Speaking the Truth in Love Compelling Commentary on Christian Belief and Behavior

Start date: February 2008 10016 minutes, 28 seconds in 248 episodes

Providing compelling commentary on Christian belief and behavior, Fr. Tom Hopko has joined the growing podcast family of Ancient Faith Radio. Also want to check out his other podcast on Ancient Faith Radio called The Names of Jesus.

Fr. Tom reads all of his email but it is unable to respond due to the volume of mail he receives. However, your comments and suggestions often find their way into future podcast episodes.

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Episodes

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Date	Title & Description	Duration
Jun 10, 2013	Doctors and Medicine In this episode, Fr. Tom talks about how we should view the practice of medicine and medication from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Click to play	46:01
Apr 22, 2013	The First Three Days of Holy Week - Part 6 Finally, Fr. Tom looks at the Harlot and Judas depicting two diverse models for the treatment of The Christ. Click to play	37:33
Apr 22, 2013	The First Three Days of Holy Week - Part 5 In the 5th episode, Fr. Tom reflects on the conflicts between Christ and the leaders of the day. Click to play	26:15
Apr 22, 2013	The First Three Days of Holy Week - Part 4 Then we have Joseph and his brothers showing us through this intricate biblical story, the imagery of Christ and His Passion. Click to play	41:53
Apr 22, 2013	The First Three Days of Holy Week - Part 3 Next is the parable of the Fig Tree and the imagery of leaves and fruit. Click to play	29:35
Apr 22, 2013	The First Three Days of Holy Week - Part 2 In part 2, Fr. Tom reflects on the Bride, the Bridegroom, and the garments. Why was the man with no wedding garment cast out? Click to play	27:56
Apr 22, 2013	The First Three Days of Holy Week - Part 1 In a 6 part reflection, Fr. Tom Hopko examines the first three days of Holy Week and the significance of the scripture and verses as we prepare for Great and Holy Pascha. In this first episode, he gives an overview of the 3 days and the services we will be a part of. Click to play	37:09
Apr 09, 2013	Half Way Through Lent Fr. Tom sees a significant reality at this mid point of Great Lent after the Sunday of the Cross. Click to play	39:15
Apr 01, 2013	Bishops - Part 40: Patriarch of Constantinople in the 14th Century Fr. Tom says the 14th Century situation in Constantinople is critical to understanding the Church today. Click to play	54:27
Mar 25, 2013	Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness After a season of elections, an inauguration, the State of the Union address, as well as social and political unrest, Fr. Thomas Hopko explores an ancient Christian perspective on the rights identified in the Declaration of Independence.	51:24
Mar 18, 2013	The Eucharistic Prayer of St. Basil’s Liturgy During Great Lent, the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is prescribed in Orthodox Churches. Fr. Tom appeals for the audible use of that prayer for the blessing and edification of all.	46:53
Mar 12, 2013	Letters to Spiritual Children As we approach Great Lent, Fr. Thomas has a helpful book to recommend entitled Letters to Spiritual Children by Abbot Nikon.	41:01
Jan 21, 2013	The Commandments of the Gospel Following his recent podcast on the virtue as well as the pitfalls of zeal, Fr. Thomas talks about where our zeal should be focused. He uses a 19th Century book entitled The Arena by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov to help us understand.	44:33
Jan 15, 2013	Bishops - Part 39: Serbia and Bulgaria Fr. Tom now turns his attention to the late 12th to early 14th centuries to talk about the Church in Serbia and Bulgaria and their relationship with Constantinople.	38:20
Dec 29, 2012	Fr. Thomas Hopko - Sandy Hook and Our Response After listening to an AFR Commentary by Fr. Lawrence Farley and a sermon by Fr. Andrew Damick, Fr. Thomas offers some additional and personal thoughts on the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. We also encourage you to listen to the comments by Fr. Tom Soroka.	45:53
Dec 11, 2012	Zeal Fr. Thomas speaks about zeal that is godly as opposed to zeal that leads to death.	45:15
Nov 26, 2012	Evangelical Dialogue Fr. Tom responds to an email from an evangelical listener who wrote in response to a podcast where Fr. Tom reflected on his visit to Wheaton College.	57:22
Nov 09, 2012	Bishops - Part 38: The Important 13th Century Some call the 13th century the most important century in Church history when the schism between east and west was solidified to this present day.	42:09
Oct 12, 2012	Bishops - Part 37: The Crusades and More Fr. Tom continues through the 11th and now into the 12th Century where the Crusades were launched and the spread of Islam increased.	49:03
Sep 21, 2012	Bishops - Part 36: The Pivotal 11th Century - Part 2 Fr. Thomas digs deeper into the Great Schism and the issues that inhibit a unification with the Church of Rome.	45:58
Sep 11, 2012	Understanding the Letter to the Romans St. Paul's letter to the Romans is critical to understanding the Gospel of Christ. In this episode, Fr. Thomas gives us a helpful overview of this letter and its central theme.	52:28
Aug 31, 2012	Bishops - Part 35: The Pivotal 11th Century If you have ever wanted a deeper understanding of the Great Schism of 1054, this podcast will be of great interest to you. Fr. Thomas explores the religious and political environment of the 11th century and the people involved.	46:03
Aug 13, 2012	Bishops - Part 34: The Influence of St. Symeon the New Theologian St. Symeon the New Theologian holds great importance for Church hierarchy and structure as it relates to his teaching about the relationship between the Clergy and the holy monastics.	46:23
Aug 08, 2012	An Orthodox Assessment of Evangelicalism Recently Fr. Thomas Hopko visited and spoke at the well known and evangelical based Wheaton College. While he appreciated and was honored by the opportunity, it caused him to reflect on the evangelical movement from an Orthodox Christian perspective. His thoughts will be of value to Orthodox and Evangelicals alike.	51:38
Jul 23, 2012	Bishops - Part 33: The 10th Century and Prince Vladimir Fr. Tom reflects on the very important 10th Century (the 900's) and the conversion of Prince Vladimir.	46:11
Jun 09, 2012	Bishops - Part 32: The Tumultuous 9th Century - Part 3 - Photius the Great Fr. Tom continues to comment on the events of the 9th century concentrating today on St. Photius the Great and his relationship to Rome and the Filioque.	53:09
May 17, 2012	The Commandments of God In Psalm 118 (119 in the Hebrew text), every verse references the commandments or precepts of God. As Christians, how are we to look at God's commandments in the light of Christ and His "New Commandment?"	51:36
May 06, 2012	Bishops - Part 31: The Tumultuous 9th Century - Part 2 In part 2 of Fr. Tom's reflections on the tumultuous 9th century, he talks about the missionary work of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and the controversies over language and control of the slavic nations.	36:28
May 02, 2012	Radical Monogamy What do the Scriptures and the Fathers say about fidelity in marriage, sex outside of marriage, or same-sex marriage? Fr. Tom gives extensive teaching on this subject in today's episode.	52:26
Apr 17, 2012	Bishops - Part 30: The Tumultuous 9th Century - Part 1 Today, Fr. Tom brings us part 1 of 2 talks about the difficult 9th century in Church history. This is the backstory that often gets simplified but is important in understanding why we don't have unity today.	45:20
Apr 03, 2012	The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts - Part 2 In part 2 of Fr. Tom's reflection on the Pre-Santified Liturgy, he talks about a mis-guided practice from the previous centuries of denying the gifts to children or the mentally impaired.	45:55
Mar 25, 2012	The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts - Part 1 Fr. Tom has received several e-mails asking about the development of the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy. In this 2 part talk, he gives us the history and elements of this well-loved service of the Church.	39:24
Mar 13, 2012	Great is Thy Faithfulness What can we say and not say about God? Fr. Thomas Hopko confirms one thing we can say and that is God is faithful.	41:47
Feb 29, 2012	Bishops - Part 29: The 7th Ecumenical Council part 5 Fr. Tom concludes his look at the 7th Ecumenical Council with the canons dealing with building shrines or chapels and monastic discretion.	36:38
Feb 26, 2012	The Temptation of Jesus As we begin the Lenten fast, Fr.Tom reflects on the 40 days Christ spent in the desert being tempted by Satan. Learn how some churches actually promise things that Christ rejected in the desert.	49:15
Feb 15, 2012	Bishops - Part 28: The 7th Ecumenical Council part 4 The canons discussed today deal with church property, those who would be set apart to read in the divine services, and the appropriate clothing for bishops and clergy.	45:52
Feb 02, 2012	The Childhood of Jesus As we celebrate the Feast of the Entry into the Temple of our Lord, Fr. Tom reflects on the childhood of Jesus. What we know, what we don't know, and what we can surmise.	47:21
Jan 31, 2012	Bishops - Part 27: The 7th Ecumenical Council part 3 Fr. Tom continues his look at the canons of the 7th Ecumenical Council including those that have to do with the books written by the iconoclasts, relics in the altar, and the financial affairs of the Church.	48:02
Jan 13, 2012	Bishops - Part 26: The 7th Ecumenical Council part 2 Fr. Tom is exploring the canons of the 7th Ecumenical Council held in Nicea and today talks about bishops who are appointed by secular heads of state as well as the frequency and nature of the meetings of bishops.	46:45
Jan 03, 2012	Bishops - Part 25: The 7th Ecumenical Council The Orthodox Church is the Church of the 7 Councils and the 7th one is far more important than some would believe. Learn about the importance of Icons as well as the importance of the Holy Scriptures.	47:02
Dec 27, 2011	Our Use of Words Fr.Tom asks us to heed the scriptures and use our words carefully. Specifically he identifies several terms that are often incorrectly used in Orthodoxy today.	53:06
Dec 13, 2011	Bishops - Part 24: 8th Century Iconoclasm An intense and violent period in Church history surrounded the veneration of icons. Learn about those who gave their lives for the preservation of this important physical demonstration of the Incarnation as well as those Bishops who sided with with the iconoclasts and were later identified as heretics.	51:55
Dec 03, 2011	St. Andrew the Apostle On November 30, we celebrated the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. On that day, Fr. Tom reflected on this great apostle as well as some of the legends that surround him. In particular, he talks about the dubious history of Andrew's alledged founding of the Church in Constantinople.	57:00
Nov 23, 2011	Bishops - Part 23: The Council in Trullo (conclusion) In this final episode on the so called Council in Trullo or the 5th and 6th Ecumenical Councils, Fr. Tom completes his commentary on the 102 canons. This includes the issue of not kneeling in church on Sunday, how to bring in Christians from other denominations, the creation and consumption of pornography, and more.	45:52
Nov 17, 2011	Personal Prayer Fr. Tom is frequently asked about personal prayer and how the Orthodox Christian should approach the life of prayer at home.Today's episode gives practical and biblical direction particularly as we begin the Nativity Fast.	42:30
Nov 07, 2011	Bishops - Part 22: The Council in Trullo (continued) What is the Orthodox teaching about remarriage after adultery? What about re-baptism of one brought into the Church? Fr. Tom talks about this and more in today's episode.	51:39
Oct 27, 2011	Path to Sanity Fr. Tom Hopko highly recommends a book by Dee Pennock titled Path to Sanity - Lessons from Ancient Holy Counselors on How to Have a Sound Mind.	44:28
Oct 13, 2011	Bishops - Part 21: The Council in Trullo (continued) As Fr. Tom continues his look at the so called Quintisext councils, the issues of church attendance and mixed marriages are among the topics addressed.	41:11
Oct 06, 2011	God and the World As Christians, how do we explain tragedy, earthquakes, floods, and evil? Fr. Tom takes an in depth look at the nature of God's dealing with the world through His Son, Jesus Christ.	53:02
Sep 29, 2011	Bishops - Part 20: The Council in Trullo (continued) Some interesting canons are discussed in today's program including a canon against feigning insanity!	42:04
Sep 20, 2011	Bishops - Part 19: The Council in Trullo (continued) As Fr. Tom continues his reflections on this historic council, he today speaks about monasticism, baptism, and marriage.	47:48
Sep 10, 2011	Understanding Evil - 9/11 Remembered On this 10th Anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Fr. Tom Hopko looks at the problem of evil and how we are to understand it as Christians.	29:17
Sep 01, 2011	Bishops - Part 18: The Council in Trullo (continued) The canons under discussion today by Fr. Tom deal with the rank and place of hierarchical sees and how that is affecting the structure of the Church today.	46:24
Aug 19, 2011	Bishops - Part 17: The Council in Trullo (continued) What are the canons about clergy marriage? What should the clergy wear out on the street? Why is water mixed with wine in the Eucharist? These and other issues are addressed in this episode with Fr. Thomas Hopko.	45:16
Aug 07, 2011	Bishops - Part 16: The Council in Trullo (continued) As Fr. Tom continues talking about the canons found in the Council of Trullo, he looks today at those canons that speak about issues like the selling of sacraments, clergy behavior, and the settlement of controversies.	45:17
Aug 02, 2011	The Abolition of Man Fr. Thomas talks about one of the most important books in his library and strongly encourages everyone to read it for an eye opening revelation on today's society as we know it. The Abolition of Man by CS Lewis.	51:42
Jul 22, 2011	Bishops - Part 15: The Council in Trullo (continued) Fr. Tom continues looking at the 102 Canons of the "Quinisext" or 5th and 6th Ecumenical Councils sometimes referred to as the Council in Trullo. Today he talks about the laws concerning relationships with the Jews and the marital relationships of clergy.	40:12
Jul 10, 2011	The Gift, the Gifts, and Glossolalia How does Orthodoxy view the gifts of the Holy Spirit and in particilar the phenomenon of speaking in tongues? Fr. Thomas Hopko explores the New Testament teaching on the charismatic gifts.	50:55
Jul 07, 2011	Bishops - Part 14: The Council in Trullo Fr. Tom begins looking at the 102 Canons of the "Quinisext" or 5th and 6th Ecumenical Councils sometimes referred to as the Council in Trullo. Maximus the Confessor is affirmed and many Patriarchs and Popes are anathematized.	38:55
Jun 23, 2011	Bishops - Part 13: St. Maximus and the 7th Century To what lengths will a true saint go to defend pure doctrine? Fr. Tom tells the incredible story of St. Maximus and St. Martin.	45:12
Jun 18, 2011	The Filioque During this season of Pentecost, it is important to understand the controversy surrounding the procession of the Holy Spirit. Is it just semantics or is there doctrinal substance to the rejection of the filioque clause in the Creed by the Orthodox Church?	54:33
Jun 13, 2011	Icons and Pentecost Fr. Tom reflects on the icons associated with Pentecost and the Trinity.	41:34
Jun 06, 2011	Exploring the Scripture Readings from the Sunday After Ascension On the Sunday after Ascension and before Pentecost, the appointed Scripture readings for the Divine Liturgy have striking similarities between the Apostle Reading (Acts 20) and the Gospel (John 17:1-13). Read these 2 "farewell addresses" and then listen to Fr. Tom's teaching that he recorded in his study following the Liturgy.	44:09
May 24, 2011	Bishops - Part 12: Dionysius the Areopagite In his continuing series on Bishops, Fr. Tom takes up where he left off in the last episode by concentrating on the influence of the writings attributed to but not actually from Dionysius the Areopagite.	49:47
May 20, 2011	Bishops - Part 11: Three 6th Century Figures of Great Influence In the 6th Century, three individuals played a huge role in forming and influencing the ecclesiastical structure of the Church. They were the Emperor Justinian, Pope Gregory the Great of Rome, and Dionysius the Areopagite. Fr. Tom deals with the first 2 here and the third in the next episode.	50:26
May 06, 2011	Bishops - Part 10: The Canons of the 4th Ecumenical Council In Part 10 of his series on Bishops, Fr. Thomas looks at the canons of the 4th Ecumenical Council.	32:11
May 04, 2011	Seeing Christ As He Really Is Is it possible to really see Christ and God as they are? Did the Disciples have an advantage over us because they lived with Christ? Fr. Tom explores these questions in light of the resurrection!	46:05
May 02, 2011	Bishops - Part 9: The Canons of the 3rd Ecumenical Council In Part 9 of his series on Bishops, Fr. Thomas looks at the canons of the 3rd Ecumenical Council.	27:17
Apr 15, 2011	The Letter to Diognetus Fr. Tom reads from and comments on this 2nd century historical Christian letter to the unknown Diognetus.	43:47
Apr 11, 2011	Bishops - Part 8: 5th Century Controversies The 5th century brought much controversy, schism, and anathemas but the Church survived. Some of these divisions exist even today.	46:13
Apr 04, 2011	Recommended Reading from Fr. Tom Hopko Many listeners have asked about Fr. Tom's favorite books. In today's episode he identifies them and tells us why. The list includes: The Sayings of the Desert Fathers The Arena - Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov The Art of Prayer - St. Theophan the Recluse St. Silouan the Athonite We Shall See Him As He Is - Elder Sophrony His Life is Mine - Archimandrite Sophrony Christ, Our Way and Our Life - Archimandrite Zachariah The Hidden Man of the Heart Remember Thy First Love - Archimandrite Zachariah The Complete Fenelon Atheist Delusion - David Bentley Hart The Abolition of Man - CS Lewis	47:09
Mar 31, 2011	How Should Orthodox Relate to Other Christians? If we believe that the Orthodox Church is the True Church, how are we to relate to those in other faith traditions or even non Christians? Fr. Tom takes us to the Church Fathers for answers.	46:10
Mar 07, 2011	The One True Church What do the Orthodox mean, when in the Creed we confess, "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church"? As we approach the Sunday of Orthodoxy, this is a good time to explore that question with Fr. Thomas Hopko.	46:34
Feb 26, 2011	Recommended Reading for Lent As Great Lent approaches, Fr. Tom Hopko provides helpful reading recommendations both from scripture and from other books. A very helpful book to read during this season is Fr. Tom's own The Lenten Spring	40:37
Feb 24, 2011	Bishops - Part 7: Martyrs, Monks, and Holy Bishops In this next episode of the series on Bishops, Fr. Tom reflects on 4th century Bishops, Monks, Martyrs, and Saints.	53:29
Feb 15, 2011	With God All Things Are Possible The phrase "With God all things are possible" is found 3 times in Holy Scripture. How are we to interpret the meaning of that phrase and how does it relate to the way we live our lives today?	46:12
Feb 14, 2011	Bishops - Part 6: The Other Canons Fr. Tom talks about the other canons of the fourth century in addition to the Council of Nicaea.	32:45
Feb 07, 2011	Bishops - Part 5: The Canons Fr. Tom looks at the fourth century canons concerning bishops and clergy.	46:31
Jan 29, 2011	Bishops - Part 4: In the Age of Constantine In his ongoing series on bishops, Fr. Thomas explores the fourth century under the Emperor Constantine.	40:27
Jan 03, 2011	The New Year and the End of the Age As we enter the New Year, Fr. Tom is thinking about the end of the world or "age." Don't miss this powerful and prophetic talk!	55:17
Dec 23, 2010	The Incarnation - Do We Really Believe It? In a new episode, Fr. Thomas Hopko presses the question on the Incarnation of Christ - do we REALLY believe it?	38:09
Dec 22, 2010	War and Violence in the OT In his continuing series on the Bible, Fr. Tom addresses the problem of God's violence against people and the war and violence that is prevalent in general in the Old Testament.	53:55
Dec 20, 2010	Lies and Deceit in the OT Fr. Tom looks at the lies and deception that are replete in the Old Testament stories and how God worked with sinful human beings to accomplish His purposes.	43:53
Dec 15, 2010	Sex, Lies, and the Old Testament - Part 2 What are we to make of the moral behavior of many of the heroes of the Old Testament like David, Solomon, Abraham, Lot, and others? Fr. Tom helps us deal with these figures in the proper way and according to God's ultimate plan.	47:51
Dec 09, 2010	Sex, Lies, and the Old Testament - Part 1 Fr. Tom received a number of emails about his talks on reading the Bible and the various translations. Several listeners asked about the scandalous nature of the Old Testament with stories of murder, slaughter, multiple wives, concubines, etc. So today, Fr. Tom begins a short series of talks to deal with this subject.	40:13
Dec 02, 2010	Bishops - Part 3: The Post Apostolic Model Fr. Thomas looks at the writings of three of the earliest Church Fathers to see the structure of the Church in the second and third centuries.	55:07
Nov 22, 2010	English Translations of the Bible In the third part of his series on reading the Bible, Fr. Tom discusses the various English language translations that are available and offers his recommendations.	43:16
Nov 15, 2010	Bishops - Part 2: The New Testament and Early Church Model In the second in his series on bishops, Fr. Tom reflects on the New Testament and early Church formulations of the offices and functions of clergy.	45:15
Nov 08, 2010	Reading the Old Testament Fr. Tom responds to some email questions he received after his recent episode entitled "How to Read the Bible." In particular he talks about reading the Old Testament and explains the role of the Septuagint in the Church.	47:02
Nov 01, 2010	Bishops - Part 1: Prophetic, Priestly, and Pastoral Fr. Tom begins a series of talks on the role of bishops in the Church and their relationships to each other, to the priests, the deacons, and to us. He begins by identifying what is common to all of us in creation. Please also listen to a special encouragement at the very beginning of today's episode.	48:54
Oct 25, 2010	How To Read The Bible As he travels, Fr. Tom is often asked to say some things on the radio about how to read the Bible. Where do you start? What translation does he recommend? What presuppositions should be discarded and what should be maintained? In this new episode, Fr. Tom addresses each of these questions and more.	52:16
Sep 25, 2010	Our Thoughts, Feelings, and Memories Today, Fr. Thomas Hopko reflects on the nature of our thoughts and emotions in this fallen world.	55:20
Sep 13, 2010	The Universal Exaltation Of The Precious And Life-Giving Cross Fr. Thomas Hopko reflects on one of the twelve great feasts of the Church.	32:37
Sep 04, 2010	Anxiety and Fear Everyone at one time or another has been fearful. But how do we deal with unhealthy anxiety and fear? Fr. Tom looks at this problem in light of Holy Scripture.	47:15
Aug 23, 2010	A Vision of Unity Fr. Thomas Hopko gives one Orthodox Christian's understanding of unity.	53:19
Aug 16, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 17:  The Final Chapter In this final installment in his Darwin and Christianity series, Fr. Tom Hopko compares the task and method of natural science with the task and method of Christian theology.	59:09
Aug 10, 2010	Dormition of the Theotokos On August 15, the Church celebrates the Dormition of the Mother of God. Fr.Tom explores the theology associated with this Feast and the implications on our own resurrection.	42:00
Aug 09, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 16:  Faith and Knowledge, Reason and Revelation This is the next to last episode in the Darwin series.	51:35
Aug 02, 2010	Transfiguration - The Center of the Evangelical Narrative On August 6, we will celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord and Fr. Thomas Hopko helps us understand the pivotal nature of this event in Christian history.	51:34
Jul 24, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 15:  Nature and Super-nature As Fr. Tom gets close to the end of his series on Darwin and Christianity, he reflects on the terms and concepts of nature and super-nature.	54:41
Jul 17, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 14:  Meditation on Miracles What are some of the misunderstandings and misgivings about miracles and how does that relate to natural science and Christian theology?	55:12
Jul 03, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 13:  God and Creation Fr. Tom continues his series on Darwin and Christianity with some musings on God and Creation.	57:55
Jun 19, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 12:  The Soul How do you describe the distinction between human beings and animals? Is it the soul or is it something else altogether?	53:49
Jun 05, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 11:  Death In this episode on the Darwinian Revolution and the relationship between natural science and Christian theology, Fr. Thomas Hopko reflects on the issue of death.	57:07
May 21, 2010	God As A Consuming Fire A meditation on God as a consuming fire and the imagery of fire in the spiritual life. Particularly appropriate as we think about Pentecost.	42:23
May 12, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 10:  The Genesis Account (part 4) Part 4 of the teachings from Genesis as a section in the larger series on Darwin and Christianity.	56:42
May 04, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 9:  The Genesis Account (part 3) Part 3 of the teachings from Genesis as a section in the larger series on Darwin and Christianity.	52:31
Apr 28, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 8:  The Genesis Account (part 2) Fr. Tom Hopko continues his series on Darwin with his 2nd reflection on the creation story in Genesis.	49:07
Apr 20, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 7:  The Genesis Account (part 1) In his continuing series on Charles Darwin and Christianity, Fr. Tom begins a reflection on the creation story as told in Genesis.	49:04
Apr 18, 2010	The Canonization Of Saints Fr. Tom reflects further on the letter he received asking if God played favorites particularly as it relates to the canonization of Saints.	54:00
Apr 12, 2010	Call No Man Father Fr. Thomas addresses a listener question on the often misunderstood admonition in the Gospel of Matthew to call no man father.	30:13
Apr 09, 2010	Thomas Sunday Father Thomas educates us on why the Sunday a week after our Lord's Resurrection is also called Antipascha.	42:43
Apr 06, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 6 In his continuing series on Charles Darwin, Fr. Thomas reflects on the Darwinian revolution and Christian theology having to do with the Bible. How do the Scriptures relate to the scientific world in which we live especially following the 19th century?	57:30
Apr 03, 2010	Christ Is Risen - Truly He Is Risen On this, the greatest of all Feast Days, Fr. Thomas explains what we, as Orthodox Christians, know for certain about Jesus Christ.	37:12
Mar 30, 2010	Great and Holy Week - Part 2 Fr. Thomas continues his examination of Passion Week with Jesus' teachings on the final judgement.	17:10
Mar 27, 2010	Hosanna! Fr. Thomas takes a closer look at the "Celebration of the Kingship of Christ."	18:19
Mar 24, 2010	Suicide In response to a listener's question, Fr. Thomas reflects on the phenomenon of suicide. How do we as Christians deal with it?	47:04
Mar 16, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 5 In the 5th part of his series on Charles Darwin, Fr. Thomas talks about the relationship of this Darwinian Revolution and natural science in general to the issue of Orthodox Christian theology.	55:29
Mar 14, 2010	Predestination, Providence, and Prayer Fr. Thomas Hopko explains how our acts, especially our prayers, are included in God's predestination based on His foreknowledge, and how our free-will actions, particularly our prayers, contribute to God's providence in our lives.	53:56
Feb 26, 2010	Does God Play Favorites? Fr. Tom addresses a question that came in by email from a listener who is perplexed by the seemingly inequitable treatment of people by God. Why are some blessed and others experience so much turmoil? It's a common question that is often felt but not always expressed.	53:31
Feb 22, 2010	The Body What is the place of the human body in our spiritual life?	50:00
Feb 19, 2010	The Sunday of Orthodoxy As we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy and the victory over iconoclasm, Fr. Tom gives a personal reflection on icons and their use and misuse.	23:36
Feb 13, 2010	A Homily For The Beginning Of Lent As the Lenten season begins, Fr. Tom Hopko reads a brief sermon penned by Fr. John Parker of Holy Ascension Orthodox Church in Mt. Pleasant, SC. This sermon was written in the style and tradition of St. John Chrysostom's well known and loved Paschal Homily.	14:07
Feb 11, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 4 In part 4 of Fr. Tom Hopko's talks on the Darwinian revolution, he looks at what Charles Darwin may have experienced in terms of Christianity in his day.	56:18
Feb 09, 2010	Studying and Communicating the Church Fathers Today Fr. Tom talks about the study and communication of the Fathers of the Church according to Archimandrite Vasileios, retired Abbot of the Iviron Monastery on Mt. Athos.	23:06
Feb 04, 2010	Theological Reflections On Calamity How should we reflect on calamity and disasters like what was experienced in Haiti from a Christian perspective? Is God exacting judgment or is there another explanation? Fr. Tom Hopko helps us think this through.	54:31
Feb 03, 2010	The Prodigal Son and The Father’s House Fr. Thomas takes a second look at the story of The Prodigal Son, this time focusing on the meaning of The Father's House.	20:42
Jan 31, 2010	Doctrinal Development Today Fr. Tom talks about theological formulation and explanation in the Orthodox Christian Church.	47:17
Jan 29, 2010	Speaking Out For Life Fr. Tom was unable to attend the March for Life rally in Washington DC earlier this week but he did think about what he would have said had he been given the opportunity to speak.	23:15
Jan 28, 2010	Meeting of Christ in the Temple Fr. Hopko explains that this feast marks the end of the Winter Pascha and the beginning of the season of repentance.	50:13
Jan 26, 2010	Christianity in the Time of Darwin In part 3 of the Darwin series, Fr. Tom explores the Darwin era and what was happening at that time in Christianity.	48:47
Jan 23, 2010	Reflections on the Life and Work of Charles Darwin Fr. Tom continues his series on Darwin and Christianity. This is part 2.	53:47
Jan 20, 2010	Darwin and Christianity - Part 1 What is the relationship between the concepts of natural selection and Christian theology? Fr. Tom begins a series of reflections on Charles Darwin and what he has learned in his research may surprise you!	52:32
Jan 14, 2010	A Conversation With St. Seraphim On The Holy Spirit Fr. Tom Hopko talks about St. Seraphim's conversation with Nicholas Motovilov on "acquisition of the Holy Spirit."	58:24
Jan 07, 2010	Acquisition of the Holy Spirit St. Seraphim of Sarov taught that the aim of the Christian life is to live by the Spirit of God. Today Fr. Tom explores the acquisition of the Holy Spirit.	48:41
Jan 06, 2010	Theophany - The Radiant Shining Forth! From the Speaking the Truth in Love archives, Fr. Tom Hopko offers this very helpful meditation on the feast of Theophany.	38:13
Jan 02, 2010	Circumcised on the 8th Day Enthroned on high with the Eternal Father and Your divine Spirit, O Jesus, You willed to be born on earth of the unwedded handmaid, your Mother. Therefore You were circumcised as an eight-day old Child. Glory to Your most gracious counsel; glory to Your dispensation; glory to Your condescension, O only Lover of mankind.	47:23
Dec 24, 2009	God Is With Us! In a new reflection, Fr. Thomas Hopko teaches about the virgin birth and the significance of this Orthodox dogma on the identify of Christ.	53:56
Dec 22, 2009	Nativity, Epiphany, and Pascha - Patterns of Worship Fr. Thomas Hopko presents a meditation on how the liturgical services of Christmas and Epiphany pattern those of the Christ’s Holy Pascha of Easter.	33:42
Dec 19, 2009	The Genealogies What is the significance of all of those "begats" in the Gospel lesson just before Nativity? Fr. Tom breaks it down for us in the current episode.	44:23
Dec 12, 2009	The Fathers Prepare On the 1st two Sundays before Christmas, we commerate and sing about all of the faithful throughout the ages who prepared for the birth of Christ. Fr. Tom references the book Surprised by Christ by Fr. A. James Bernstein which is available from Conciliar Press.	37:07
Dec 04, 2009	Come and See We are invited like Philip invited Nathaniel to “come and see”, really see as we fix our hearts and minds on Christ the Savior during this paschal lenten season.	34:34
Nov 30, 2009	A Saturday Afternoon Reflection On a beautiful fall afternoon at the family home in Canada, Fr. Tom is reflecting on the disparity between the beauty of God's creation and the tremendous suffering happening in the world.	40:56
Nov 25, 2009	A Deeper Level of Thanksgiving Fr. Tom encourages us to remember the place of gratitude and thanksgiving in the Christian life and tells us how we can go deeper and higher into the meaning of gratitude.	48:23
Nov 20, 2009	The Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple Fr. Tom teaches on this significant feast at the beginning of the Nativity season.	39:24
Nov 15, 2009	On Sadness and Grief in Human Life God grieves, we grieve, and life is often permeated with sadness. What does this mean when we also contemplate the "joy" of the Christian life?	44:46
Nov 14, 2009	The Nativity Fast As we are in the beginning days of the Nativity fast, Fr. Tom takes us on a journey from the Presentation of Mary in the Temple to Theophany. Fr. Tom references a couple of resources: The Winter Pascha by Fr. Thomas Hopko Putting Christmas Back into Christ - CD series by Fr. Thomas Hopko	44:01
Nov 09, 2009	Angels and Demons Having just celebrated the Feast of the Angels, Fr. Tom asks - Who are the angels and the demons? Were the demons created evil? Can they repent? Get the answer to these questions and much more in this episode.	37:34
Nov 04, 2009	Anger and Wrath in Human Life Following his two part series on the Wrath of God, Fr. Tom turns his attention to our own anger and wrath and how that differs from God's.	40:51
Oct 25, 2009	The Wrath Of God - Part 2 Fr. Thomas continues to get listener feedback on his teaching on God's wrath. In this follow-up lesson, he explores further how the Scriptures and the Fathers express this difficult concept as compared to the hellenistic and platonic views sometimes expressed through history.	42:27
Oct 06, 2009	The Wrath Of God Fr. Tom Hopko addresses an issue that he gets the most email about - how are we to understand the wrath of God and how does it relate to our salvation?	57:52
Oct 01, 2009	The Protecting Veil Of The Holy Theotokos Whether you celebrate it on October 1 or on October 28 (traditions differ), you will enjoy Fr. Thomas' account of how the Mother of God protected a Constantinople church from an invading army, and how that inspires our own worship.	41:24
Sep 18, 2009	A Reflection on the Past 50 Years of the Orthodox Church Sitting in his study, Fr. Tom reflects on the past 50 years of the Orthodox Church. August marked the 46th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.	54:55
Sep 11, 2009	The Universal Exaltation Of The Precious And Life-Giving Cross Celebrating one of the twelve great feasts of the Church (Click here to view the children's choir Fr. Thomas mentions in the podcast).	33:14
Sep 11, 2009	A Christian Response To Terrorism Fr. Tom follows up on his thoughts on suffering and pain by looking specifically at the events of 9-11-2001.	31:24
Sep 09, 2009	When Bishops Disappoint Throughout the history of the Church, there have been moments of scandal and disappointment with various hierarchs of the Church. How are we to respond as faithful Orthodox Christians? Fr. Tom shares his reflections.	54:36
Sep 04, 2009	The Gate Facing East Fr. Thomas teaches about the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.	23:52
Aug 28, 2009	Happy New (Church) Year! September 1 marks the beginning of the Church year and Fr. Tom Hopko is meditating on the meaning of times and seasons in Church life.	49:57
Aug 27, 2009	The Greatest Born Of Woman - St. John The Baptist - Part 2 In commemoration of the Feast of his beheading, Fr. Tom continues his discussion of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptizer, John.	29:30
Aug 25, 2009	Crossroad- Orthodox Youth Take The Challenge - Part 2 Fr. Tom speaks with 2 students and a leader in the Crossroad program.	21:41
Aug 20, 2009	The Greatest Born Of Woman - St. John The Baptist - Part 1 With the Feast Day of the Beheading of St. John approaching (August 29), Fr. Thomas examines the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptizer, John.	30:33
Aug 11, 2009	Crossroad- Orthodox Youth Take The Challenge Fr. Tom interviews the leaders of the Crossroad program at Hellenic College in Brookline, MA. Crossroad is intended to help High School students discern their life callings, matching their personal gifts with the needs of the world. His guests are Ann Bezzerides, Mary Long, and Dan Belonic. He referenced in this interview his very informative AFR podcast series on the Church and State. After clicking the link, go to the series which started on September 25, 2008. In the next program, Fr. Tom will interview some of the participants in Crossroad.	37:05
Aug 08, 2009	The Resurrection School of Theology in Albania In his final interview series from Albania, Fr. Tom talks with John and Alex from the Resurrection School of Theology in Albania.	32:53
Jul 29, 2009	4 U.S. Missionaries to Albania In his continuing interview series from Albania, Fr. Tom interviews four US missionaries including full time OCMC missionary Pamela Anastasia Barksdale.	21:05
Jul 12, 2009	Missionary to Albania Nathan Hoppe The next interview from Albania is with veteran OCMC missionary Nathan Hoppe. Fr. Tom references a recording of Nathan's late wife Lynette made only a week or two before she died. That recording was featured on AFR in an interview with Fr. Luke Veronis and can be heard HERE. You can purchase Fr. Luke's book by clicking HERE. For Lynette's pictorial album about the re-birth of the Church in Albania, click HERE.	35:00
Jul 01, 2009	Archbishop Anastasios of Albania Fr. Thomas took the traveling Ancient Faith Radio microphone with him to Albania and captured several fascinating interviews there. Today we begin with this wonderful conversation between Fr. Tom and Archbishop Anastasios where we will learn about the circumstances that brought the Archbishop there as well as the current work going on in this country on behalf of the Church. To learn more about the Orthodox Church in Albania and, in particular, the mission work taking place there through the Orthodox Christian Missions Center, go to the OCMC WEBSITE.	51:20
Jun 27, 2009	A Chosen Instrument of Mine - St. Paul Fr. Thomas shows how, despite his persecution of the early Church, St. Paul was indeed an Apostle-- by having seen the risen Lord and through his suffering.	43:49
Jun 27, 2009	Keys to the Kingdom - St. Peter Fr. Thomas discusses "the rock" upon whom Christ built His Church and St. Peter's role in that early Church.	40:41
Jun 16, 2009	The Apostle’s Fast What is this current fasting period all about? We reach back into the archives and re-introduce this helpful teaching from Fr. Tom originally given last year.	22:29
Jun 06, 2009	The Roots of Pentecost Fr. Thomas looks at the roots of Pentecost-- the coming of the Spirit-- in Old Testament worship.	37:34
Jun 04, 2009	The God Who Works Wonders Psalm 77 (76 in the Septuagint) is the basis of a favorite hymn in the Orthodox Church - Who Is So Great A God As Our God? Our God is the God Who Works Wonders!	49:20
May 27, 2009	Ascension Fr. Thomas rejoices in the enthronement of the crucified One, raised and glorified.	27:34
May 22, 2009	Fr. Tom Hopko Interviews Fr. Steve Tsichlis Fr. Tom is on the road and chats with Fr. Steve Tsichlis of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine, CA. Learn about and be encouraged with this outreach minded parish and priest.	33:21
May 15, 2009	The Samaritan Woman At The Well Fr. Thomas looks at the Gospel for the fifth Sunday of Pascha-- a miraculous sign that at first glance doesn't seem to involve a miracle.	34:41
Feb 18, 2009	A President’s Day Reflection Fr. Tom traces the history of America's secular religion, paying particular attention to that religion's cherished patriarchs and dogmas, in a special podcast dedicated to this week's President's Day.	54:20
Feb 13, 2009	The Prodigal Son, The Elder Brother, The Merciful Father In the first of two meditations on the story known as The Prodigal Son, Fr. Tom takes a look at the three characters in the drama.	17:15
Feb 10, 2009	The Publican and the Pharisee Fr. Tom teaches on the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee as we prepare for the Lenten season.	19:12
Feb 07, 2009	The Great Festival of the Three Holy Hierarchs What do Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and St. John Chrysostom mean to the Orthodox Church? Try "light, wisdom, and pastoral care." Fr. Hopko explains why we celebrate these unique and holy men.	53:47
Jan 31, 2009	The January Ascetic Fathers As we bring the month of January to a close, Fr. Tom thinks back on the spiritual fathers we have celebrated during this month in particular, St. Anthony. The following resources were recommended: Saying of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical CollectionTranslated by Sister Benedicta Ward The Arena: An Offering to Contemporary Monasticism by Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov The Philokalia Ladder of Divine Ascent Symeon the New Theologian: The Discourses St. Maximus the Confessor: The Ascetic Life, The Four Centuries on Charity St Athanasius: The Life of St. Antony Love's Immensity: Mystics on the Endless Life by Scott Cairns Orthodoxy Alive 2008 Sessions 1-3 presented by Fr. Thomas Hopko available on St George Orthodox Christian Cathedral website	45:27
Jan 24, 2009	The Day After and The Day Before Fr. Tom recorded this on Jan 21 - the day after the inauguration of President Barak Obama and the day before the March for Life in Washington DC. He draws on Scripture, Tradition and St. Maximus to help us know how to react to rampant abortions in our world.	55:09
Jan 17, 2009	Baptism With Fire There are radical differences in John's baptism, the baptism that Jesus' disciples were doing before Jesus was crucified, and the baptism that came afterward. Fr. Tom helps us understand how our baptism is a baptism with fire.	41:22
Dec 12, 2008	Falling Asleep Father Thomas Hopko remembers the last days of Fr. Alexander Schmemann on the 25th anniversary of his falling asleep in our Lord Jesus Christ. May his memory be eternal.	37:17
Dec 02, 2008	The Demons and the Swine Fr. Tom expounds on one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament.	33:33
Nov 07, 2008	Spiritual Springtime: Reflection on 40 Years Fr. Tom spoke at the 40th Anniversary of the consecration of the chapel at the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA on September 27, 2008. In this lecture he reflects on 40 years of Orthodoxy in North America.	35:41
Oct 31, 2008	Church And State - Part 8 Fr. Thomas concludes his series by reflecting on what it means to be a Christian in America today.	42:30
Oct 28, 2008	Church And State - Part 7 Fr. Hopko outlines how the Church fared in the 20th century in lands that were not traditionally Orthodox.	42:26
Oct 24, 2008	Church And State - Part 6 Fr. Tom looks at the Church in the 20th century, especially in Communist countries.	32:34
Oct 16, 2008	Church And State - Part 5 Fr. Tom discusses how the Orthodox Church fared in Russia before the revolution.	39:30
Oct 13, 2008	Church And State - Part 4 Fr. Thomas examines the four centuries of Muslim rule over Eastern Orthodox Christians.	39:23
Oct 09, 2008	Church And State - Part 3 Fr. Tom examines the fifth through fifteenth centuries.	40:59
Oct 02, 2008	Church And State - Part 2 Fr. Tom looks at the Roman-Byzantine empire of the 4th century.	41:01
Sep 25, 2008	Church And State - Part 1 What does it mean to be a Christian and to live in this world? To answer that question, Fr. Tom examines the ancient New Testament Church.	40:48
Sep 22, 2008	The Meaning Of Life With the meaning of life no longer explored on our college campuses, Fr. Thomas reflects on a piece he wrote on that subject 18 years ago. (Click here to purchase "Education's End", which Fr. Tom recommends in the podcast and Click here to purchase a used copy of the Life book which includes Fr. Tom's essay.)	20:18
Sep 18, 2008	Mercy And Forgiveness Fr. Thomas recreates the homily from earlier in the month on Christ's parable of forgiveness by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church in Ottawa (If you e-mail Fr. Maxym, please note the Canadian spelling of "saviour" and the ".ca" domain extension).	33:19
Sep 11, 2008	Pain And Suffering Fr. Tom reflects on why there is sickness, suffering and death in our world.	12:03
Sep 04, 2008	Calluses And Blisters On Our Souls Fr. Tom reflects on our spiritual labors while sitting in his office on Labor Day.	36:30
Sep 01, 2008	Let Us Not Live By Lies - The Life Of Alexander Solzhenitsyn Fr. Thomas examines the life of the prominent Russian Orthodox dissident, writer and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who passed away just last month (Click here to order the "Solzhenitsyn Reader" recommended by Fr. Tom).	40:22
Aug 28, 2008	Not Made By Human Hands Fr. Thomas relates the story of the icon not made by hand which is celebrated each August after the Dormition of the Theotokos. Could it actually be the shroud of Turin?	16:04
Aug 25, 2008	The End Of The Church Year Fr. Tom couldn't let the Church Year end without looking back on the inspiring feasts during its last month, August.	35:07
Aug 14, 2008	Teaching Doctrine In The World We Live In Today - Part Three Fr. Thomas concludes his three-part lecture on teaching doctrine given in June, 2008 at the Met. Andrey Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa.	27:12
Aug 11, 2008	Teaching Doctrine In The World We Live In Today - Part Two We continue with part two of Fr. Thomas' three-part lecture on teaching doctrine given in June, 2008 at the Met. Andrey Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa.	25:07
Aug 07, 2008	Teaching Doctrine In The World We Live In Today - Part One Ancient Faith Radio is proud to present a three-part lecture on teaching doctrine by Fr. Thomas given in June, 2008 at the Met. Andrey Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa.	21:54
Aug 04, 2008	Icons And Their Placement Father Thomas reveals how icons are painted and the proper procedure for placing them in the church building.	31:04
Jul 31, 2008	The Singing of Psalms Fr. Tom takes a close look at the psalmody of the Church and its use in Orthodox worship.	24:34
Jul 28, 2008	Intercessory Prayer Fr. Thomas examines how we ask the Mother of God and Saints to pray on our behalf, and the misunderstood prayer for them to "save" us.	22:48
Jul 24, 2008	Person, Nature And Action As an epilogue to his series on the language of God, Fr. Tom explains these technical, theological, terms used by the Church.	45:58
Jul 21, 2008	How We Speak Of God - Part 4 In the final part of his series, Fr. Tom reflects on the metaphors and similes for God.	29:50
Jul 17, 2008	How We Speak Of God - Part 3 This time, Fr. Thomas speaks of the Activities and Actions of God.	37:42
Jul 14, 2008	How We Speak Of God - Part 2 Fr. Tom continues his discussion, this time focusing on the Divine Attributes of God.	38:18
Jul 10, 2008	How We Speak Of God - Part 1 Fr. Thomas begins a four-part series on naming God and the language and words we use in the process.	35:51
Jul 06, 2008	The Iconographic Tradition Of The Holy Trinity Fr. Thomas explains the two ways the Holy Trinity are depicted in icons.	43:02
Jul 03, 2008	The Holy Trinity Fr. Thomas examines the Holy Trinity, which leads to the answer to Christ's question, "Who do you say I am?"	48:46
Jun 22, 2008	Fasting With the Apostles' fast at hand, Fr. Thomas reflects on the practice and rules for fasting.	22:29
Jun 19, 2008	The Sunday Of All The Saints Fr. Thomas shows how we are all called to be Saints and examines the many different kinds of Saints.	40:28
Jun 16, 2008	The Holy Spirit The day after Pentecost is the Feast of the Holy Spirit in the Orthodox Church and Fr. Thomas uses it to examine more closely the "Spirit who proceeds from the Father."	35:28
Jun 12, 2008	Pentecost Fr. Thomas looks at the roots of Pentecost-- the coming of the Spirit-- in Old Testament worship.	37:34
Jun 06, 2008	The Sunday Of The Holy Fathers Fr. Thomas takes a closer look at the seventh Sunday of Pascha-- the Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost.	47:37
May 29, 2008	Granting Sight To The Blind Man What does this miracle of Christ tell us about the blind man, about God, about Jesus and ultimately, about us?	44:13
May 26, 2008	Commencement Fr. Thomas outlines a hypothetical commencement address he would give to graduates of all faiths and beliefs, then blesses us with his actual address last year to the graduates of St. Vladimir's.	44:38
May 19, 2008	The Book Of Acts Comparing the two sources for readings during the Paschal season-- the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John.	40:20
May 15, 2008	The Healing Of The Paralytic Fr. Thomas enumerates the seven great messianic signs of Jesus in St. John's Gospel, focusing on the healing of the paralytic at Bethesda.	35:38
May 01, 2008	The Myrrhbearing Women Fr. Thomas examines who the Myrrhbearing Women were and clears up some misconceptions about Mary Magdalene in the process.	38:04
Apr 30, 2008	The Descent Of Jesus Into Hades Fr. Thomas uses the Paschal icon as an opportunity to clear up some misconceptions about Sheol/Hades and Gehenna/Hell.	32:25
Apr 24, 2008	Great And Holy Friday Fr. Thomas examines the Mystery of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord and how it led to the re-creation of the world.	50:23
Apr 21, 2008	Great and Holy Week - Part 1 The week before Pascha begins with the Bridegroom Matins. Christ is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride, joined in perfect unity through His crucifixion.	20:58
Apr 20, 2008	The Entry of Jesus Into Jerusalem Fr. Thomas takes a closer look at the "Celebration of the Kingship of Christ".	18:19
Apr 18, 2008	Lazarus Saturday Fr. Thomas explores the ultimate Messianic sign from the Gospel of St. John.	19:06
Apr 15, 2008	Great Lent - Week 6 In this last week of Great Lent, Father Thomas connects the parable of the rich man and Lazarus with Christ's raising from the dead of the actual Lazarus. 24:47	24:48
Apr 11, 2008	St. Mary Of Egypt Fr. Thomas contrasts the story of the fallen, then raised Mary of Alexandria with that of another Mary-- the Theotokos.	17:17
Apr 10, 2008	Great Lent - Week Five (part 2) Fr. Thomas gives an overview of the services for the 5th week of Great Lent and their final emphasis on penitance and repentance. 18:38	18:39
Apr 09, 2008	The Fifth Sunday Of Lent Fr. Thomas starts with a review of the Gospel reading of Mark for the Fourth Sunday of Lent and transitions to the 5th Sunday explaining how reigning with our Lord is dependent on suffering with Him. 23:01	23:02
Apr 06, 2008	St. Tikhon - April 7 On April 7, we remember the repose of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Apostle to America. Fr. Tom has 3 stories to tell about this venerable Saint.	25:33
Apr 04, 2008	4th Sunday of Lent - St. John of the Ladder It is at this point in our Lenten journey that the Church contemplates the instruction of St. John Climacus and his Ladder of Divine Ascent. Fr. Tom takes us step by step through this treasure and makes it practical for us non-monastics!	33:36
Mar 29, 2008	Sunday of the Cross On the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent, we concentrate on the Cross of Christ and Fr. Tom helps us understand what it means to take up our cross.	37:17
Mar 28, 2008	The Epistle to the Hebrews Fr. Thomas explains the significance of St. Paul's letter to the Hebrews in our Lenten journey.	22:56
Mar 26, 2008	The Prayer of St. Ephraim Fr. Thomas examines the Prayer of St. Ephraim and why it is so appropriate for us during Great Lent. 22:20	22:20
Mar 25, 2008	The Magnificat As we continue to remember the significance of the Annunciation, Fr. Tom gives a helpful reflection on the Magnificat.	24:40
Mar 24, 2008	The Annunciation On March 25, exactly 9 months before Nativity, the Church celebrates the Annunciation to the Theotokos that she will be the Mother of God. God's declaration through the angel Gabriel, however, had a contingency attached. Listen to find out what it was.	31:45
Mar 24, 2008	Read The Bible During Lent Looking for an inspiring book to read during Lent? Try the Bible! Fr. Tom specifically recommends certain books of the Bible during this season. 10:00	09:58
Mar 22, 2008	The Healing of The Paralytic Fr. Tom offers thoughts on the healing of the paralytic. (23:50)	23:50
Mar 21, 2008	St. Gregory Palamas - 2nd Sunday of Lent On the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent we remember St. Gregory Palamas and Fr. Tom instructs us on why he is so important in our theology about knowing the unknowable God.	34:04
Mar 18, 2008	The Pre-Sanctified Liturgy Fr. Tom gives a meditation on the rich meaning of the pre-sanctified liturgy of Great Lent. 16:37	16:37
Mar 17, 2008	The Triumph of Orthodoxy You won't find a more concise and helpful explanation of why Orthodox Christians keep and venerate icons.	29:21
Mar 13, 2008	Lent - The Tithe of the Year Great Lent is considered the tithe of the year, during which believers try to be what they ought always to be. Fr. Tom, in response to a request once made of him, shares with us a list of "things that a believer would do if he were really a believer."	27:54
Mar 11, 2008	Forgiveness Sunday 2 - Asking for Forgiveness Fr. Tom considers the act of asking for forgiveness, as well as who it is we hurt when we sin.	13:24
Mar 07, 2008	Forgiveness Sunday - The Expulsion of Adam from Paradise Fr. Tom reflects upon the expulsion of Adam from Paradise, one of the two themes of Forgiveness Sunday.	16:20
Mar 04, 2008	Psalm 137 Father Tom discusses Psalm 137, which is included in a special way during the Matins Service for the three Sundays leading up to Great Lent.	22:29
Mar 01, 2008	The Sunday of the Last Judgment Fr. Tom reflects upon Matthew 25:31-46, the Parable of the Last Judgment.	29:15