Hi, welcome to Telling the Story, I'm your host Fr. David Smith. Today's Telling the Story is inspired by the gospel of the 5th Sunday of Matthew, St. Matthew's story of the Gergesene Demoniacs. Sometimes when I read this story, I wonder - what leader of that community had the task of telling our Lord that He was not welcome, that He should leave? Today's Telling the Story is titled "The Mayor of Kursi."

Today's Telling the Story is inspired by two of the healing stories in St. Matthew's gospel, chapter 8 - the leper and the Centurion's servant. I imagine a third healing before Jesus arrives at St. Peter's home - a lame man. Today's Telling the Story is entitled "Dust."

Today's Telling the Story is inspired by the Sunday of the Fathers of the 4th Ecumenical Council, the one held in Chalcedon in 421. We know that military guards watched over the tomb of St. Euphemia at the time a miracle took place there, and this week's Telling the Story imagines what it would be like to hear one of the guards tell what he saw there.

Today's Telling the Story is entitled "St. Euphemia's Tomb."

Today's Telling the Story is inspired by the gospel for the second Sunday of Matthew, the calling of four disciples, the brothers James and John, and the brothers Peter and Andrew. The title of today's Telling the Story is "Zebedee."

Today's Telling the Story is inspired by the Sunday of All Saints, the Sunday after Pentecost. What would it be like to interview one of the many unnamed saints who dwell in God's heavenly kingdom right now?

Today's Telling the Story is inspired by the great day of Pentecost and the important point that the apostles first proclaimed the message at the temple in Jerusalem.

Today's story describes a miracle that rescued one of the early church fathers from persecution and arrest, told by a spider who saw everything.

In the story of the Blind Man from John chapter 9, which the Church designates for the 5th Sunday after Pascha, after the man is healed it almost seems as if Jesus abandons him as he faces opposition to his healing. Today's Telling the Story lightheartedly recalls a time when I experienced something similar.

The woman that Jesus met at the well in Sychar walked to the well with turmoil on her mind and heart. Today's Telling the Story imagines what her thoughts might have been, inspired by this Sunday's reading from the 4th chapter of St. John's gospel.

Today's Telling the Story is inspired by the ominous last line of the gospel reading, picturing the healed man betraying Jesus to the religious authorities and participating in the Lord's trial.