Scott Hanselman and his wife will be joining the walk for diabetes on May 6 2006. They've set a goal of raising $10,000 for this event and could use your help in reaching that goal. I encourage all of you to go to Scott's blog to find out more about this worthy cause, or go directly to diabetes.org to make... (64 words)

Sermon on the Sunday of All Saints (Heb 11:33-12:2; Mt 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30)

Sermon on the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Romans 6:18-23; Matthew 8:5-13)

Sermon on the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (I Corinthians 4:9-16; Matthew 17:14-23)

Sermon on the Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Galatians 2:16-20; Luke 8:41-56)

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

All Saints of North America - Second Sunday after Pentecost

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

On Friday, October 29, 2010, St Nicholas Church in McKees Rocks/Pittsburgh was vandalized. The assailants smashed through a stained glass window, ripped down a royal door, and overturned a candle stand. Fr Tom reminded his flock that though these trials may come, no one can take away the gift of our faith in God. (Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost)

On the Sunday after Pentecost, we commemorate all of the men and women who attained holiness through obedience to the commandments of Christ. Fr Tom reminds us that it is within our free choice to love God above all and to follow His will for our lives. (First Sunday after Pentecost)

Anyone can do a good deed, but Fr. Tom reminds us that truly godly works are motivated by a faith in Christ which leads to salvation. (Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost)

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)

On the Sunday of All Saints, the gospel reading reminds us of the narrow way of being a disciple of Christ. Fr Thomas powerfully contrasts the imperatives in Christ's teaching on discipleship with the contemporary rise of the "Dones," those who illogically proclaim themselves faithful to Christ but "done with church."

On the Sunday before the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, the Church presents readings to prepare us to celebrate the feast. Fr Thomas reminds us that the Cross is lifted up in our midst to encourage us and to show us how to become more faithful and loving.

The parable of the talents can sometimes seem unfair. Why have some been given more than others? Fr Thomas relates this parable to the contemporary decline in religious faith and reminds us that, today, our cross is to take up the gift of faith and grow it. (Sunday after the Elevation of the Precious Cross)

The Parable of the Talents is a rich but difficult story, calling everyone who has been given gifts in God's vineyard to the responsibility of growth. On the Sunday of their parish's annual meeting, Fr Thomas delivers a pointed and challenging message to his congregation, reminding them that no one is exempt from accountability in matters concerning church life, since we are all individually members of the one body of Christ.

The gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Lent is about the healing of the demon-possessed boy. In it, we can all relate to the pleading of the boy's father: "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!" To help us in our Lenten journey, Father Thomas gives us three practical ways to strengthen and deepen our faith, taken directly from this Sunday's readings.

In a spirited presentation about growing the Church, Fr Thomas gives us practical advice about sharing our faith taken from the example of Jesus's conversion of the Samaritan Woman.

Cutting through the din of religious pluralism, Fr Thomas reminds us that the Orthodox Faith uniquely gives us everything for life, faith, and spiritual understanding.

Recent news has reported that, in the US, church attendance is down, in direct relation to the social changes sweeping the country. Fr Thomas teaches us that when the winds of change blow, the most important thing we can do is assess our own commitment to faith in Christ by checking for spiritual blindness.

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.

On the third Sunday of Pascha, we hear of the courageous acts of both Joseph and Nicodemus, and the Myrrhbearing women. Fr Thomas reminds us that being a Christian in today's world takes courage. God does not force us to make the right choices and do the right things, but He does expect it of us—and for this we need courage.

St Paul bemoaned that his fellow Jews "have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." Fr Thomas discusses the relationship between faith and the prevailing culture and how we can make a greater impact on society. The second half of the podcast features a conversation with Dr John Burgess of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary about the lessons we can learn from the Russian Orthodox Church regarding faith and culture.

At the approach of the new year, the Church presents the example of Joseph and Mary taking the young child, Jesus, to Egypt, to protect Him and keep the promise they made to God. Fr Thomas encourages us also, to imitate their tenacious faith in keeping the promises of our baptism, no matter what challenge we face.

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 seventh Sunday of Holy Pascha we recall the words of our Lord to His apostles before His passion, reminding them that what He taught them was given by God Himself. Fr Thomas reminds Orthodox Christians that we must also receive this apostolic teaching and pass it on to new believers without any change or error.

in Romans 10, St Paul writes about the importance of his fellow Jews hearing about Christ and why it's important for their salvation. Fr Thomas reminds us that evangelism should not be a foreign concept to Orthodox Christians. We must get comfortable with sharing our faith in Christ and speaking about God's work in our life.

Fr Thomas reminds us of the value of learning to deepen our faith.

On the Sunday of All Saints, Fr. Thomas gives clear and direct evidence from the scriptures explaining how and why we ask for the prayers of the saints who have gone before us.

Fr Thomas teaches us that, because Jesus is the truth, sharing our faith in Him is at the very heart of our experience as Orthodox Christians. (At 17:00 the power went out in the church on the hottest day of the year!)

As soon as our Lord is born in Bethlehem, the Scriptures record that the evil one is working through Herod to destroy him. Fr Thomas reminds us that the darkness will always fight against the Light, but we can choose our path wisely.

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.

How can we remain peaceful during the Pandemic? Fr Thomas presents the practical teachings of St Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ to give us perspective about how to actually grow in faithfulness during times of trouble.

Is there anything upon which our faith is contingent? Fr. Tom reminds us that, while we may not always have certainty or the privilege of seeing the Lord as the disciples, our prayer will be the seal of our faith.

All Saints Sunday is about far more than remembering especially holy people. It's about hearing Christ's call for us to become truly human.

Fr. Tom reminds us that the Cross - both the Cross of Christ and the personal crosses we're called to carry - are the source of our salvation.

The aged Simeon and the prophetess Hannah were so incredibly blessed to behold the infant Christ, 40 days after his birth, and receive him into the Temple in Jerusalem.

Subdeacon Emmanuel is the homilist and speaks about the celebration of the saints of Britain and Ireland as well as all saints abroad.

What does it mean to have faith and how can we increase it?

We are saved by Christ as part of the Church and our fellow members of the Body of Christ support us both practically and in their prayers. The prayers of the holy people of God are a ferocious weapon in our defence.

On the Sunday of All Saints, we are reminded to honour them in our generation that others by their example, fellowship and prayers may also become Friends of God.

How can I increase my faith? There is no way I can encourage you to increase your faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ unless I first increase my faith in Him.

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

The outcast woman receives healing demonstrating the power of our Lord and the power of prayer.

Fr. Dcn. Emmanuel gives the homily from the Epistle to the Ephesians.

Fr. Christopher gives the sermon on the Triumph of Orthodoxy.