paschal icon as an opportunity to clear up some misconceptions about Sheol/Hades and Gahenna/Hell.	33:01
Apr 24, 2008	Great And Holy Friday Fr. Thomas examines the Mystery of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord and how it led to the re-creation of the world.	50:23
Apr 21, 2008	Great and Holy Week - Part 1 The week before Pascha begins with the Bridegroom Matins. Christ is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride, joined in perfect unity through His crucifixion.	20:58
Apr 20, 2008	The Entry of Jesus Into Jerusalem Fr. Thomas takes a closer look at the "Celebration of the Kingship of Christ".	18:19
Apr 18, 2008	Lazarus Saturday Fr. Thomas explores the ultimate Messianic sign from the Gospel of St. John.	19:06
Apr 15, 2008	Great Lent - Week 6 In this last week of Great Lent, Father Thomas connects the parable of the rich man and Lazarus with Christ's raising from the dead of the actual Lazarus. 24:47	24:48
Apr 11, 2008	St. Mary Of Egypt Fr. Thomas contrasts the story of the fallen, then raised Mary of Alexandria with that of another Mary-- the Theotokos. 17:16	17:17
Apr 10, 2008	Great Lent - Week Five (part 2) Fr. Thomas gives an overview of the services for the 5th week of Great Lent and their final emphasis on penitance and repentance. 18:38	18:39
Apr 09, 2008	The Fifth Sunday Of Lent Fr. Thomas starts with a review of the Gospel reading of Mark for the Fourth Sunday of Lent and transitions to the 5th Sunday explaining how reigning with our Lord is dependent on suffering with Him. 23:01	23:02
Apr 06, 2008	St. Tikhon - April 7 On April 7, we remember the repose of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Apostle to America. Fr. Tom has 3 stories to tell about this venerable Saint.	25:33
Apr 04, 2008	4th Sunday of Lent - St. John of the Ladder It is at this point in our Lenten journey that the Church contemplates the instruction of St. John Climacus and his Ladder of Divine Ascent. Fr. Tom takes us step by step through this treasure and makes it practical for us non-monastics! (33:36)	33:36
Mar 29, 2008	Sunday of the Cross On the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent, we concentrate on the Cross of Christ and Fr. Tom helps us understand what it means to take up our cross.	37:17
Mar 28, 2008	The Epistle to the Hebrews Fr. Thomas explains the significance of St. Paul's letter to the Hebrews in our Lenten journey. 22:56	22:56
Mar 26, 2008	The Prayer of St. Ephraim Fr. Thomas examines the Prayer of St. Ephraim and why it is so appropriate for us during Great Lent. 22:20	22:20
Mar 25, 2008	The Magnificat As we continue to remember the significance of the Annunciation, Fr. Tom gives a helpful reflection on the Magnificat.	24:40
Mar 24, 2008	The Annunciation On March 25, exactly 9 months before Nativity, the Church celebrates the Annunciation to the Theotokos that she will be the Mother of God. God's declaration through the angel Gabriel, however, had a contingency attached. Listen to find out what it was.	31:45
Mar 24, 2008	Read The Bible During Lent Looking for an inspiring book to read during Lent? Try the Bible! Fr. Tom specifically recommends certain books of the Bible during this season. 10:00	09:58
Mar 22, 2008	The Healing of The Paralytic Fr. Tom offers thoughts on the healing of the paralytic. (23:50)	23:50
Mar 21, 2008	St. Gregory Palamas - 2nd Sunday of Lent On the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent we remember St. Gregory Palamas and Fr. Tom instructs us on why he is so important in our theology about knowing the unknowable God. 34:00	34:04
Mar 18, 2008	The Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Fr. Tom gives a meditation on the rich meaning of the pre-sanctified liturgy of Great Lent. 16:37	16:37
Mar 17, 2008	The Triumph of Orthodoxy You won't find a more concise and helpful explanation of why Orthodox Christians keep and venerate icons. 29:21	29:21
Mar 13, 2008	Lent - The Tithe of the Year Great Lent is considered the tithe of the year, during which believers try to be what they ought always to be. Fr. Tom, in response to a request once made of him, shares with us a list of "things that a believer would do if he were really a believer."	27:54
Mar 10, 2008	Forgiveness Sunday 2 - Asking for Forgiveness Fr. Tom considers the act of asking for forgiveness, as well as who it is we hurt when we sin.	13:24
Mar 07, 2008	Forgiveness Sunday - The Expulsion of Adam from Paradise Fr. Tom reflects upon the expulsion of Adam from Paradise, one of the two themes of Forgiveness Sunday.	16:20
Mar 03, 2008	Psalm 137 Father Tom discusses Psalm 137, which is included in a special way during the Matins Service for the three Sundays leading up to Great Lent.	22:29
Feb 29, 2008	The Sunday of the Last Judgment Fr. Tom reflects upon Matthew 25:31 - 46, the Parable of the Last Judgment.	29:15