In 1 Peter 5 St. Peter teaches the entire Church, both Clergy and Laity, how they are to live in relationship to God and to one another. The Apostle implores all to live from Christ's Nature of Humility. Today we open our souls to see the value of this great virtue and how Christ desires to free us from the service of ourselves and the consuming th…

Dr. David Ford, professor of Church History at St. Tikhon's Seminary, reads passages from his anthology of selections from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, entitled "Sing to Your Soul."By Fr. John Parker

Fr. George Davis, St. Tikhon's Seminary alumnus and monastic at St. Tikhon's Monastery, joins us to share his story.By Fr. John Parker

In the Parable of the Great Supper from St. Luke 14, our Lord reveals the heart of God and His framework for the salvation of mankind. It is God Who prepares the banquet inviting all to come in and partake of His goodness. But some who were invited make non-eternal excuses for why they cannot accept His invitation while many others come and receive…

In Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" Ebeneezer Scrooge is described as a self-absorbed old miser who lives only for himself. He is devoid of any community and, in this brief life, lives only for the gain and preservation of things non-eternal with blinders on to suffering humanity all around him. This is the same description Jesus gives of the r…

When the Blessed Virgin visits Elizabeth, who is far along in her pregnancy with St. John the Forerunner, St. John leaped in the womb of Elizabeth with joy at the presence of Christ. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." The Blessed Virgin responds the Magnificat, a g…

God has given us many revelations regarding God the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. Yet, we will forever be growing in this mystery of Three Divine Persons yet one God. One of the revelations given to us is that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in an undivided unity. We were created in His image according to His likeness which means…

Dr. David Ford, professor of Church History at St. Tikhon's Seminary, reads passages from his anthology of selections from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, entitled "Sing to Your Soul."By Fr. John Parker

Today is the Feast of Pentecost and on this day the promised Holy Spirit is gifted to God's people. This morning we remember the Old Covenant Feast Day of Pentecost and how Christ fulfills it on this day. All those who are Baptized into Christ are given the great gift of God the Holy Spirit for the healing of our souls. But we are also given this g…

Today is the Sunday after the Ascension of our Lord. We are in that time between His Ascension and the sending of God the Holy Spirit to us. On this day we look at the eternal ministry our Lord has taken on for us. He has become our Great High Priest forever. What great joy we should have that He eternally stands before the Father pleading for God'…

When our Lord Jesus Christ Ascended into Heaven, the Angelic hosts were amazed at what they witnessed. For the first time since the fall of man, in Christ the second Adam, humanity entered Paradise. There in Christ our humanity is kept before the Father that we might be able to follow His path and ascend; returning to the Father and to the Paradise…

Seminary Guest Lecturer Peter Preovolos joins us for a discussion about leadership, based on his many years of experience in both the church and business worlds.By Fr. John Parker

In the Gospel of St. John 16 our Lord Jesus Christ tells His disciples, "Whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give it to you. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." But what does it mean to ask the Father in Jesus' Name? This is such an important aspect of our life in Christ and speaks greatly to the fulfillment of our voc…

Dr. David Ford, professor of Church History at St. Tikhon's Seminary, reads passages from his anthology of selections from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, entitled "Sing to Your Soul."By Fr. John Parker

After the Resurrection, Christ's disciples were elated to continue in fellowship with Him as He continued His ministry. Imagine their sadness when Jesus told them He was returning to the Father. To ease their sadness, He tells them that it is to their advantage that He returns to the Father. There was a greater experience of God to be had beyond th…

Mother Christophora, Abbess of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration (OCA) in Ellwood City, PA, addresses the 2024 graduates of St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary.By Fr. John Parker

In 1 Peter 2, the Apostle teaches that we are to live as sojourners and pilgrims abstaining from fleshly lusts and letting our good works in Christ be used to the salvation of all. Today we consider this life of a sojourner and pilgrim in this world; a life that began with our Baptism through which we were washed, cleansed, given mercy, and uproote…

Today is the Sunday of the Good Shepherd. In the Gospel of St. John 10, our Lord teaches, "I AM the Good Shepherd." Today we look at this teaching along with the 23rd Psalm to see what is revealed to us about the nature of Christ our Good Shepherd. We conclude with a few thoughts about how we are to live as the sheep who have been brought into His …

STOTS St. Nicholai Velimirovich Annual Lecture 2024: This year Fr. Yaroslav Sudick, who was a student of St. Nicholai's during his time as a seminarian, joins us to share personal remembrances of his time spent with the Saint.By Fr. John Parker

As is tradition each year in the Orthodox Church, on this day we hear the blessed Paschal homily once preached by St. John Chrysostom.By St. Peter Orthodox Church

Today Fr. James Rooney teaches us the development of the Office of Matins. We look at Matins in the context of the entire prayer rhythm of the Church. We also look at the Matins service itself to learn why we pray what we pray as part of that rhythm.By St. Peter Orthodox Church

How do we take our leave from such a profound week as Holy Week? How do we move on from here? Today we look at St. Thomas and the disciples' experience both after the crucifixion of their Master and after they experience the Resurrected Jesus Christ. These men had profound experiences of Christ for years as they journeyed with Him in His ministry. …

Dr. David Ford, professor of Church History at St. Tikhon's Seminary, reads passages from his anthology of selections from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, entitled "Sing to Your Soul."By Fr. John Parker

When our Lord gave up His Spirit, He immediately descended into the darkness of the prison for every soul up to that point called Hades. There the darkness gave way because the Light of the World had come. He broke asunder the gates of Hades and crushed the head of Satan, the serpent. And upon His Resurrection, the darkness of the tomb became brill…

Every Covenant of God with His people since creation was given to bring God's people deeper into the knowledge and mystery of Himself. The Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is the finalization of the final Covenant of God with His people. How are we to respond to God regarding this final and everlasting Covenant? As we gaze at the Cross, we consider w…

Tonight is Maundy Thursday and the word "Maundy" means command. Tonight our Lord gives two commands. He takes bread and wine saying this is my Body and my Blood, do this in remembrance of Me. And, He washes His disciples' feet and commands them that they should do the same for one another. It is the command to receive love and mercy from Him and to…

Today our Father in the Faith, His Eminence Metropolitan SABA, reminds us that in Holy Week we truly return to creation. In the Garden of Paradise, we were created in the image of God to grow in His likeness as we fellowshipped with Him and learned from Him. The finished work of Jesus Christ re-opened the gates of Paradise to us all. Through Him we…

One of the many themes of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ is that the suffering of One makes way for the healing of the many. The more we consider the suffering of Christ, the more we see just how far Christ lowered Himself so that we may be raised up. One of the great revelations Christ has given His Church is this: anything Christ joined Him…

The glorious Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the greatest examples of paradox. How could something so torturous be glorious? The Apostle St. Paul says "the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us it is the power of God unto salvation." St. Paul knew the paradox of the Cross. Tonight we look at the teaching…

On Palm Sundays, there are two services joined together as one. On this day we have the Blessing of the Palms and the Gospel is read regarding Christ's entrance into Jerusalem to go to His Passion. And in the Mass of the day, one of the Passion Gospels is read. So we have something festive and something sorrowful all at once set before us. The Jews…

Third-year seminarian Dn. Seraphim Chang and his wife Mat. Ruth join us to talk about their journey to St. Tikhon'sBy Fr. John Parker

Today is Passion Sunday marking a significant turn toward the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The iconography and all images of our Lord Jesus Christ are hidden from us. Why would our Lord give us this prescription for the last two weeks of Lent? Today, as we consider this question, we find that it has everything to do with the true sense of rememb…

Dr. David Ford, professor of Church History at St. Tikhon's Seminary, reads passages from his anthology of selections from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, entitled "Sing to Your Soul."By Fr. John Parker

If Adam's lament is the lament of every soul, we need help in discovering the powerful lament within us for God. We also need the help of God to redirect that lament to Him so that our souls may finally come to rest and enjoy His peace. Today we look at how the spiritual disciplines given to us by Christ in Lent help us to uncover our true lament. …

Today, in the testimony of Christ our God miraculously feeding the 5,000, we are reminded of what Christ can do with the little that we have to offer Him. And yet, even though what we have is little and always deficient, He invites us to join with Him in His wondrous works to sustain and fill many. Satan has us always focus on what we lack which le…

When we think of Lent and repentance, we tend to think mainly about overcoming our sins and coming out of the ways of our fallenness. While this must be, with the help of the grace of God, a necessary part of repentance; it is truly only one aspect of the repentance through which Christ brings healing to the soul. Repentance is two motions all at o…

Fr. John Parker visits with Fr. Paul Abernathy, founder and CEO of the Neighborhood Resilience Project, to discuss his ministry in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.By Fr. John Parker

Have you ever gone through a season of life where, no matter how faithful in prayer you remain, our Lord seems to be very distant from you? Or, have you been in a season of suffering where your prayers for mercy and relief seem to be met with silence? Journey with Christ long enough and you will encounter one or both of those experiences. Today we …

Dr. David Ford, professor of Church History at St. Tikhon's Seminary, reads passages from his anthology of selections from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, entitled "Sing to Your Soul."By Fr. John Parker

In Holy Scripture, there were three who fasted for 40 days: Moses, Elijah, and Christ our God. And through each one's fast idolatry was cast down and destroyed or left behind. Today we look each of these to see Christ's great prescription of the 40-day fast of Lent which He sanctified and consecrated for us; that by His presence in our fast our ido…

Today Father James shares with us several texts: The Lament of Adam, Lamentation chapter 1, St. Nicolai Velimirovich "Prayers by the Lake" (prayers that aid us to love and pray for our enemies, and the Litany of Humility. As he goes through each, we discover meaningful ways in which we can experience a true change of personhood within ourselves to,…

Jesus says in Matthew 6, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The reality for us all is that God is not entirely the treasure of our hearts. Throughout our days we give in to the many temptations and distractions of this world. The good news is, our Lord has always known this would be our human struggle. We are given the season …

We are told in Hebrews 4 that, since we have a High Priest Who is compassionate toward us, we should come boldly before His throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in time of need. When the blind man near Jericho cried out loud for mercy, Jesus was attracted to Him in His weakness. It is hard for us to consider that our Savior is attracted …

The word ontological, when used regarding theology, has everything to do with the nature of God Himself. For us, that word encapsulates all that has been revealed by God to His Church regarding Who He is and how we understand Him. Since we are created in His image to grow in His likeness, we also use the word ontological to understand the truly cre…

In our Gospel reading from St. Luke 8, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower/Parable of the Soils. In this parable, our Lord lists three reasons for the unhealthy soil in our soul in which the seed of our new life given through Him cannot grow. While we all have each type of unhealthy soil within our souls, today we focus on the first type that our …

Dr. David Ford, professor of Church History at St. Tikhon's Seminary, reads passages from his anthology of selections from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, entitled "Sing to Your Soul."By Fr. John Parker

Today is Septuagesima Sunday, the beginning of our three-week preparation for Lent. We are asked today to consider a question. What is the true priority, the true degree of urgency, that we place on the care and healing of our souls? In truth, throughout this life, our urgency waxes and wanes. We simply allow ourselves to be derailed by distraction…

Charismata is a word that means gift. It is easier to see repentance and humility as as gifts from God when seen correctly. But despair, a gift from God? Yes! Anyone who follows Christ will go through a season or seasons in their lives when it feels like God is no longer present or anywhere near to us. But where can God go if He is in all things at…

Three words that Jesus utters in St. Matthew 11 give us the framework for our salvation. He says, "Come to me." Come to me you who are wearied with the sufferings of the daily round of life. Come to me you who are beaten down trying to be righteous in your own strength. He says, "Take my yoke upon you...and you will find rest for your souls." Take …

Dr. David Ford, professor of Church History at St. Tikhon's Seminary, reads passages from his anthology of selections from the writings of St. John Chrysostom, entitled "Sing to Your Soul."By Fr. John Parker