Dn. Mark explains how illness and trials remind us to put our trust in God.

On the premier episode of his new podcast, Dn. Mark Barna discusses the Orthodox perspective on cremation.

Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, still open and serving the most vulnerable in Toronto. "This becomes a time when we get to experience what real life has been for others. We are receiving the good news of the Resurrection so we can witness and testify for the sake of those who do not know when the darkness is going to end, to those who have not seen the dawn just yet."

Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, still open and serving the most vulnerable in Toronto. "Never has the church worldwide celebrated Pascha in this way, as we will this year. Abstinence not only from sin but from things that are good in themselves creates an empty space where God can act and surprise us. Could this not be the unexpected grace that is waiting for us in the empty tomb this year? What if the church is called this year to risk living something new, unfamiliar, even surprising?"

Listen to excerpts from this past Sunday's bulletin at St. John the Compassionate Mission, serving the most vulnerable in Toronto.

Listen to three short reflections about interactions at St. John the Compassionate Mission, reminding us that all lives are worth living.

The staff of St. John the Compassionate Mission remember Kevin's life and his death. May his memory be eternal.

Reflections written by Fr. Nicolaie for the Sixth Sunday of Luke: the story of the farmer who wanted to build more barns.

Brother Luke shares three stories from community life.

Being grouchy and irritable from hunger is not the only food-related sin to avoid during Great Lent.

Martha addresses the preparation and anticipation for the Nativity in our kitchens, and elsewhere. Here is the link to the recipe for preserved lemons.

most "blue zones," concentrated areas of supercentenarians, can be attributed to pension fraud or bad record-keeping #

Green Day collaborated with BRAIN to demake their 1994 album in 15 obscure formats, including Game Boy, Teddy Ruxpin, wax cylinder, and player piano roll #

Ada Ada Ada is documenting her transition on Instagram, uploading shirtless photos weekly to test their nudity guidelines #

short fiction about "the near future of art and creative work" #

The decrees and canons of the Provincial and Ecumenical Councils today often sound odd in our modern ears.

Fr. Lawrence Farley comments on a discussion that takes place each year during Holy Week.

In my Protestant days, I had no problem with anyone talking about Mary—so long as it was Christmas. On Boxing Day, that was it. Over. No more talking about Mary. What are we anyway, Catholics? It was understood that when we packed away the Nativity set, all talk of Mary got packed up along with it. And my proof that Bible-believing Christians should not talk about Mary? The New Testament never did. Well, hardly ever did—just long enough to narrate the Christmas story. Was she in the Acts of the Apostles? Not really. Was she in the Epistles? No. So there you go: no talking about Mary or calling her blessed.

We continue our series examining St. Matthew’s citations of the Old Testament. Today we look at his citation of Jeremiah 31:15. It reads, “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are not.” The LXX renders it more or less the same way, though the order of the chapters is different. In the LXX the text is found in Jeremiah chapter 38, not chapter 31. But the meaning of the text is the same.

Fr. Apostolos addresses parents' responsibility to rear their children in Church.

Fr. Apostolos speaks about accepting and rejecting Christ.

Fr. Apostolos reminds us that our whole self belongs to Christ.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, and the difference between being AT church, IN church, and THE church.

Fr. Apostolos shares the difference between these three words, and calls us to the latter.

Fr. Apostolos begins with the story of Brittany, a young girl he briefly knew who suffered from an incurable skin condition who demonstrated for him how to carry a cross. The gist of the homily is simple: there can be no resurrection without a death and no Paschal celebration without the Cross.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the importance of embracing the Cross of Christ, despite the challenges that go along with it.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a homily centered on the Epistle reading and St. Paul's admonition that we exercise the spiritual gifts given to us for the building up of the Body of Christ.

"If you're suffering today, know this: you are on the right path. If you're not suffering, that's when you should be worried. If you are suffering in this life, God is with you. If you don't find life easy and comfortable, you're doing it right." On the Sunday of the Cross, Fr. Apostolos shares about the redemption of our own suffering through the suffering of Christ.

Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a homily on Zaccheus' response to Jesus proclamation of salvation, the giving away of his earthly wealth and the restoration of those he had swindled.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a homily from the service for the Indiction regarding the Orthodox view of of time and how it is consecrated through the prayer of the Church.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a scriptural survey of the demonic horde and what our response to their influence ought to be in this season.

Fr. Apostolos speaks about Divine Judgement and the pardon offered to all through the blood of Christ.

Sermon on the Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Galatians 2:16-20; Luke 8:41-56)

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Even though we live in a pluraistic society, Orthodox Christians must uphold the uniqueness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Fr Tom teaches us that Christ and the Cross are not simply one way to the Father, but the only way. (Sunday before the Elevation of the Precious Cross)

The healing of the paralytic is a wonderful gospel scene rich with meaning for us. Fr Tom reminds us that God demonstrates His power when formerly "paralyzed" lives are healed and transformed to become living testimonies to the truth of Christ.

Lent is a time of great anticipation as we move toward the celebration of Christ's holy Pascha. But Fr Thomas reminds us that it is also a preparation for our entire Christian life, where we face the challenges of increased prayer, fasting and almsgiving and in turn, learn much about our true selves. (Forgiveness Sunday)