In this homily from the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt in 2008, Fr. Pat discusses the occasion for the writing of the Gospel of Mark, the response of the Apostles to the cross, and the question Jesus asks James and John in the 10th chapter of Mark, which is the same question He asks us as we approach the chalice.

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 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Fr. Pat reminds us that the Cross ought to be the lens through which we examine every question and regard every problem; it is what gives godly shape to the Christian life.

Fr. Pat reflects upon the encounter between Jesus and the woman with the chronic bleeding who touched the hem of His robe.

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.

When blessings are temporary, sadness follows thankfulness. But does God want our blessings to be so short-lived?

Elder Porphyrios has been recognized as a saint! Are the rest of us called to be saints, too?

The universe is full of wonderful things. But perhaps nothing is more wonderful that Christmas, when God became man!

Most people don't keep their new year's resolutions. Is it because we're too busy trying to do more rather than be more?

Sometimes we divide the world into things that concern God and things that don't. What can holy water teach us about that?

If we don't keep our car's gas tank full, it will stall. Do we keep our spiritual gas tanks full?

This week we answer one of your questions! How do we control our thoughts and deal with the temptations we face everyday?

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?

We share things that are important to us. Do we ever share God with our family and friends?

We talk a lot about our souls. But what about our bodies? Are they important? Are they saved?

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

When fasting, we focus on what goes into our mouths, what we eat. But what about what comes out of our mouths, what we say?

Sometimes we talk about "giving up" something for Lent. Is the Church asking us to give up what we want or inviting us to build the discipline we need to make the right choices?

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

We've all stumbled during Lent. St. Mary of Egypt shows us that it's not too late to get back up again.

The Cross was an instrument of death. How did it become an instrument of life? And what can that teach us about being the bee?

We all struggle with doubt sometimes. Is that a problem, or something that can help our faith?

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

Women have been important saints and leaders in the Church from the very beginning!

Why was the meeting between Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew so important? We're looking at Catholic-Orthodox history in this week's Be the Bee!

We're answering another viewer question. Why is the Sacrament of Confession so important?

What can sports teach us about being Christians? What have sports taught you?

Coming together with amazing Orthodox Christians from across the country is a powerful reminder that there's no "me" in "bee."

Who is the Theotokos, and why is she so important?

What can the Transfiguration teach us about being the bee?

I love summer camp! Do you?

Christ tells us that faith like a mustard seed is enough to move mountains. But how can something so small do something so huge?

How do Christ and the Church teach us to read the Bible? Here are three things you need to know!

On September 11, an Orthodox church was destroyed under the collapsing Twin Towers. What can its rebuilding teach us about being the bee?

What a prayer rope is, and how it can help us.

A look back at last year's Halloween episode, and what can happen when we're too concerned with being right.

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?

Love isn’t just a feeling; it’s a choice, an action. We can show our love for our neighbors (and live our Faith) by getting involved with philanthropic groups like FOCUS North America.

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.

Sometimes, the Church can seem . . . boring. Is that because of the Church or the way we see and present it?

Faith needs to be something we put into action. A wonderful example of this is the life and person of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. The Christian Faith teaches the equality of all people—and Dr King acted on that belief.

When we look at snow with the eyes of a bee, we can learn an important lesson for our spiritual lives. Snow is a beautiful metaphor for our ideal spiritual state, as we read in Psalm 50(51). If we're not careful, snow can slowly be transformed into disgusting muck. Thank God, the Church offers us a reset button!

Some say Orthodox Christianity is one of the world's best kept secrets. So let's talk about what Orthodoxy is. At it's core, Orthodoxy is about the Gospel, the Good News of our new life in Christ. And there's a lot more to say, so we're going to spend a few weeks answering some of the basic questions people have about the Faith.

How can we even begin to talk about belief in God? We need to start by making something clear: we're not talking about belief in something; we're talking about belief in someone. That changes the way we see the question. It means God isn't something we think about. It means He's someone we're invited to encounter.

How can God be both 3 and 1? Christians are monotheists—we believe in one God—but many people don't understand how the Holy Trinity fits in with that. The Holy Trinity is One God, three divine Persons who express one divine Nature.

Who is Jesus Christ? He's the God-man, the eternal Son of God who, in the fullness of time, took on flesh and became fully human--while remaining fully God. This is so important because of what it means for our salvation. If we understand who Christ really is, we can understand who we really are.

Jesus Christ is our savior, but what does He save us from? To answer that, we need to take a closer look at Creation and the Fall. God made us neither mortal nor immortal, but with freedom: we could choose to either move closer to God, the source of life, or away from Him, and find death. When Adam and Eve sinned they separated themselves from God and each other, creating the wounded, sick humanity that they passed down to us.

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.