Bobby Maddex interviews Kelly Ramke Lardin, author of the new Conciliar Press children’s book Josiah and Julia Go to Church: A Young Child’s Guide to Church Etiquette.

Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. John Strickland, the author of the new AFP book The Age of Division: Christendom from the Great Schism to the Protestant Reformation. This is volume two of a four-volume series called Paradise and Utopia: The Rise and Fall of What the West Once Was.

Dr. John Mark Reynolds discusses the book "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music"by Chancellor Gregory Alan Thornbury of the King's College.

Once a culture accepts the fundamental premise of euthanasia consciousness, there is no way to limit doctor-administered death to those who are already at the end of their lives.

What do euthanasia enthusiasts really want? To eliminate suffering of any kind by eliminating the sufferer.

Why is our culture obsessed with death, and how can remembrance of death help us to overcome it?

Should a human life be ended just so we can harvest their organs for another person's use? It might be closer than you think!

Wesley J. Smith shares the story of his friend, Robert Salamanca, who died peacefully with dignity of ALS.

Is euthanasia really the best way to alleviate the suffering of those dealing with serious mental illness?

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA's research center responsible for robotic space missions, will lay off more workers before the year ends due to budget constraints. JPL Director Laurie Leshin has announced in a memo addressed to employees that the reduction will affect 325 people, or about five percent of its whole workforce. Leshin explained that the lab took various measures to meet its budget allocation for the 2025 fiscal year and to minimize the adverse effects of a limited budget on its workers. In the end, though, JPL "reached the difficult decision" to make "one further workforce reduction."

The lab already cut 530 employees and cut over 100 contractors from its roster earlier this year because of uncertainty over the final budget that the Congress will give NASA for 2024. It also froze hiring in response to the dilemma. The main reason why the lab had to implement those measures was because the Mars Sample Return Program was allocated a much smaller budget than it needed. NASA had requested $950 million for the mission, but only $300 million was allocated for it. 

NASA's original plan was to bring home the samples collected by the mission in 2040. But its budget ballooned from $7 billion to $11 billion, and as The Washington Post notes, the government found the return date "unacceptable." For the 2025 fiscal year, NASA only requested $200 million for the project that could go through significant changes. The agency is now looking for ways to alter the mission and is even considering proposals from private companies. 

Leshin said that the layoffs will affect all areas of the lab, including its technical, business and support divisions. "[W]e had to tighten our belts across the board, and you will see that reflected in the layoff impacts," she said. JPL's director also said that the US presidential election results have nothing to do with the reduction that the "action would be happening regardless" of its outcome. 

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware discusses whether Florovsky’s program of a "Neo-patristic synthesis" is still viable in contemporary theology.

Professor David Frost continues his exploration in the field of ethics and tries to find an answer to the question, "How do we discover and apply a Christian standard?"

Professor David Frost, the Principal of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, speaks about "Christian and other ways of deciding what is right" in this first of two lectures on ethics.

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware addresses the theme of Passion within the 2010 IOCS Summer School, which approached the wider theme of "Passion: Human and Divine." In this lecture, Metropolitan Kallistos explores the question, "Does God suffer?"

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware continues to address the theme of Passion during the 2010 IOCS Summer School.

In his special Christmas episode, Dr. Rossi explores the "night" in both the Nativity story as well as Christ's Passion.

Dr. Rossi takes some pages out of Brothers Karamazov and Dostoyevsky's character Fr. Zosima to help us learn how to live and love.

Dr. Rossi reflects on his visit to the gravesite of his wife on New Years Eve and the significance of life, death, and the incarnation.

What is our relationship with those who have gone to heaven? Dr. Rossi reflects on this as well as his remembrance of Fr. Thomas Hopko.

Dr. Rossi interviews Simon Menya, a Ugandan student at St. Vladimir's Orthodoxy Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY.

Dr. Rossi interviews Christopher and Jennifer Moore, who spent eight months as missionaries in Mongolia. Christopher is a first year student at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY.

Dr. Rossi share his experience with the Orthodox blessing of a child.

Dr. Rossi shares the differences between temptation and sin.

Dr. Rossi reflects on the reality of what is unseen, seeing Christ through the eyes of the heart even in death.

Dr. Rossi interviews Matushka Robin Freeman, Director of Music at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.

Dr. Albert Rossi interviews Dr. Peter Bouteneff about his new book titled, How to Become a Sinner, published by St. Vladimir's Press. Dr. Bouteneff is the Director of the Master of Arts Program and Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY.

Dr. Albert Rossi explains the narcissus myth and how the narcissistic tendency that is in all of us needs to be healed by the cross of Christ.

Dr. Albert Rossi shares his insights from his summer experiences.

Dr. Albert Rossi interviews seminarian Dn. Simon Menya on his vision for ministry in his home country called "Project Uganda." Dn. Simon is a student at Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY.

Dr. Albert Rossi interviews Dr. Carla Thomas, M.D., Trustee of St. Vladimir's Seminary, on the topic of using music as a healing therapy. Dr. Thomas is a Family Practice physician, Board Member of Orthodox Prison Ministry, member of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black and parishioner at St. Luke Orthodox Church in Anniston, Alabama (OCA).

Dr. Albert Rossi shares his faith journey and conversion to the Orthodox Church.

Dr. Albert Rossi reflects on one of his favorite saints, St. Silouan the Athonite. The book Dr. Rossi references, Saint Silouan the Athonite, is available through the Ancient Faith Store.

Dr. Albert Rossi discusses the importance of developing resilience in our lives by discussing the concept of object permanence.

Dr. Albert Rossi interview Dr. Alexis Vien, an Orthodox physician who has been working in a New York City hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Albert Rossi introduces his new book published by Ancient Faith Publishing titled All is Well. Dr. Albert S. Rossi is a licensed clinical psychologist and Christian educator who has spoken and written widely on these topics. Dr. Rossi was a member of the SCOBA Commission on Contemporary Social and Moral Issues for six years. He is currently Director of Field Education and serves as the resident clinical psychologist at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. He is the author of Becoming a Healing Presence (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2014) and hosts the podcast of the same name on Ancient Faith Radio.

Dr. Albert Rossi reflects on the quote, "Fear is the opposite of love."

Dr. Albert Rossi shares about his relationship with St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

Dr. Albert Rossi reflects further on the spiritual treasures to be found in suffering through the words St. Therese of Lisieux.

Dr. Albert Rossi continues his musings about the real life experiences of the Theotokos.

Dr. Albert Rossi muses about the life of the Theotokos, the Virgin Mary, "the Great Example".

Dr. Albert Rossi discusses the cultural understanding of joy in contrast with the Orthodox understanding of joy.

Dr. Albert Rossi reflects on the need to communicate with one another and to pray, from the heart, in deep silence.

Dr. Albert Rossi shares a story about the power of resilience in some of the most challenging circumstances in life.

Dr. Albert Rossi shares with us the impact that seeking silence has had on his life and relationships.

Fr. Philip LeMasters maintains that it is no insult to successful single parents to point out the misguided nature of arguments that praise single motherhood as the new norm.

Following his visit to the Holy Land, Fr. Lawrence Farley offers some of his impressions of the Holy Sepulchre.

Fr. Lawrence Farley reminds us that the man who trusts God and does what is pleasing to him, such as giving alms to the poor, will experience His favor when his own time of need comes.

Fr. John Parker, Chair of the Dept of Evangelization of the Orthodox Church in America, comments on an Op Ed piece in the New York Times about Russia and the Olympics. An edited version of Fr. John's comments can be found in the The Post and Courier.

On the occasion of the Sunday of St. Timon and his congregation's ongoing support of its sister parish in Bosra-Hauran, Syria, Fr. Philip LeMasters encourages us to avoid despair and work to alleviate the suffering of our neighbors wherever they are in the world.