It seems to be commonly held among scholars that the so-called monarchical episcopate (i.e. the system of having one bishop governing a city church with presbyters working with him) was not apostolic and did not come to Rome until the late second century or even later. That is the opinion of scholars such as Alistair Stewart (in his commentary Hippolytus: On the Apostolic Tradition), Brent Allen (in his Hippolytus and the Roman Church in the Third Century), and others such as the late great J.N.D. Kelly. By this figuring the Christians in Rome had no one leader who spoke for all of them, but were divided into a number of self-governing communities with different leaders described by various titles. A single leader who could speak for all the communities in Rome only arose in the late second century (with Bishop Victor) or the early third century (with Bishop Pontianus). Writers such as Irenaeus who asserted there were such singular leaders and bishops in Rome from the days of the apostles were, according to this theory, anachronistically projecting back a later system into an earlier time. It also follows therefore that the document known as the Apostolic Tradition, ascribed to Hippolytus and dating from the early third century, cannot be taken as evidence of a monepiscopate in Rome at that time, but must be regarded as the result of extensive redaction. What are we to make of this? Need we dump that section of Irenaeus’ work?

I know a man in Christ who prays for Marilyn Monroe every day as a part of his prayers for all the departed. He doesn’t pray for her under her stage-name of “Marilyn” though. He prays for her under her real name of “Norma Jeane”, the name given her by her mother and under which she was once baptized by (of all people) the evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson while under the foster care of a very fundamentalist family.

Commenting on the epistle reading of Paul to the Colossians, the Very Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur concentrates on the idea that the passions we struggle with also lead us into idolatry. For “when Christ who is our life appears,” we either die to the passions, or we choose them over Him.This is a battle which happens in our hearts every day, as Christ has already appeared to us through our baptism, and continues to appear to us through our every encounter with Him spiritually and physically in the sacraments and the body of the Church.

Fr. Apostolos shares from the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a homily on this Sunday's Gospel reading, an examination from Holy Scripture of the nature of true healing.

Fr. Apostolos Hill examines the feast of the Presentation and its application to the theme of collaborating synergetically with God as did the Virgin and her parents in the events of the feast.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a Palm Sunday homily about the Triumphal Entry and the many questions provoked by Jesus' life and ministry throughout the Gospels. We can come to a deeper and greater experiential and relational understanding of Jesus in the services of the week.

Our God is not a benign spirit in the sky. Our God is the God Who reaches out to us in our sinfulness. Fr Tom teaches us that we are called to have a life-changing encounter with the God Who snatches us from the grip of sin and death. (Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost)

The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man is a dramatic illustration of the importance of being merciful to those in need. Fr Thomas reminds us that the torment experienced by the Rich Man is a result of his choice to ignore Lazarus laying at his gate. (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost)

After Jesus taught the crowds about what faithfulness looks like in the Sermon on the Mount, they were amazed. Then a living example of great faith came to Jesus, and He was amazed! Fr Thomas unpacks the important story of the healing of the centurion's servant, and shows us a pattern of faithfulness to emulate.

On the Sunday before Christmas, the kingly lineage of Jesus according to St Mathew is read. Fr Thomas teaches us that the names recount that Jesus is anything but a distant ruler, but rather that He identifies with the brokenness of humanity and comes to redeem us from it.

Fr. Tom implores us to understand the parable of the Good Samaritan from a different perspective and ask ourselves, who is the Samaritan? Who is the one left for dead on the road?

Often we're quick to hope that we can identify with the Good Samaritan in the Scriptures; however, Fr. Tom reminds us that Christ is always the Good Samaritan, and we are the ones broken, on the side of the road awaiting His healing.

On the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing women, Fr. Tom draws many parallels between the servants of God, the Angels, the women to whom the resurrection was revealed, and our ever-serving mothers.

Fr. Tom discusses the reality of spiritual warfare and the deep need to, daily, subjugate our will to Christ.

The story of Zacchaeus teaches us that God does everything possible, including becoming a man, to seek our union with Him. (Luke 19:1-10) 37th Sunday after Pentecost

The normal experience of being a Christian is both joy and struggle. There is a deep joy in knowing Christ but also a struggle against demonically inspired forces of violence and rebellion, inside us and outside us.

On the Sunday of All Saints, we are reminded to honour them in our generation that others by their example, fellowship and prayers may also become Friends of God.

Subdeacon Emmanuel gives the homily on the belief of the Centurion.

Fr. Gregory begins with the children and then Fr. Emmanuel concludes with the sermon for Pascha.

Fr. Gregory Hallam gives the sermon at the Vesperal Divine Liturgy for the Dormition of the Theotokos.

Fr. Gregory Hallam preaching on the Sunday of the Cross.

How did Jesus respond to these many people in first century Palestine who were saying that He is the Messiah, the Christ, who had come to save them? Fr. Emmanuel Kahn gives the Palm Sunday sermon.