Fr. Thomas begins today some reflections on the rite of the preparation of the bread and the wine to be offered on the altar in the ritual called the Proskomede.

Fr. Thomas explores the significance of the way the bread is cut and laid on the diskos during the preparation for the eucharist.

Remembering all the Saints. Fr. Tom takes us through his own practice of remembering the "great cloud of witnesses" when preparing the bread and wine for the Eucharist.

Fr. Tom talks about the "star" that is placed over the bread as well as the psalms and prayers that are said when both the chalice and diskos are covered with the cloth.

Today Fr. Tom looks at the differences in the Antiochian tradition in the way the Proskomede is done.

Fr. John shares his homily from the Feast of the Annunciation and the Sunday of the Holy Cross.

Fr. John shares his homily from Palm Sunday.

Fr. John shares his homily on Luke 5:1-11.

Bishop Peter (Loukianoff) of Cleveland is the guest homilist at St. Jonah Orthodox Church.

Fr. John shares his homily on Luke 17:20-21.

Fr. John shares from Psalm 117:1-14. "When we depend on ourselves, we cannot succeed. When we put our hope in God, we cannot fail."

Fr. John shares how, like the man born blind whom Jesus healed and his parents, we too have a choice whether or not we will stand with Christ. John 9 and Hebrews 13:11-13.

Fr. John shares about humbly using our spiritual gifts, from Romans 12:1-13. Please note: "At one point in the sermon I mentioned Arsenius the Athonite, but actually meant to refer to the Elder Paisios, and the book I referred to is http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Paisios-Mount-Athos-Isaac/dp/960897643X"

Fr. John asks the question, "Will your children remain in the Church?" (Deuteronomy 6:1-9) and gives suggestions for parents to pass along the faith.

Fr. John talks about denying ourselves. "We want to be happy in the next life more than we want to be happy in this life."

Today's sermon is by Archbishop Gabriel (Chemodakov) of Montreal, who visited our parish on the eve of our patronal feast day (St. Jonah).

Fr. John talks about Saint Paul's exhortation in 1 Corinthians 14:40, as it relates to traditions in worship.

Fr. John shares from Colossians 4:5 and Ephesians 5:15-16.

Fr. John shares about how the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord fits in with the Old Testament and today.

Fr. John shares about forgiveness from Luke 23:34.

Fr. John shares from Isaiah 53.

Fr. John shares about the raising of Lazarus, from the Gospel of St. John, chapter 11.

Fr. John shares from Acts 3:1-8. "We, apart from God's grace, are unable to offer God the true and spiritual worship that He requires of us. But if we will come to the Temple and beg for His mercy, He will say to us, 'Rise up and walk.' If we've come and still feel ourselves to be spiritual cripples, we need to not give up, but take every opportunity to come to the Temple of God, because this is where what we need spiritually is to be found."

Fr. John shares from Matthew 15.

Fr. John talks about the meaning of the sacrament of Holy Baptism.

Fr. John shares from Mark 7:31-37.

Fr. John shares from Luke 14:1-24.

Fr. John shares from Psalm 118:57-64.

Fr. John speaks from Mark 9:42-50.

Fr. John talks about the impossibility of repentance without a changed life, from Luke 19:1-10.

Fr. John shares from Hebrews 12:1-2 encouragement for running the race of the fast.

Guest speaker Fr. Demetri Carrelas shares from Mark 8:34-9:1.

Fr. John speaks about the believing father from Mark 9:17-31.

Fr. John shares from Acts 6:1-7 and Matthew 5:38-42.

Guest homilist Hieromonk Alexander (Reichert) shares encouragement from the Healing of the Paralytic.

On May 28, Fr. John spoke at a music conference hosted by the Patriarch Tikhon Russian American Music Institute (PaTRAM) at St. Tikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, Pennsylvania.

Fr. John shares about love and forgiveness from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:43-48).

Fr. John talks about the importance of celebrating the feasts of the Church.

Fr. John makes a connection between the beheading of St. John the Forerunner and 9-11.

Fr. John shares from Psalm 111.

Fr. John shares from Luke 8:5-15; Hosea 10:12-13; and Jeremiah 4:3.

Fr. John shares from 2 Kings 5.

Fr. John shares from 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.

Fr. John shares from St. John Climacus and 1 John 2:15-17.

Fr. John shares about the importance of setting boundaries in relationships, and the story of the life of St. Mary of Egypt.

Fr. John shares about the cleansing of the temple from Matthew 21:12-14, Mark 11:15-19, and Luke 19:45-48.

Fr. John reflects on the myrrhbearing women and apostles in how they reacted to Christ annulling the curse of death.

Fr. John uses 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 to discuss the importance of unity.

Fr. John shares about the sanctity of marriage and familial love. He also draws from the relationship of Saints Peter and Febronia as examples of the importance of commitment to Christ.

Fr. John talks about what it means to be a Christian, using the epistle reading from Colossians.