Fr. Dn. Emmanuel gives the sermon on St. Thomas Sunday.

Dn. Emmanuel tells us whether you are at school or at home, working or unemployed, whether you have responsibilities at home or outside home, whatever your age, there is a special Christmas present waiting for each of us, wrapped up, ready to open, but each present can only be opened by the person to whom that present has been addressed.

Fr. Gregory asks St. John Chrysostom to help with the Christmas Day sermon.

Bobby interviews Fr. Constantine Nasr, author of Mastering the Art of Marriage: Staying Together When the World Pulls You Apart.

Bobby interviews AmandaEve Wigglesworth, the author of a new Conciliar Press book titled Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas: A Family Devotional in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition.

In this prophetic Psalm, we have a song filled with love and a Psalm which gave theme to Hebrews 10. See the incarnation of Christ in this beautiful hymn of the Church.

Psalm 73 (74) asks the great "Why" question of humanity. That question is answered in a cave in Bethlehem as the God of the universe takes on flesh for our salvation.

Dr. John Mark Reynolds talks with Bishop Thomas about struggles that families are facing.

Dr. John Mark Reynolds asks Bishop Thomas questions about angels, demons, miracles, house blessings, weeping icons, and other topics.

Wesley discusses the concept of human dignity.

Dr. Rossi reflects on the life and ministry of Fr. Thomas Hopko. This podcast is Part 1 of 2.

Dr. Rossi shares remembrances of Fr. Thomas Hopko from his friends and family along with some of Fr. Tom's maxims. This podcast is part 2 of 2.

Dr. Albert Rossi interviews Dr. Carla Thomas, M.D., Trustee of St. Vladimir's Seminary, on the topic of using music as a healing therapy. Dr. Thomas is a Family Practice physician, Board Member of Orthodox Prison Ministry, member of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black and parishioner at St. Luke Orthodox Church in Anniston, Alabama (OCA).

Dr. Albert Rossi shares his reflections on the meaning of Christmas.

Dr. Albert Rossi challenges us to consider how we are relating to one another over the issue of wearing facial masks.

Dr. Albert Rossi shares his reflections on faith as seen through the story of St. Thomas' encounter with the risen Jesus.

Christmas in Newtown, Connecticut, will not be the same this year. Fr. Lawrence Farley comments on the tragic events of December 14 and reminds us of the senseless nature of sin.

Fr. Philip LeMasters: "One would hope that nations influenced by even mildly historic forms of Christianity would see the folly of secular salvation by warfare, but the crusading spirit apparently does not die easily."

Dan Bein, the most recent Media Student Leader of Orthodox Christian Fellowship and a Coptic Christian, comments on the recent bus shooting of the Coptic Christians in Egypt who refused to renounce their faith at gunpoint.

An interview with Dr. Nancy Barrow, an MD with a specialty in psychiatry, and a talented vocalist. Nancy has produced her own Christmas CD and does all of the vocals herself! You can purchase the CD here.

On a new Ancient Faith Presents, we interview the Very Reverend Constantine Nasr, priest at St. Elijah Orthodox Church in Oklahoma City and the author of the new Conciliar Press book Mastering the Art of Marriage: Staying Together When the World Pulls You Apart.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. Vladimir Morosan, the founder and president of Musica Russica, about an unprecedented Master Class and Choral Workshop that will be led by Vladimir Gorbik at St. Vladimir's Seminary from June 25 through 29, 2012.

The Director of St. Herman's House in Cleveland is Paul Finley. Paul tells about the work of providing shelter for homeless men in the inner city of Cleveland and also about an opportunity to hear Fr. Thomas Hopko on Novevmber 4. More information is available HERE.

On Monday, March 23, 2015, Fr. Thomas Hopko was prayed into God's presence by hundreds of friends, hierarchs, clergy, and family. The funeral homily was given by Fr. John Behr, Dean at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.

Kevin Allen interviews John Maddex about a special appeal for funds to help AFR over these lean summer months. For one time gifts of $250 or more, AFR will be thanking you with a 32 gigabyte thumb drive loaded with over 300 hours of audio files from our archives recorded by Fr. Thomas Hopko of blessed memory.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. Christoph Schneider, the Academic Director of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, about the institute's new MA program that is available via distance learning.

Fr. Patrick Cardine joins us to talk about the beautiful new CD produced by his parish choir. St. Patrick Antiochian Orthodox Church is a parish in the Western Rite tradition and the recording is available as a CD or as downloads. Go the the parish website to learn more.

Bobby Maddex interviews Dr. Nicholas Reeves about the upcoming AFR event, Christmas Across the Continent: Lessons and Carols featuring Six Choirs. Make sure to tune in this Saturday, December 19th at 7 pm (Central) on our streaming music & talk stations or simultaneously catch the podcast version with video under the "specials" tab to join us for this spectacular musical celebration of our Lord's Nativity!

Fr. Pat places the Sunday of St. Thomas in the overall context of the Pentecostarion, the fifty days that separate the Lord's Resurrection from the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Pat examines three saints of the old covenant as three dimensions of the mystery of Christmas.

Fr. Pat shares his homily from the Sunday of the Genealogy.

On St. Thomas Sunday Fr. Pat considers the theological meaning of memory, the quality of the event of the Church, and the challenge of that event.

In this homily from St. Thomas Sunday, Fr. Pat considers a person with a Stoic personality facing the great puzzle presented in the books of Job and Ecclesiastes.

Why is gift-giving such an important part of Christmas? What does it have to do with our lives as Christians?

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

“What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of Days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men....” (St John Chrysostom) In the Church, we call Christmas "the Nativity According to the Flesh of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ." Because it's the day we celebrate the very Son of God taking on flesh and becoming human for our sake: the Lord's Incarnation. This is when we celebrate the coming of the Philanthropos, the "Lover of Mankind." A season when we are called to be philanthropists ourselves and be a loving, healing presence in a troubled and mixed-up world. Christmas spirit is more than a theme we see in movies like "The Christmas Chronicles." It's something we can share in our everyday lives: in concrete ways for the life of the world. Christ is Born! Glorify Him! As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee161

"O Gregory the Miracle Worker, light of Orthodoxy, support and teacher of the Church, comeliness of Monastics, invincible defender of theologians, the pride of Thessalonica, and preacher of grace, intercede forever that our souls may be saved." (Apolytikion for the Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas) Is it possible to know God? How could a perfect God have anything to do with His imperfection creation? These are some of the questions Saint Gregory Palamas faced in the 14th century. And they're questions the Church faces today. We dedicate the Second Sunday of Great Lent to this important saint because he taught an important theological truth that's at the core of the Christian life: That God is both knowable in His Energies and unknowable in His Essence. And this mystery is shown to us when Jesus heals the paralytic in Mark 2. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee170

For most people in our society the Christmas season is a time of celebration, with holiday parties, and unleashed consumerism. For Orthodox Christians however the Advent Season is a time of fasting, prayer and ascetic struggle. Why? In this edition of Ancient Faith Today, host Kevin Allen discusses with Father Gregory Jensen, author of the book The Cure for Consumerism, the reason for the ascetic struggle for Orthodox Christians.

In this touching two-hour remembrance, Kevin Allen welcomes three friends who knew Fr. Thomas Hopko as a friend, a colleague, and a priest. You'll also hear tributes from his listeners from all around the world. Our thanks to Dr. Al Rossi, Dr. Peter Bouteneff, and Mother Christophora for sharing on the program.

Apostle Peter preached the words of this Life and Apostle John wrote that you may have Life...

Make the Resurrection your own. The Apostle Thomas wanted to put his hand into Christ - you must put Him on.

"Saint Cosmas came from Bulgaria where his devout parents provided him with a good education in Slavonic and Greek. They wanted him to marry but he was drawn by the love of Christ and, unknown to them, made his way to the Holy Mountain of Athos to become a monk at the Bulgarian monastery of Zographou. On the feast of the Annunciation at the Monastery of Vatopedi, he saw a woman among those serving in the Church and in the refectory, and he was grieved at first to observe this breach of the monastic rule, but overjoyed when he realized that it was the Mother of God who had appeared to him in this way.   "He was clothed in the holy angelic Habit and, after some time, was ordained priest. One day, as he was praying before the icon of the Mother of God, asking her with tears how to achieve his salvation, he heard a voice saying, 'Let my servant withdraw to the desert outside the monastery.' He was obedient to the will of God and, with the blessing of his Abbot, lived in silence from then on. Some years later, he was found worthy of the grace of discernment of thoughts and of beholding things happening elsewhere, as well as of other spiritual gifts. In the course of many years, he was the spiritual helper of a great number of monks. At the end of his life, Christ appeared to him saying that he would shortly have a great trial to endure from the Devil. Indeed, the prince of demons made his appearance next day with a host of his servants bewailing and bemoaning their inability to annihilate their great enemy Cosmas, who had held them in check for so long and gained possession, by his virtue, of the throne in Heaven that had once been Lucifer's. Taking a heavy stick, the demon beat the Saint so violently that he left him half-dead. As God allowed, Saint Cosmas died in peace two days later, on 22 September 1323. When the fathers came from the monastery to bury him, the wild animals gathered round. They kept silent until the end of the service, but howled unusually loud as his body was covered with earth. Then having paid their respects, they made off into the wilderness. Forty days later, the monks came to take up the body of Saint Cosmas and translate it to the monastery, but it was no longer in the grave. Where it now is God alone knows." (Synaxarion)

In a world full of sin - what are we to celebrate?

Is it possible to give our children presents AND keep Christmas centered on Christ?