Frederica is in Portland this week chatting with Kh. Krista West about the history and significance of Orthodox vestments. Krista makes vestments for clergy and has a web site where you can see her products.

Frederica received some helpful corrections from a couple of listeners on her Roe v Wade podcast which posted on January 23.

What might God be planning for America given the rampant infiltration of sin, abortion, and depravity? Frederica has adjusted her thinking on this after a rather strange "awakening."

Frederica takes us to the door of the Golden Corral where she is about to begin work on her new book. What she observes, however, is an American epidemic.

Frederica likes the new Disney movie, Enchanted, and provides an enchanting review for our AFR listeners.

Frederica is in the fourth floor apartment of a friend who recently came to Orthodoxy from the Mennonite church and participated in an excursion to the Middle East with a group intent on apologizing to Eastern faiths for the Crusades.

This week we catch Frederica in her car driving to Washington, D.C., and reflecting on the differences between the Orthodox Church and other Christian churches when it comes to the involvement of men.

Doxacon is a gathering of Orthodox Christians with an interest in fantasy, sci-fi, and gaming. This year they asked me to deliver the lay keynote (conference theme: "Making Virtuous Decisions in Fiction"), and I confessed that I don't know much about those popular forms of media. So we compromised. First, I speak about Charles Dickens, and how some non-virtuous personal decisions affected his life and his writing; then my son, Fr. Stephen Mathewes, relates the "virtuous decisions" question to some popular books, movies, and videogames. At the end I came back with a few thoughts about bees. Enjoy!

Frederica Mathewes-Green ponders the tremendous amount of work it took to weave fabric by hand, and how it felt to be clothed in someone’s labor; what we miss, by living entirely amid machine-made things.

Frederica Mathewes-Green shares a few words about the meaning of love.

Here's the first of five interviews Frederica has with monks from Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, West Virginia.

So what is "The Trench”? In episode one, Christian discusses why "The Trench" and the centrality of relationships in the Christian life.

Sometimes we undercut relationships by jumping to offer advice over identifying with people's problems. Join Christian this week as he explores an alternative route to sharing in the suffering of others.

We can't share Jesus Christ with other people unless we know Him ourselves. Join Christian this week as he explores how Christ comes to meet us through the Scriptures and the Breaking of the Bread in Liturgy.

It can be easy enough to say "I'm sorry," or even to forgive someone who slights us. But do we really understand the depth of the act of forgiving? Join Christian this week as he explores the role of forgiveness in our transformation into the likeness of Christ.

Connect with us at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministries!

Mentors play vital roles in our lives, helping us discern the movement of God. Join Christian this week as he has some help in exploring how Christ reveals Himself through these unique relationships.

Friendship is a wonderful mystery wherein people share a heart. This week, Christian explores what our friendships can teach us about a relationship with Christ, the One who invites us into eternal and everlasting friendship with Himself.

Over the last couple weeks, Christian has explored how God reveals Himself through different relationships in our lives. This week, Christian explores what children can teach us about the Mystery of God.

Connect with us at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministries! youth.goarch.org

This week, Christian explores how our friends help us see ourselves clearly. Sometimes, this may mean we see some encouraging things, and other times we may see the yucky parts of ourselves. Both of these realities are what make friendship such an essential part of our walk with Christ.

Fr. Tom reflects upon Matthew 25:31-46, the Parable of the Last Judgment.

Fr. Tom reflects upon the expulsion of Adam from Paradise, one of the two themes of Forgiveness Sunday.

Fr. Tom considers the act of asking for forgiveness, as well as who it is we hurt when we sin.

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."

On the second 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.

Looking for an inspiring book to read during Lent? Try the Bible! Fr. Tom specifically recommends certain books of the Bible during this season.

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!

Fr. Thomas starts with a review of the Gospel reading of Mark for the Fourth Sunday of Lent and transitions to the Fifth Sunday explaining how reigning with our Lord is dependent on suffering with him.

Fr. Thomas gives an overview of the services for the 5th week of Great Lent and their final emphasis on penitence and repentance.

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.

Fr. Thomas takes a closer look at the "Celebration of the Kingship of Christ."

Fr. Thomas uses the Paschal icon as an opportunity to clear up some misconceptions about Sheol/Hades and Gehenna/Hell.

Fr. Thomas examines who the myrrh-bearing women were and clears up some misconceptions about Mary Magdalene in the process.

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.

Fr. Thomas looks at the roots of Pentecost-- the coming of the Spirit-- in Old Testament worship.

Father Thomas reveals how icons are painted and the proper procedure for placing them in the church building.

Fr. Tom couldn't let the Church Year end without looking back on the inspiring feasts during its last month, August.

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).

Fr. Thomas recreates the homily from earlier in the month on Christ's parable of forgiveness by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/**/ 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.)

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 eight-part AFR podcast series on the Church and State. In the next program, Fr. Tom will interview some of the participants in Crossroad.

Fr. Tom speaks with two students and a leader in the Crossroad program.

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.

Fr. Tom teaches on this significant feast at the beginning of the Nativity season.

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.

Today Fr. Tom talks about theological formulation and explanation in the Orthodox Christian Church.

As the Lenten season begins, Fr. Tom Hopko reads a brief sermon penned by Fr. John Parker of Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Mt. Pleasant, SC. This sermon was written in the style and tradition of St. John Chrysostom's well known and loved Paschal Homily.

Fr. Thomas Hopko explains how our acts, especially our prayers, are included in God's predestination based on His foreknowledge, and how our free-will actions, particularly our prayers, contribute to God's providence in our lives.

On this, the greatest of all Feast Days, Fr. Thomas explains what we, as Orthodox Christians, know for certain about Jesus Christ.

In his continuing series on Charles Darwin and Christianity, Fr. Tom begins a reflection on the creation story as told in Genesis.