Today Kevin's guest host on the program is Father Steve Tsichlis, Senior Pastor of Saint Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine, California. Fr Steve's special guest for this exclusive Illumined Heart interview is His Eminence, Metropolitan KALLISTOS [Ware]. Their topic is: UNDERSTANDING THE SACRAMENTS. Saint Paul’s recently hosted His Eminence, Metropolitan KALLISTOS to Southern California, for a two-day, packed-house seminar to the general public titled, “Drawing Closer to the Savior: The Sacramental Life”. CD’s of this seminar are available for purchase by calling St Paul’s Church Office at 949.733.2366. You can also contact them on St Pauls’ website: www.stpaulsirvine.org.

The past few years have seen their controversies within the Self Ruled Antiochian Archdiocese of North America. On September 30, 2010, Kevin Allen and John Maddex traveled to Englewood, NJ to visit the headquarters of the Antiochian Archdiocese and the home of it’s Archbishop Metropolitan Philip Saliba. Our purpose was to seek clarification on several key areas that have become a concern to many, and fodder for the blogosphere. His Eminence warmly welcomed us and gave Kevin the freedom to ask any question he thought would be helpful to our audience in understanding several critical issues. There were four specific topics we wanted him to address: 1. The meaning and future of self rule in the Antiochian Archdiocese. 2. The status of the Bishops in North America and the meaning as well as the ramifications of the title “Auxiliary Bishop.” 3. The finances of the Antiochian Archdiocese and in particular the status of an audit. 4. The view point of His Eminence on the Episcopal Assembly, SCOBA, and the future of Administrative Unity in North America. We have left the Metropolitan’s remarks intact and unedited to make them available to the audience for their own evaluation and conclusions. This episode provides the entire interview. If you are interested in listening to the individual topics, we have also divided it up into 4 sections and those are available on The Illumined Heart page of Ancient Faith Radio. A free transcript is also available.

Here is part 2 of this historic interview with Metropolitan Jonah who was just enthroned as Archbishop of Washington and New York and Metropolitan of All America for the Orthodox Church in America. In this half of the interview, His Beatitude Jonah addresses matters such as Administrative Unity among Orthodox jurisdictions, evangelism, and the events that led up to his election at the All American Council in November.

On November 12, 2008, a remarkable thing happened in Pittsburgh, PA. Just 11 days after his consecration as Bishop of Fort Worth and Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of the South, Bishop Jonah was elected Archbishop of Washington and New York and Metropolitan of All American and Canada for the Orthodox Church in America. Kevin Allen was able to spend well over an hour on the phone with His Beatitude Jonah in a candid and fascinating interview that we are bringing you in 2 parts. In this first part we learn about his background, personal interests, conversion to Orthodoxy and the monastic life. Next week we will bring you part 2.

In part 6 of our interview with the Metropolitan, we ask him to address the future of Orthodoxy and whether he is pessimistic or optimistic.

We ask His Eminence about the role of nationalism and ethnicity in the Orthodox Church.

In this section, Metropolitan Kallistos addresses the question of music adaptation to the culture and modern ears.

The Metropolitan is asked about women's ordination and same sex attraction in this section of the interview.

What can Evangelicals and Orthodox learn from each other is the subject of the 2nd section of our interview with His Eminence.

In the first section of our extensive interview with Metropolitan Kallistos, we talk about the state of the Orthodox Church both here and abroad.

In a very special edition of The Illumined Heart, we have an extensive conversation with His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Professor Emeritus in Eastern Orthodox Studies at Oxford University, and Bishop of Diokleia. Metropolitan Ka!istos is widely regarded as perhaps the world’s leading theologian of the Eastern Orthodox Church today. We present the entire interview here but also offer it in bite size pieces below. Kevin Allen's guest host is John Maddex.

St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary confers an honorary doctorate on Metropolitan Krystof, primate of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia, at an Academic Convocation (February 28, 2011).

The Saint Vladimir's Seminary community entered into its annual two-day Lenten Retreat March 2 and 3, 2020. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America), delivered four reflections over the two days loosely built around his own experience of life in community.

The Saint Vladimir's Seminary community entered into its annual two-day Lenten Retreat March 2 and 3, 2020. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America), delivered four reflections over the two days loosely built around his own experience of life in community.

The Saint Vladimir's Seminary community entered into its annual two-day Lenten Retreat March 2 and 3, 2020. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America), delivered four reflections over the two days loosely built around his own experience of life in community.

The Saint Vladimir's Seminary community entered into its annual two-day Lenten Retreat March 2 and 3, 2020. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada (Orthodox Church in America), delivered four reflections over the two days loosely built around his own experience of life in community.

El Padre Nicolás predicó sobre nuesta meta que es lograr estar con Dios en su reino. Father Nicholas preaches about our goal, which is to be with God in his kingdom.

Sermon on the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul (2 Corinthians 11:21-12:9; Matthew 16:13-19)

On the second Sunday after Pentecost, the Orthodox Church celebrates local Saints of a particular land. Fr Thomas reminds us that Saints teach us in their way of life that they are devoted to accomplish a divine mission, that they have become holy through their practice of the Orthodox way of prayer, and most importantly, that they love God above all else. (Second Sunday after Pentecost - All Saints of North America)

Fr. Christopher preaches on the events of the Baptism of Christ.

Dr. Rossi describes the power of holy places, like Meteora in Greece, to deepen our faith.

Dr. Albert Rossi interviews His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada about his encounter with a young girl with terminal cancer.

St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary is announcing the visit and surrounding activities of Met. Hilarion Alfeyev Feb 5 - 7. He will give a lecture on Saturday, Feb 5 at the Seminary as this year's speaker at the Fr. Alexander Schmemann Lecture Series. His choral masterpiece St. Matthew's Passion will be performed on Monday Feb 7 at 7:30 PM at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York. John Maddex talks with Fr. Chad Hatfield and concert producer Nicholas Reeves about the events. AFR will be there to record the lecture!

Dr. Brad Nassif is our guest to talk about an opportunity to hear Met. Kallistos Ware at North Park University in Chicago February 22-23.

In this touching interview, His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah reflects on the life and memory of Archbishop Dmitri, recently reposed Bishop of the Diocese of the South in the OCA.

Metropolitan Nicholas Smisko, spiritual leader of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the U.S.A., reposed in the Lord on March 13, 2011. Here Bobby Maddex interviews Fr. Frank Miloro, Chancellor of Christ the Savior Cathedral, about His Eminence's life and legacy.

Metropolitan Jonah presided over the 2012 Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers held at Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church in Linthicum, MD, and spoke on Orthodox unity in America.

We talk with Fr. Thomas Zain, Vicar General of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America just 2 hours after the falling asleep of our beloved Metropolitan Philip, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America.

Archbishop Joseph delivers his inaugural comments at the Parish Life Conference for the Western Diocese of the Antiochian Archdiocese in San Francisco, California, after being named Metropolitan by Patriarch John X and the Holy Synod of Antioch.

Fr. Thomas Zain, Vicar General of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, joins us to talk about the upcoming enthronement of Metropolitan Joseph on December 6, 2014, in Brooklyn. More information is available at the Antiochian web site.

Our thanks to His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph for the generous amount of time he gave us in his office in Englewood, NJ for this open and honest interview. Hear his assessment of his first several months as Metropolitan as well as an understanding of his commitment to the Mother Church of Antioch, and his views on Orthodox unity.

Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk tough ministry questions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. How do a bishop and his clergy struggle to minister in these conditions? What about new technology? How do we relate to government? Also joined by Fr. Thomas Zain and Fr. Nicholas Belcher, His Eminence addresses head-on the pain and difficulty we're all facing, covering practical matters as well as bigger theological and spiritual questions, collected directly from concerned listeners. This in-depth interview wraps up with questions on his time with St. Paisios, communing the non-Orthodox, and the future of monasticism in his archdiocese.

The traveling mic of AFR goes all the way to Korce, Albania to interview Metropolitan John. He grew up in communist Albania, found Christ in a miraculous way, became part of the underground and illegal Christian Church, and is now a member of the Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Albanian Orthodox Church under the hierarchical leadership of Archbishop Anastasios. It's a powerful story of God's grace and provision under very difficult circumstances.

Using Luke 8:26-27 as a starting point of his reflections, Fr. Pat encourages us to live our lives with an awareness of death as an important part of our mental composition.

To follow Christ is first to be understood in a literal and existential way. It is not a diminishing of observance, it’s the augmentation of observance. We profess our allegiance to Christ, and our commitment to His Lordship.

In this vesperal homily, Fr. Pat preaches from 1 John 2:1-6, about the true blessed assurance of our salvation.

Fr. Pat preaches on the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15.

The Church isn't run by a single person. Instead, we come together in councils to keep the Faith and guide the Church through challenges. From the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem (in the Book of Acts) through the upcoming Great and Holy Council, this spirit of togetherness opens us to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

In a touching and emotional special edition of Ancient Faith Today, Kevin Allen welcomed the Vicar General of the Antiochian Archdiocese Fr. Thomas Zain as well as former EOC (Evangelical Orthodox Church) Bishop Fr. Wayne Wilson to discuss the life and legacy of Metropolitan Philip Saliba. The program also included listener calls and a tribute from Fr. Jon Braun.

The Apostles came to the Lord to ask Him to solve the situation. He turned the problem back on them! Matthew 14: 14 -22

Matthew tells the story of Metropolitan Antony Bashir on the 44th anniversary of his death. Learn more HERE.

I graduated college 30 years ago. Email wasn't a big thing, and the web (and YouTube) didn't really exist. So imagine what it took, how much work was involved, to learn something new. I'm not saying I walked to school in the snow, uphill both ways. But learning something new meant either finding a mentor ... Read more

The post Learning Something New appeared first on Chris Lema.

As the UK records its 100,000th death from Covid within 28 days of a positive test, Catherine Burns speaks to some of the people behind the figures.

A man's bond with an orphaned otter changed his life and became a movie hit.

The city council says a group of people camping there have accepted help from a charity.