The dark reality of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is one that is the direct result of sin. Listen as Fr. Tom encourages us that while this life may not require such a fate, our persecutions are nothing compared to the glory which awaits us.

Tying together the Gospel readings from this week and the week prior, Fr. Tom lays out the reality that the One who prays, the One who walks on water, the One who gives us Himself in the Eucharist is always present . . . especially in our trials.

Pulling from all of the scripture readings of the day, Fr. Tom shows that the doctrine of the Theotokos - and, ultimately, every doctrine of the Orthodox Church - is really about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fr. Tom meditates on how encounters with Christ and His miracles - both today and in the Scriptures - elicit opposite responses. We see some who accept them and some who deny them in the most vicious ways. What will your response be?

As we remember the saints of North America, we remember that what made them special wasn't ethnicity or cultural preservation . . . it was their desire to preach the Gospel!

All Saints Sunday is about far more than remembering especially holy people. It's about hearing Christ's call for us to become truly human.

We're all familiar with the high priestly prayer of Christ, but what are its implications for us here and now? How does it dictate our worship, our service, our unity? Listen as Fr. Tom unpacks the prayer of our Lord.

Unpacking the Sunday epistle reading, Fr. Tom helps us to enter into the cosmic mystery that is Christ and the New Covenant. The Divine Liturgy is not a dead work; it is a provision to allow us to enter into the eternal sacrifice of God every time we gather.

Lest we forget the cosmic realities of our Orthodox worship, Fr. Tom unpacks the reading of the Samaritan Woman in order to remind us that worship in spirit and in truth is not bound to space or time, and includes - not least of all - personal sacrifice.

The story of the Myrrh-Bearing Women should serve as a reminder to us that the resurrection demands action on our part, including a bold proclamation of the truth.