Today looking forward to St Bridget’s feastday, Martha relives some of her culinary training and how it and a well-stocked pantry can help.

Puzzled about what to give the foodies on your list? Join Martha for some gift ideas that can meet every skill level and interest and possibly keep you out of the mall!

Nick Heer on the ever-increasing user-hostile demand for your attention from the biggest social platforms #

the BBS goes read-only on Friday, replaced by Substack comments, and the community is not happy #

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

Papers Please/Obra Dinn creator Lucas Pope dropped a surprise spooky free web game inspired by 1980s LCD handhelds #

anything out of frame is immediately forgotten, making it very dream-like and surreal to explore #

useful Chrome/Firefox add-on that finds your X/Twitter friends on Bluesky #

I have just read two fascinating pieces about Pope Francis’ recent and controversial document Fiducia Supplicans, which officially allows Roman Catholic priests to bless persons in same-sex relationships, one by an Orthodox and the other by a Roman Catholic.

Commenting on the epistle reading of Paul to the Colossians, the Very Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur concentrates on the idea that the passions we struggle with also lead us into idolatry. For “when Christ who is our life appears,” we either die to the passions, or we choose them over Him.This is a battle which happens in our hearts every day, as Christ has already appeared to us through our baptism, and continues to appear to us through our every encounter with Him spiritually and physically in the sacraments and the body of the Church.

I have just finished reading Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity, by my friend Carl R. Trueman. Dr. Trueman is professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College, and a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (which, despite the title, has no connection with our own Eastern Orthodox Church).

I recently spoke with a dear friend who dolefully reported that a distant family member had left his very traditional Protestant church (with its stress on doctrine and Reformed worship) for a group called “The Bridge”. The name of the group reminded me of similar names of such new churches, such as “Connect”, and “Relate”—i.e. the names were intended to highlight their emphasis on relationships. So much for “St. James Anglican Cathedral”, or “Ferndale Baptist Church”, or even “Living Waters Pentecostal Assembly”.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the dangers of confusing externalism with spiritual fruit.

Fr. Apostolos asks, "Of what value is our life in Christ?"

After the recent news of Robin Williams' untimely death, Fr. Apostolos talks about depression and suicide, and the hope offered by Christ and His Church.

Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a timely message of hope in the Gospel during this time.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a short homily reflecting on the Gospel theme of the second Bridegroom Matins service.

Fr. Apostolos Hill delivers a homily detailing the bridal imagery running through the Divine Liturgy and the Bridegroom Matins services of the week.

Sermon on the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Luke 7:11-16; II Cor 6:16-7:1)

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

After a tumultuous week in the nation, Fr Thomas teaches us that the parable of the Good Samaritan commands that we must not only physically serve our neighbor who is beat up and in need, but spiritually heal them as well.

The most endearing secular holiday in the American calendar is Thanksgiving Day. It was set aside by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father." Later, the modern culture invented Black Friday, driving consumers to the stores in a buying frenzy. Fr Thomas reminds us that "covetousness is idolatry" (Col 3:5), that everything we have belongs to God, and should be used for His glory.

On Christmas Eve, Fr Thomas reminds us that Christ came as a human to restore the image of God in us and show us how to become what we were always meant to be.

Fr Thomas shares a powerful message, correcting those who make themselves the measure of faith, and encouraging all of us to remember that Orthodox Christianity is the ideal we are striving for.

On the fourth Sunday of Lent, the Church presents the Gospel reading of the healing of the demon possessed boy, and we also commemorate St John of "The Ladder." Fr Thomas teaches us that, if we want to spiritually grow, we have to be able to accept God's difficult answers to our ultimate questions.

On the Sunday before Christmas, the kingly lineage of Jesus according to St Mathew is read. Fr Thomas teaches us that the names recount that Jesus is anything but a distant ruler, but rather that He identifies with the brokenness of humanity and comes to redeem us from it.

Jesus told His disciples that they could not cast out the demon in the epileptic boy "except by prayer and fasting." Fr Thomas reminds us that if we want to live in the midst of the Kingdom of God, we also must strengthen our faith through these essential disciplines.

On the Great Feast of Pentecost, Fr Thomas teaches us about our participation in the first Pentecost through the sacramental grace of the Holy Spirit in Chrismation.

Fr. Tom reminds us that the spiritual life is full of ups and downs, but the downs are a provision from God for our salvation.

Fr. Tom discusses St. Paul's exhortation to have nothing to do with idols. Idols bring a communion of death, while the Divine Image of God destroys death and brings life.

Fr. Dn. Christopher preaches on the life of St. Aidan, the Patron Saint of the parish in Manchester.

Fr. Deacon Emmanuel is the preacher at the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts - Repentance Series for Great Lent. March 27 also marks the celebration of Deacon Emmanuel's 75th birthday - May God grant him many years.

Fr. Christopher gives the homily on the patron saint of the parish - St. Aidan.

Fr. Gregory preaches on All Hallows Eve or Hallowe'en taking his text from the rich man and the poor beggar in the Gospel.

Since Christians are members of the body of Christ and relate to Him as the bride to the groom, the Church can never be thought of as a mere institution. Whereas it is marriage that bring a man and a woman together in a dynamic union growing into the perfection of love, it is baptism that constitutes the Church by bringing together men and women, boys and girls into a covenant relationship of love with Christ.

Fr. Gregory talks about the life of St. Aidan, patron saint of St. Aidan's Orthodox Church.

Fr. Gregory says that St. Peter in Lydda should have taken the trouble to visit Joppa to raise Dorcas from the dead shows the importance that the early Church gave to the plight of widows.

Fr. Gregory preaches on the feast of St Aidan, patron saint of the parish.

Fr. Emmanuel Kahn looks at the healing of the man who was paralyzed. What does it mean for this paralytic and for us to be healed? From what do we need to be healed?

We love and respect God first. Then we love and respect ourselves because we are each made in the image of God.

Fr. Emmanuel Kahn speaks on the Gospel from the 14th chapter of St Matthew about how Jesus Christ fed more than 5,000 people at the end of the day “in a lonely place.”

Fr. Gregory Hallam preaches on Thursday, 30 August, at the Vesperal Liturgy for St Aidan, Patron Saint of the parish.

Fr. Gregory Hallam gives the sermon at Vesperal Divine Liturgy on Great and Holy Thursday 2019

Fr. Gregory Hallam on Sunday June 30, 2019.

Fr. Gregory Hallam reminds us that placing our ultimate hope in net gains through life is an exercise in futility, because, in the end, all that we have accomplished, all the disasters we have avoided, will not endure death, and within a century or so will most probably not even be remembered by our descendants.