Fr. Stephen looks at the very heart of fasting—not the foods, not the 'how to's'—but why we fast.

Christ is the fire of God that comes among us. May He burn brightly in our hearts!

Fr. Stephen offers thoughts on the daily consequences of the "Word made flesh" and suggests ways that we might live Christmas every day of our lives.

Frederica reads "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Part 1 of 5

Frederica reads "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Part 2 of 5

Frederica reads "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Part 3 of 5

Frederica reads "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Part 4 of 5

Frederica reads "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Part 5 of 5

The celebration of the Enfleshing of God at Christmas is nothing less than a Divine Invasion of Creation by the Creator for the purpose of rescuing all of Humanity.

Fr. Seraphim shares a message of forgiveness at Christmas.

Can we reconcile the world's celebration of Nativity with our own? Yes! The Lord has the last word.

On this Sunday after the Nativity of Christ, Fr. Andrew talks about Paul's personal sense of Christ in himself.

On this Sunday before the Nativity, Fr. Andrew uses a quote from St. Ignatius of Antioch to talk about the true meaning of Christmas.

Fr. Andrew urges us not to 'put Christ back into Christmas,' but to see the true story.

On Christmas Eve, Fr. Andrew asks how we will live at Christmas.

In his Nativity sermon, Fr. Andrew discusses how negative experiences at Christmas reveal the feast's true purpose.

With his Christmas Eve sermon, Fr. Andrew emphasizes that history is not just an aspect of the Church but key to the whole Christian Gospel. In his additional commentary, he shares a meditation titled 'Who Shall I Be at Christmas?'

As the blessed Natvity of our Lord approaches, Matthew catches us up on events in his own life, reflects on the past year and gives thanks for all his gifts.

Matthew concludes his annual tale set in Christmas of 1964

In this now-traditional annual story, Matthew takes us back to the week before Christmas, 1964 and recounts the tale of a young boy and his mother's love.

Fr. Nick and Dr. Roxanne offer some very practical advise for avoiding the stress and depression that often accompanies the Christmas season.

Join Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne Louh as they welcome Dr. Jeannie Constantinou to the show to talk about Christmas and families.

Christmas is a special time, but it can be a difficult one. If you're feeling stressed, unable to be with loved ones, and wondering how to celebrate in a year when so many things are out of control, join Fr. Nick and Dr. Roxanne live for words of comfort and practical ways to find peace and joy as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Fr. Joseph joins Sir Paul McCartney, Alvin Chipmunk, José Feliciano and other Wailers in a journey down memory lane -- eschewing the worldly sounds of the season for some really bad (ghostly) percussion moments. Are you prepared?

What do Charles Dickens, Buzz Lightyear, Vladimir Lossky, the Carolina Panthers, the Baltimore Colts, Angels, Shepherds, George Frideric Handel and Kawasaki all have in common? Surely to goodness nothing but this podcast! Fr Joseph is visited by another "ghost."

A vision of Brett Favre, along with the surprise of a Pittsburgh Steeler, join Fr. Joseph (a husky seventh grade boy) on the playing field of ... priestly ministry.

The audio version of the book, "We Came, We Saw, We Converted: The Lighter Side of Orthodoxy in America" is the perfect gift for that special someone (you know, the one who's hard to buy for, and you might as well get them something for free!). Fr. Joseph is giving away free copies to those who send him their funniest Christmas Story—listen closely to this encore (re-gifted?) episode, "The Ghost of Past Christmas Presents" for details on how to win your free audio book download!

The entries are in, the votes have been tallied—thanks to all who participated! We have three "winners"—Erin, Alex, and Adam—a kid's story, and some kids telling stories.

Gifts are a part of Christmas, and that's actually okay, but "God become flesh" is the true meaning of Christmas.

Elissa is tired of being caught between Christmas and Nativity. Are you?

"I'm Santa Claus, Teddy, not Yoda." Steve and Christian watched the delightful holiday movies, "The Christmas Chronicles" and "The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two" The guys discuss Santa Claus, pastoral care, the struggle to determine our identity, and a sacramental view of the world. ​ Philanthropy Spotlight: We're also shining a light on the FOCUS North America, a national movement of Orthodox Christians, united in faith and joined by a desire to provide action-oriented and sustainable solutions to poverty in communities across America. FOCUS has operations and youth volunteer experiences in more than 20 cities in the United States. Learn more on the parish website: https://focusnorthamerica.org/ ​

Approaching God's requirements as a simple checklist for eternal life will leave us, like the Rich Young Ruler, outside of the great joy of Christmas.

Fr. Philip LeMasters recounts the Christmas story that is for all humanity.

Fr. Philip LeMasters shares about the rich, foolish farmer. "The barn of the rich fool was a pagan temple in which he worshiped only himself. If we live according to the standards of our world of corruption, we will become just like him by seeking to lay up treasures for ourselves to the point that we will shut ourselves out of the new life that Christ has brought to the world."

We must mindfully take the steps necessary to follow the Theotokos in becoming holy living temples of the Lord. That is the only way to celebrate this feast and to prepare to celebrate Christmas with integrity.

In the remaining days before Christmas, let us embrace the radically disorienting calling to hope in nothing and no one other than the God-Man Who is born to heal and fulfill all who bear the divine image and likeness.

Like the rich man, many want a spiritual pat on the pack for continuing down whatever passion-driven path they have followed so far.

Most people today surely do not think of the weeks before Christmas as a time of preparation for being loosed from bondage to the corrupting forces of sin and death. More commonly, we use this time of year to strengthen our addiction to the love of money, possessions, food, drink, and other worldly pleasures.

On the last couple of Sundays, our gospel readings have reminded us what not to do if we want to prepare to welcome Christ into our lives and world at His Nativity. The rich fool was so focused on money and possessions that he completely neglected the state of his soul. The rich young ruler walked away in sadness when it became clear that he loved his wealth more than God and neighbor. The weeks before Christmas are the most commercialized time of the year when we are all bombarded with messages that the good life is primarily about having a lot of money and being able to buy whatever we want. Since the Lord warned so clearly of the folly of giving our hearts to the false god of riches, it is sadly ironic that the celebration of His Nativity so often occurs in ways that contradict the blessedness of His Kingdom.

The “unnecessary” stories of the three youths (in Daniel 3 and The Song of Azariah) and of St. Joseph, husband of the Theotokos (Matthew 1) are illumined by God’s care for the humble in Deuteronomy 10:14-21.

Dawn’s Gentle Light, "Bringing in Christmas," by Renee Riva (Pink Heart Press, 2017)

Dawn’s Gentle Light, "Christmas Eve," by Renee Riva (Pink Heart Press, 2017)

Christmas at Pine Cottage, Chapter One, by Renee Riva (Forget Me Not Romances, an imprint of Winged Publications, 2018) Available on Amazon

Christmas at Pine Cottage, Chapter Two, by Renee Riva (Forget Me Not Romances, an imprint of Winged Publications, 2018). Available on Amazon

Christmas at Pine Cottage, Chapter Three, by Renee Riva (Forget Me Not Romances, an imprint of Winged Publications, 2018) Available on Amazon

Christmas at Pine Cottage, Chapter Four, by Renee Riva (Forget Me Not Romances, an imprint of Winged Publications, 2018). Available on Amazon

Christmas at Pine Cottage, Chapter Five, by Renee Riva (Forget Me Not Romances, an imprint of Winged Publications, 2018). Available on Amazon

Christmas at Pine Cottage, Chapter Six, by Renee Riva (Forget Me Not Romances, an imprint of Winged Publications, 2018). Available on Amazon

Christmas at Pine Cottage, Chapter Seven, by Renee Riva (Forget Me Not Romances, an imprint of Winged Publications, 2018). Available on Amazon