Fr. Pat's homily delivered on the Sunday of the Holy Cross, 2008.

Is the god we’re worshipping actually the God of the Bible? Or are we worshiping the benevolent, optimistic, political, social, economic god of contemporary American culture? Because the worship of a false god is worse than the worship of no god.

What sort of life we live is determined by who we think we are. If we are servants of God, that means that not one of us belongs to himself. His time, his energy, his resources, all belong to the King that he serves.

In this homily given on the Feast of the Dormition in 2010, Fr. Pat reflects upon the revelation of the Gospel disclosed in the human face

Fr. Pat discusses three words from the first chapter of 2 Corinthians.

A homily on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, given on August 26, 2012.

The theory of the perenial philosophy says that there’s a certain core experience of truth that all human beings have. Fr. Pat discusses this theory in light of Luke 14:16-24, the Parable of the Great Banquet.

When the Apostle Paul lists faith, hope, and love as a triad of things that abide, he takes care to assert that the greatest of these is love. In this homily from Vespers on January 5, 2014, Fr. Pat examines these three things more closely.

There’s a sense in which The Vocation of Mary was the most special and the most common. In this homily given on the Feast of the Dormition in 2010, Fr. Pat considers these two vocations of our Lord's Mother.

On the occasion of the third night of Hanukkah, Fr. Pat talks about the divisions God built into creation, about the consecration and desecration of sacred space, and about dedication of God's temple and of ourselves.

Why is gift-giving such an important part of Christmas? What does it have to do with our lives as Christians?

This week we're answering another of your questions! What should we do when people make us feel ashamed or awkward for being Christians?

This week we're answering another of your questions! What should we do when we try showing love to people and don't get anything positive in return?

What does it mean to be a servant of God? How do we serve?

Before we start fasting during Great Lent, we start forgiving. Why do we ask forgiveness from everyone, even people we may not know?

Fasting can fatten up our wallets. What should we do with that extra money? And how else can we give?

We're answering one of your questions, about how we can overcome laziness. How can changing our perspective help?

I love summer camp! Do you?

The Truth can be hard to see. What are we doing to help people see it better?

What are icons, and why are they important?

As Christians, we're called to union with each other and God. Yet we're constantly stuck in divisions, both external and internal. So how are we supposed to achieve true union? The answer is forgiveness: God's invitation to share the same space with Him.

Being a Christian and living the Gospel isn't always easy; in fact, it's usually challenging. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., experienced that as he fought for justice. So did Archbishop Iakovos when, despite opposition, he chose to stand with Reverend King in Selma. Fifty years after the Selma marches, let's look ahead to how we can live with the same spirit of courage and love.

Many people think that heaven and hell are the places God sends us to either reward or punish us. But Orthodox Christians don't believe in this "two story" model of the universe. We believe that God is "present in all places and filling all things," and that what we interpret as salvation or damnation is actually our response to, and experience of, God's unconditional love.

We can summarize salvation in three words: Christ is Risen! Salvation, our participation in God's true and eternal life, only happens in the divine-human person of Christ. He took on all that is ours so we could have all that is His.

We sometimes describe people as cradles or converts; but instead of describing people, that can divide us. And they're a bit misleading: we aren't born into the Church, and there isn't a specific moment in the past when we enter the Church. We're actually pilgrims, making our way to Christ, growing closer to Him everyday.

Living Orthodoxy is about love. Here are six ways you can deepen your love for Christ. Are you ready to start?

This week we're responding to another viewer question. Does a love of theology and academic study somehow contradict the mysticism of the Faith? We approach God as complete human persons, and that includes our minds. Reading and studying theology can be a great thing, but it should also be a part of our larger life in Christ. God is more than an idea we think about: He's a person we encounter.

The Church isn't run by a single person. Instead, we come together in councils to keep the Faith and guide the Church through challenges. From the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem (in the Book of Acts) through the upcoming Great and Holy Council, this spirit of togetherness opens us to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

It's not easy to love your enemies, especially when they do something terrible. But it's the Christian way, and it's possible because Christ has defeated hatred and fear with forgiveness and love. It's possible because He defeated death with His own death.

Giving thanks isn't just for Thanksgiving. As Christians, it's an important part of our daily lives. It's the way to see God even in the midst of difficult times, to receive the blessed happiness that only comes when we open ourselves to God's grace.

St. Dionysios of Zakynthos is a powerful example of forgiveness. He shows us how forgiveness can free us to be who God made us to be, rather than trapping us and defining us by our sins and shortcomings.

Many of us seek wealth, or stuff, or other temporary pleasures. Yet God wants us to seek something more. Christ chose the Cross. What do you choose?

You probably know what you need to do to grow closer to Christ, but you're having trouble getting started. Here are five ways to jumpstart your spiritual life and start connecting with the Lord today!

We all know forgiveness is a holy and important thing, yet it's easier said than done. When you're having trouble, here are four things to help soften your heart and open the door to forgiveness.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Fr. John Chryssavgis join Steve to explore why caring for the environment is part of our role as Christians and priests of creation.

Faith is often treated as a secret, private thing. But if we really believe that we know the way to eternal life in Christ, would we really keep that hidden from others?

Vestments are more than decorations: they reveal something important about our relationship with God and the role of our clergy.

Last week, Steve and Christian talked about how receiving Holy Communion forms us into Christ's Body. This week, they reflect on the ways our good habits can build a "second nature" and form us into the people God made us to be.

The Orthodox author Dostoevsky once said that "beauty will save the world." What does beauty have to do with our salvation and relationship with God?

Is faith alone enough to save us? Father Barnabas Powell, an Orthodox priest and former Protestant, joins Steve to consider this important question.

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America joins Steve to explore why service is at the heart of our lives as Christians. But he also reminds us that, if we truly want to emphasize service, then we must also emphasize the services of the Church.

Have you ever felt pressure about getting into the right school? Getting the right job? "Vocation" is about a lot more than a job. It's about how we respond to God's call. To learn how, Steve is joined by Anna Karos: a graduate of the CrossRoad Summer Institute. crossroadinstitute.org

“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5) Politics are toxic and the world seems full of darkness. Is our job, as Christians, to fight that darkness? We'll review the advice of two greats saints (St Isaac the Syrian and St Poprhyrios of Kavsokalyvia) to see how we can bring the Light of Christ into a world darkened by toxic politics. As a special bonus, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn. mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee152

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Thanksgiving is a time to feel grateful. But that attitude of gratitude can go away as soon as we're done with the turkey. How do we keep it going? Saint Paul tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances." Because real gratitude is more than a feeling. As we see in the Parable of the Rich Fool, it starts with remembering one crucial thing. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee158

“He who loves humanity fulfills the Law that was writ of old and is brought to the Temple now.” - Stichera of Orthros The People of Israel were commanded to offer everything from the firstfruits of their harvest to their firstborn sons to God. This is just a part of a great cycle of offering: where we give ourselves to God and God gives Himself to us. Let's take a closer look at how Jesus fulfills the Law in the Presentation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And what we can learn from the example of Saints Symeon and Anna. This week, Steve is joined by his cohosts on "3 Men and a Bible," Father Panagioti Boznos and Nick Lionas. ​ As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn. https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee163

“Nothing makes us so like God, as our readiness to forgive the wicked and wrongdoer.” (Saint John Chrysostom) The Greek word for forgiveness means "sharing the same space." At the doorstep to Great Lent, we're given the opportunity to both seek and offer forgiveness. Forgiveness Sunday (especially Forgiveness Vespers) is our chance to overcome resentments and share the same space with both God and neighbor. So that, together, we can journey to salvation and an experience of God's Kingdom. Because right and wrong is about more than what’s right or wrong for you. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn. https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee168 .

"On this day, the first Sunday of Lent, we commemorate the restoration of the holy and venerable icons…” (Synaxarion for the Sunday of Orthodoxy) After weeks of learning about forgiveness and pride and judgment, we begin Great Lent with a Sunday dedicated to icons. Why? On one level, this is the anniversary of the triumph over Iconoclasm in 843 AD. But there's more to this triumph than meets the eye. So we'll take a deep dive into the theology of icons to learn that God made a promise to His saints. That He would unite heaven and earth. That we could look upon the face of the Lord and live. And this promise is fulfilled in us. We hold up icons as proof of this promise, the treasures we display in the Triumph of Orthodoxy. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee169

We've spent the last two episodes exploring how the internet shifts our attention from Christ and makes it harder than ever to be holy. In this episode, we're going to say goodbye by pointing to three things that need to shape the future of our homes and communities. We need to encounter Christ, embody the Church, and engage the world in His name.

Charles Ajalat joins us to talk about a letter being circulated in Congress that calls for action to be taken by the State Department to secure the release of the two Archbishops being held in Syria. We urge you to call your congressional representative and urge them to sign the Sherman Letter. Find out how to reach your representative HERE.

Father John Strickland, Assistant Professor of History, St. Katherine College (Encinitas, CA), and assistant priest at St. John of Damascus Orthodox Church (Poway, CA), draws important parallels between the early Christian Church, confronting a pagan culture in the Roman Empire, and Christianity and life in a neo-pagan, postmodern North America and Western Europe in the 21st century.