Fr. John Oliver helps us to understand why life can be so hard, and how to find joy in the midst of the struggle.

Fr. John Oliver discusses our responsibility to the lonely.

Fr. John Oliver explores the desire to change one's life.

Fr. John Oliver reflects on forgiveness, and the energies of the heart.

One does not have to sing well by worldly standards nor even be good looking. Yet, one must raise a loving, cheerful, truthful voice to do justice through creation to the Creator, God.

In this encore presentation, Fr. Joseph sets out on a search for the Baby Jesus.

Fr. Joseph is away at Camp St. Raphael -- YaBoy! -- this week. He took his AFR mic with him and promises an interview with Big Foot next week ... that is, if the Mama Eater doesn't get him first. Until then, enjoy this week's rebroadcast! (Oh, and pray for Orthodox campers & staff.)

Miss Jane gets a tongue lashing, Mr. Bodine speaks in tongues. Things go dark as Fr. Joseph interviews Dr. Indadark. In the end, lacking the main ingredient, it's all just peas and carrots. Suffice it to say: Love covers a multitude of podcasts.

Actions speak louder than words. Some words acquire different meanings depending on context. And love, well, love changes everything. But ...

Actions speak louder than words. Some words acquire different meanings depending on context. And love, well, love changes everything. But ...

Interviews and arguments, struggles and slogans, one thing's certain: Orthodoxy ain't easy -- and that's no small thing. Or, is it?

Whether it was the invite to his 30-year high school reunion, or the fantasy that he was losing his hearing, one thing's for certain: Nothing clears Disco like an oil change. Fr Joseph reminisces about the dance floor—whilst lying on the floor—at Jiffy Lube®.

What's a Christian look like? It's all Greek to me! In this episode, Fr Joseph gets schooled by an imagined janitor, a native Houstonian, and a real nun.

Fr. Joseph reads a creative letter from the Orthodixie Mailbag. It's not what it seems. Or, is it?

Due to a knock on the noggin, Fr. Joseph finds himself fast-forwarding toward Pascha and holding hands with a green elf at midnight in a church where everybody is clothed in their pajamas and the iconostasis has been replaced with ... dirty laundry?

In the last episode, Fr. Joseph encountered a little green church elf, Elton John, Lady GaGa, Archie Bunker, and Buzz Lightyear in pajamas. In this concluding episode, he tries to make sense of it all (with the help of Ol' Scratch).

What does John the Baptist have in common with bees, mead, honey and moons—even honeymoons? Fr. Joseph fills in the details and answers the question: If Zacharias and Elizabeth knew then what they know now, would they have gone through with it all?

Joseph, a priest, is called. The question is: Is he guilty?

Just back from five weeks in the United Kingdom, Fr. Joseph shares from his travelogue on the Saints—and others—he encountered there. In other words, what do Joseph of Arimathea, Patrick of Ireland, Elder Sophrony, King Arthur, and Ron Weasley all have in common?

Not much has changed on the internet since this episode appeared five years ago: endless pics of naughty bits, cyber minefields, perpetual gossip, and . . . Christ. It's "the End" versus "the sun will come out tomorrow." So, whose side are you on?

Do you know how hard it is to squeeze Jack Chick, Batman, and St Cuthbert into the same episode? Not to mention a cow, church school, and bats. BOOM!

Fr Joseph interviews Kh. Erin Kimmett about her forthcoming book Hospitality and Joy—available at hospitalityandjoy.com.

Fr. Joseph sets out on a search for the Baby Jesus.

Fr. Joseph discusses his introduction to, and the Church's teaching about, St. Joseph the Betrothed.

A brief history of the coffee hour, with some suggestions about how best to use the time as you sip your morning brew!

No matter what you call your grandparents, go to Church Camp, write home, and beware the Mama Eater.

Fr Joseph, with help from Fr Thomas Hopko and Elder Porphyrios, delves into the malady known as Nojoyatall.

Fr Joseph reviews the rules of life, particularly Murphy's Law and its variants, and and then provides us with a rule we can all live with.

Fr. Joseph recounts holding Easter colored chicks... holding a BB gun, his eye on a sparrow... and later, standing outside in the rain wearing a ball cap, oven mitts and holding a napkin-covered lacrosse stick, chanting, "Here birdie, birdie, birdie." Yes, this week's podcast is for the birds.

In this episode, Fr. Anthony interviews Fr. John Peck, the Dean of Great Marty Euphemia Orthodox Theological Academy. Fr. John shares his assessment of the biggest challenges Orthodox parishes face in America and the ways that this new academy seeks to help them face them. The academy is not designed to replace seminary education or compete with traditional Orthodox seminaries. Rather, it is designed to fill a real need Fr. John and other priests have found in their ministries: the equipping of the saints for ministry.

Fr. Anthony and Fr. Gregory continue their discussion on personalities and the priesthood, focusing primarily on the attributes/predispositions of agreeableness and openness. Along the way they end up talking about Jung, Flannery O'Connor, and Jordan Peterson. Enjoy the show!

In this episode AFR blogger and podcaster Fr. Stephen De Young talks with Fr. Anthony about parish Bible study, why it is so fun and awesome, why some priests and parishioners are hesitant about it, and ways to draw people in and make the effort sustainable. Fr. Stephen posts his parish Bible study notes here and the recordings here; Fr. Anthony posts his notes here and the recordings here. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony and Fr. John (Sts. Peter and Paul in Carnegie, PA) get caught up for the first time since the "Anaxios - Christmas Gifts Shopping Hour." They discuss Fr. John's first Pascha in his new parish, Fr. Anthony's last Pascha before his big move, and how awesome it was to have an Anaxios Laser Spear (TM) at Friday Presanctified's (the challenge is real!). Along the way, they share some thoughts on how to manage and lead parishes through change and how our current ecclesial troubles affect the balance of our evangelical witness. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony interviews Met. Antony, the rector of St. Sophia's, about his path to the episcopacy, the primary challenges the Orthodox face in America, and how St. Sophia's trains priests to address those challenges. The culture at St. Sophia's is designed to help reinvigorate the sense of parish as a healthy family, with the priest as that family's spiritual father. He laments the distance that has grown between parishioners and between parishioners and their priests, but says that he has already begun to see the first fruits of St. Sophia's pastoral focus in the form of vibrant church communities led and loved by well-formed priests. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Cyril Jenkins, PhD., Director of the St. Basil Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture at Eastern University, shares his thoughts on the challenges Orthodox Christians face in America and how intentionally Orthodox educational institutions - like the St. Basil Center and the St. Constantine School - can help them grow in Christ and evangelize America. He also talks about his current project: bringing a St. Constantine School campus to the Lehigh Valley. Fr. Anthony finishes by encouraging people to consider moving to the Lehigh Valley so that they can benefit from and contribute to the wonderful pan-Orthodox culture there.

In this episode, Fr. Anthony and Fr. Gregory Jensen talk about some of the themes in St. John Chrysostom's On the Priesthood. Enjoy the show!

St. Paul's first epistle to Timothy is full of pastoral and vocational wisdom. This is awesome. Even more awesome? Getting St. John Chrysostom's teaching on it! The version read is from The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the Epistles of St. Paul the Apostles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (The Oxford Translation, Edited, with Additional Notes, by Rev. Philip Schaff, D.D., LLD.).

St. Paul's first epistle to Timothy is full of pastoral and vocational wisdom. This is awesome. Even more awesome? Getting St. John Chrysostom's teaching on it! The version read is from The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the Epistles of St. Paul the Apostles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (The Oxford Translation, Edited, with Additional Notes, by Rev. Philip Schaff, D.D., LLD.). Poor pronunciations are all Fr. Anthony, though! This chapter has some difficult teachings about the role of women in the Church (to include exegesis on the Fall). Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony interviews Fr. John Whiteford about some of the many joys he has found serving and glorifying God in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Fr. John is the rector of St. Jonah Orthodox Church in the Houston area (saintjonah.org) and he blogs at his parish website and at fatherjohn.blogspot.com. Fr. John has a great love of the Gospel and sharing it with everyone. That joy is contagious. Enjoy the show!

Dru Johnson is an associate professor of biblical and theological studies at The King’s College in New York City, director of the Center for Hebraic Thought , editor at The Biblical Mind, host of the The Biblical Mind podcast, and co-host of the OnScript Podcast. Before that, he was a high-school dropout, skinhead, punk rock drummer, combat veteran, IT supervisor, and pastor. Dru is an ordained minister and accomplished academic, with several articles and books, to include Biblical Philosophy – A Hebraic Approach to the Old and New Testaments, Biblical Knowing: A Scriptural Epistemology of Error, Epistemology and Biblical Theology: from the Pentateuch to Mark’s Gospel, and my favorites, Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments, and Knowledge by Ritual: A Biblical Prolegomenon to Sacramental Theology.

Justin Shaun Coyle, PhD, (Mount Angel Seminary, outside Portland, OR; Ukrainian Catholic) and Fr. Anthony talk about life in New England, the joy of NC BBQ, and how studying the works of serious atheist philosophers can help develop an instinct for charity and pastoral evangelism. You can see Justin's work at: https://mountangelabbey.academia.edu/JustinShaunCoyle/Ephemera. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD, about how NOT to elicit repentance during confession, some of the differences between confession, interrogation, and therapy, and why love and trust are foundational to the process of reconciliation. Enjoy the show!

Elissa demonstrates how talking about St. John the Forerunner can be a great way to illustrate and understand the roles of the prophets and the saints all at once.

Elissa interviews Jenny Stasinopoulos, the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at the GOA Metropolis of Denver about a big change she made this year at Camp Emmanuel. Perhaps we should all consider innovative ways to empower our kids to take responsibility for their own faith lives!

Fr. Michael examines the Sermon on the Mount, specifically our faith and deeds done in secret.

Fr. Michael shares a quote and reflections from Jim Forest's book, Living with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas Merton, "I find myself traveling to my destiny in the belly of a paradox."

Continuing in homily 42, St. Isaac gives us another warning. When you find unchanging peace, that is, when everything is going smoothly for you most of the time, then “beware: you are very far from the divine paths trodden by the weary feet of the saints. For as long as you are journeying in the way to the city of the Kingdom and are drawing nigh to the city of God, this will be a sign for you: the strength of the temptations that you encounter. And the nearer you draw nigh and progress, the more temptations will multiply against you.”

Concern over God’s judgement has nothing to do with striving to be better. Concern over God’s judgement is to continually strive to enter God’s rest, to humble ourselves and feel sadness over our wretchedness, and to offer that wretchedness to God as prayer. This is what concern for God’s judgement looks like according to St. Isaac the Syrian.

I have found that it is usually better for me to say nothing at the beginning, at the moment I feel like saying something. At that moment, it is usually best not to say anything because if I say something the very moment I feel like saying it, the juice is not sweet. It’s sour. And no matter how true or right what I have to say is, all the hearer notices is the sour, bitter, angry or judgemental note hidden in my words.

Fr. Michael Gillis builds off of last week's talk about the Great Reset on not getting attached to the comforts of this world. Someone asked about how to balance living in this world without getting attached to it. Fr. Michael talks about three things we can do to help us live as sojourners in this world, waiting for a City whose foundation and builder is God.