39. Book 1: The Theophany of Our Lord from The Twelve Great Feasts for Children by Mother Melania (Conciliar Press, 2002) Book 2: The Baptism of Our Lord, by Euphemia Briere (St. Nectarios Press,1994)

Fr. Ted encourages us to keep our moral compasses set firmly on Christ.

Citing the story of St. Mary of Egypt, Fr. Ted contends that not only is it possible to change and repent, but it is also never too late to do so.

Fr. Ted addresses the trend in Canada to not go to church on Thanksgiving.

Fr. Ted explains why St. Peter and St. Paul are commemorated together.

Thanksgiving should be the core of our being as Orthodox Christians.

Fr. Ted encourages us to live a life of thanksgiving to Christ!

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos explains the meaning of the two Great Blessing of the Waters during the Feast of Epiphany or Theophany.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos asks us to consider if our lives have changed after Pascha?

Fr. Chad Hatfield, Chancellor and CEO of St. Vladimir's Seminary, explains the reasoning behind the school's upcoming conference on poverty.

On its return to Orthodox Education Day at St. Vladimir's Seminary October 6, 2018, the Boston Byzantine Choir, directed by Charles R. Marge, delivered a beautiful performance at Three Hierarchs Chapel in celebration of the choir's own 25th anniversary.

At Orthodox Education Day (OED) on October 6, 2018, former SVS Press director Ted Bazil and St Vladimir's Seminary Professor Emeritus David Drillock offered a fantastic look back and wonderful stories from the fifty-year history of SVS Press and Orthodox Education Day.

Joel Miller stands in for Dn. Michael and continues the series "In But Not Of." In today's lesson, Joel teaches on the life of St. Athanasius.

Fr. Evan welcomes His Grace Bishop Athanasios of Kenya to join him and even answer some of the listener questions.

Fr. Evan Armatas welcomes Ancient Faith Spiritual Advisor Fr. Nabil Hanna to guest co-host the show as they tackle questions about the Old Testament, Prophets, trans-gender issues, and more.

Fr. Evan Armatas begins the new year on the Feast of Theophany and takes a variety of questions including when to read the Bible, what do the Fathers say about dreams, the Septuagint and more. You can now listen to Fr. Evan every Sunday at 7:00pm Central/8:00pm Eastern.

Reflections from St. John the Compassionate Mission about the Prodigal Son and Canada's Bill C-7.

Listen to reflections written by Fr. Nicolaie about M's experience with panhandling and the Church's loss.

The Mission will receive a relic of its patron, St. John the Merciful (Compassionate), and Fr. Nicolaie invites us to discover who we are by asking the least of these who we are.

The dynamis of Theophany is towards new life and communion. We see this in the community, as God is bringing healing to Jacob, while also opposing the flattening (or "alienation of the spirit") that so often happens in modern culture.

In today's generation, we do better to remain poor and in need of healing, but together in Christ; than to be healed alone and segregated through disunity. The community is learning this while walking with people like Judy.

It is always better to give than to receive. When we try to help other people, we tend to forget their need to also be able to give.

In this Sunday's gospel, Jesus provides an abundance of life out of the abyss. The plentiful fish are a testimony of the authority that He has over the living and the dead, revealing that His mercy is deeper than the heart of the sea.

Brother Luke shares three stories from community life.

Martha begins the new year listing a few basics she hopes her children learn before entering adulthood.

short fiction about "the near future of art and creative work" #

I forget, in the course of my long life as a Christian, how many times I have heard people assure me that “God will never give you more than you can handle”. By this they seemed to mean that God knows my emotional limits and capabilities, and will make sure that no disaster befalls me that will tax me emotionally beyond my present strength. Sometimes they affix a Bible verse from 1 Corinthians 10:13 to it to make their case: “No temptation has overtaken you but such is common to man, and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it”. I must report however, on the basis of my long life as a Christian, that the assuring notion that God will never give anyone more than they can handle is nonsense.

The feast whose season we now in is called “Theophany” or (in many places) “Epiphany”. This latter is not so much an English word as it is a transliteration of a Greek word, epiphaneia. It is often rendered “appearance” in the English versions, though this rendering can be misleading. One can have a small or insignificant appearance. For example, a person can have a brief cameo appearance in a movie (such as Alfred Hitchcock famously did in his movies), appearances so brief and insignificant as to be missed by inattentive eyes.

It is a wonderful thing to know the Scriptures well, but there is a drawback: since we know how all the stories end, we can miss the drama inherent in the narrative. For example, In Luke 7:11f we can read about the grief of the widow of Nain, but since we know that her son’s death will end in his resurrection before he can be buried, we can skip too quickly from her sorrow to the happy ending and miss how terrible that grief must have been for her.

Fr. Apostolos shares three reasons to be grateful and three suggestions to consecrate the Thanksgiving holiday.

Fr. Apostolos encourages us that it is possible to change. May we approach the Feast of the Transfiguration "with a sense of humility and anticipation that we too might be radically changed into that same image from glory to glory."

Fr. Apostolos talks about feeding ourselves spiritually, not only physically."Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."

Fr. Apostolos connects the gospel on the Rich Young Ruler with the change in church attendance, exhorting us not to get waylaid with the cares of this world.

Here is this morning's homily on the risks to ourselves, both personally and collectively, if we choose to remain in the darkness of life outside the Kingdom of God.

Fr. Apostolos addresses how to walk in the grace of thanksgiving and gratitude in our day-to-day lives.

Fr. Apostolos Hill talks about deconstruction of determinism on both a personal and corporate level. The change Jesus invites us to experience is one He Himself provides. To suggest that real change is impossible, as determinists insist, is to abandon the path of salvation.

Fr. Apostolos Hill gives a brief historical review of the excavation of Golgotha and the history of the Precious Cross of Christ, then an examination of the challenge of understanding the Cross in our own time.

The Parable of the Ten Lepers provided an opportunity to examine Levitical laws pertaining to leprosy and to the offering of sacrifices of thanksgiving in the Temple. Fr. Apostolos Hill underscore thes essentiality of the Holy Eucharist as the means whereby we as Orthodox Christians can offer our own sacrifices of Thanksgiving to God.

Sermon on the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Ephesians 2:14-22; Luke 13:10-17)

The accusation is sometimes leveled against Orthodox Christians that they are "concerned with symbols over substance." Fr Thomas reminds us that both symbols and the meaning behind them are important for deep faith in God. (Sunday before the Elevation of the Cross)

At the feast of Theophany, the Baptism of Christ, we celebrate much more than a historic event. Fr Thomas teaches us that we participate in the beginning of the re-creation of the world by God in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

As we continue the celebration of Theophany, the baptism of Christ, the Church turns our attention to the grace which is given to us "according to the measure of Christ's gift." Fr Thomas teaches us that Christ fills the universe with Himself so that we also can be by grace what He is by nature.

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 most endearing secular holiday in the American calendar is Thanksgiving Day. It was set aside by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father." Later, the modern culture invented Black Friday, driving consumers to the stores in a buying frenzy. Fr Thomas reminds us that "covetousness is idolatry" (Col 3:5), that everything we have belongs to God, and should be used for His glory.

Like the Good Samaritan, the scriptures give us yet another story about an exemplary Samaritan, among other so-called believers who failed to live up to their calling. Jesus heals ten lepers, but only the Samaritan returns to give thanks. Fr Thomas reminds us that we are continually being healed, and when we fail to give glory and thanks to the One who heals us, He says, "Where are you?"