How the concept of punishment in the world to come was understood at the time of Christ.

Recently I listened to a podcast in which Larry Chapp (a universalist Roman Catholic) interviewed Dr. David Bentley Hart. In the course of the interview Dr. Hart asserted that, unlike Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy does not have an official and authoritative Magisterium. By this he meant that Orthodoxy possesses no institutional organ (such as the papacy and the episcopate dependent upon it) that can routinely and authoritatively declare what is or is not the official teaching of the Church when consulted.

As reported in the Byzantine Texas blogsite, the Ecumenical Patriarch is calling for a unified observance of Easter by next year, 2025, to coincide with the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea. In a sermon he said, “We beseech the Lord of Glory that the forthcoming Easter celebration next year will not merely be a fortuitous occurrence, but rather the beginning of a unified date for its observance by both Eastern and Western Christianity.” Patriarch Bartholomew went on to declare that it was “a scandal to celebrate separately the unique event of the one Resurrection of the One Lord”.

Fr. Apostolos asks the most important question that each of us must answer in this life: What comes next?

Fr. Apostolos shares from the book of Exodus and the life of St. Columba to prepare us for the Feast of Theophany.

Fr. Apostolos talks about the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, and the difference between being AT church, IN church, and THE church.

Fr. Apostolos shares from 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.

Fr. Apostolos introduces the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, "O Lord and Master of my life..."

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a homily from the service for the Indiction regarding the Orthodox view of of time and how it is consecrated through the prayer of the Church.

Fr. Apostolos Hill preaches about the Living Water that only Christ can give to quench the thirst in the deepest part of humanity.

Fr. Apostolos Hill gives a straightforward line-by-line examination of the Gospel message in John 3:16.

Fr. Apostolos speaks about the evangelical imperative of the Apostolicity of the Church.

Sermon on the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (II Cor 11:31-12:9; Luke 16:16-31)

Sermon on the Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Colossians 3:4-11; Luke 14:16-24)

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

Though we have the revelation of the one God in Christ, people the world over are free to believe in the god of their choosing, or no god at all. Fr Tom reminds us that as Orthodox Christians, though we firmly believe in the right to religious freedom, we must always assert to everyone the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ, because what we believe about God matters. (Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council)

The Samaritan Woman encountered the giver of Living Water at the well of her forefathers. Fr Thomas teaches us that we must seek the Living Water Who is pure Truth, and ourselves be clean containers to receive the grace that God grants to us.

On the second Sunday after Pentecost, the Orthodox Church celebrates local Saints of a particular land. Fr Thomas reminds us that Saints teach us in their way of life that they are devoted to accomplish a divine mission, that they have become holy through their practice of the Orthodox way of prayer, and most importantly, that they love God above all else. (Second Sunday after Pentecost - All Saints of North America)

The scriptural readings for the eighth Sunday after Pentecost reveal a clear picture of who we are to be in Christ. St Paul teaches us that we are to be of the same mind, while St Matthew records the miracle of feeding the 5,000. Fr Thomas teaches us that we must consciously reject the choices the world presents to us, but rather fully immerse ourselves into the Church's life, which is transforming us into the likeness of God.

The question, "What must I do to be saved?" is usually interpreted of as, "How can I get to heaven?" Fr Thomas teaches us that eternal life is defined by Jesus as something we can have here and now and He teaches us what we need to do to experience it.

As we approach the Great Lenten period, Fr Thomas teaches us about the purpose of Lent and how to enter into it, restoring those things which have fallen away in our spiritual life.

Christ appeared to his apostles, and Thomas, eight days after his Holy Resurrection. Fr Thomas teaches us that we learn of the mystery of the Resurrection, the mystery of the Church, and the mystery of Faith, all in a single life-changing encounter.

Fr Thomas uses the stories of two different healings by Jesus (Mt 9:27-35) to demonstrate the importance of developing an interior life. After the sermon (at 20:00) Fr Thomas talks with three nuns from the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA, about cultivating the interior life and the challenges and blessings of monasticism.

On the Sunday of St Thomas, we hear of the encounter of the Apostle with the risen Christ. Fr Thomas teaches us that we too must make every effort to encounter the resurrected Christ both in the Holy Scriptures and in the Eucharist.

What would you do if God gave you the silent treatment? Fr Thomas reminds us that we must persist in our pleas to God and in so doing, exercise great faith.

Fr Thomas teaches us that God keeps his promises so that everyone can have an encounter with him—he is faithful.

Special guest Fr. John Mikita from Holy Ascension Church in Mount Pleasant, SC encourages us to recall the light of Christ when we face spiritual darkness. Fr. John also warns us that to encounter Christ is to have to choose between the darkness we're comfortable with and the change to which He calls us.

Leading into the Great Fast, Fr. Tom urgently calls us to remember that all of the fasting in the world is useless if we neglect the weightier matters.

On the eighth day of Pascha, Fr. Tom reminds us to heed the signs which point us to the Eternal Day.

Unpacking the Sunday epistle reading, Fr. Tom helps us to enter into the cosmic mystery that is Christ and the New Covenant. The Divine Liturgy is not a dead work; it is a provision to allow us to enter into the eternal sacrifice of God every time we gather.

Fr. Tom meditates on how encounters with Christ and His miracles - both today and in the Scriptures - elicit opposite responses. We see some who accept them and some who deny them in the most vicious ways. What will your response be?

Listen as Fr. Tom explains how Christ completely shatters our concept of time!

Listen as Fr. Tom unpacks the overflowing implications of Pascha - the eternal eighth day, the resurrected body, and St. Thomas.

When we discuss Eternal Life, do we think primarily of being a good enough person so that we can get to Heaven? When does Eternal Life begin? Listen as Fr. Tom calls us to focus on becoming like Christ here and now.

Fr Thomas reminds us that the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman was not about her condemnation, but her salvation. We can also embrace a change of life through encountering Christ. (John 4:5-42) Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, May 14, 2023

Fr. Gregory speaks on the 7th Ecumenical Council.

Fr. Gregory's sermon for October 31 is on neo-paganism and how it is reflected in Halloween.

We are to point to Christ and not ourselves as we prepare the way for others to receive Him; we decrease that Christ might be glorified in and through us.

Father Gregory speaks about the significance of water in his homily for the Feast of Theophany.