Before baptism he was a renowned military commander under Trajan. While hunting in the woods, he met a great stag with a shining Cross between his antlers. Through the stag, the Lord spoke to Placidas (his pagan name) and told him to find a priest and be baptized into Christ. Returning home, he found that his wife Tatiana had also had a vision in which she was told to become a Christian. They were baptized, Placidas receiving the name Eustathius, and Tatiana the name Theopiste; their two sons were baptized with them. Eustathius and his family were almost immediately subjected to a series of grievous trials, in which all were separated from one another. After years of hardship they were re-united, and returned to Rome with honor when the Emperor sought out Eustathius to command his army once again. But when the Emperor Hadrian (who had succeeded Trajan) commanded them to worship the idols, all of them refused. They were put together into a large bronze ox which was heated white-hot in a fire. When their bodies were removed, they were found to be dead but intact. The Prologue concludes, 'Thus this glorious general gave to Caesar that which is Caesar's, and to God that which is God's, and entered into the eternal Kingdom of Christ our God.

He came from a noble family, and was appointed military Governor of Alexandria and Egypt by the Emperor Constantine the Great. Some years later, the Emperor Julian the Apostate strove to restore pagan idolatry as the official religion of the Empire. He also entered into a war with Persia, and established Antioch as his headquarters for pursuing the war. In Alexandria, Artemius received an order to come to Antioch with the military forces under his command. Artemius reported to the apostate Emperor just in time to see him ordering the cruel execution of two pious Christians, Eugenius and Macarius. Fearlessly, St Artemius immediately denounced the Emperor, telling him to his face that his anti-Christian policy was of demonic origin. The enraged Emperor instantly had Artemius stripped of all official rank and thrown into prison. The following day, he had Artemius brought before him and promised him high Imperial office if he would only renounce Christ and worship the idols. When Artemius forcefully refused to do this, he was publicly tortured to death. A pious noblewoman secretly recovered the Saint's relics and took them to Constantinople, where they were venerated and wrought many miracles for several centuries.

He was born in Palestine to pagan parents who sent him to Alexandria to be educated. There he learned of the Christian faith and was baptized. Hearing of the fame of St Anthony the Great, he met the great "Father of monks," and determined to devote himself to the ascetical life. For the rest of his life he traveled from place to place, engaging in the most austere life of solitude, prayer and fasting. But wherever he went, his holiness shone like a beacon, and he became known to the people, who flocked to him for counsel, nurture and healing. He would then flee to another place and begin again. His travels took him to Egypt, Libya, Sicily, and finally Cyprus, where he reposed at a great age. As he lay on his deathbed, he cried out 'Go forth, O my soul. What do you fear? Go forth! Why are you disquieted within me? You have served Jesus Christ for almost seventy years and do you fear death?' Speaking these words, he died.   The Synaxarion gives an excruciatingly thorough description of his ascetical labors, which may be instructive:   "From his sixteenth to his twentieth year, Hilarion's shelter was a simple cabin made of bulrushes and marsh grasses. Afterwards, he built a little, low cell that looked more like a tomb than a house. He lay on the hard ground, and washed and cut his hair only once a year, on Easter day. He never washed the coat of skin that Saint Anthony gave him, and wore the same tunic until it fell to pieces. He knew all of Holy Scripture by heart and recited it aloud, standing with fear, as though God were visibly present. From his twenty-first to his twenty-seventh year, a few lentils soaked in cold water was, for three years, his daily food, and for the next three he took nothing but bread, sprinkled with salt. From his twenty-seventh to his thirtieth year, he lived on wild plants; from the age of thirty to thirty-five, on six ounces of barley bread and a few vegetables, cooked without oil. Then, falling ill and with failing eyesight, he added a little oil to his food but did not increase his allowance of bread, even though he saw his body grow weaker, and believed his death was near. At an age when others tend to decrease their austerities, he kept to this diet with redoubled fervor, like a young novice, until his death. He never ate until after sunset and relinquished his fast neither for the greatest feasts nor the gravest illnesses."

He was a native of Thessalonica, born of noble parents. His wisdom and distinction in battle earned him rapid advancement in the service of the Empire: in time he was appointed commander of all the Roman forces in Thessaly, and Proconsul of Hellas. Despite these worldly honors, Demetrius put his Christian faith before all, and by his words and example brought many pagans to faith in Christ.   When the Emperor Maximian, a persecutor of Christians, came to Thessalonica he appointed games and public sacrifices to celebrate his recent victory over the Scythians. Some jealous pagans used the visit to denounce Demetrius to the Emperor. Maximian had Demetrius cast into a fetid cell in the basement of some nearby baths. Maximian had brought with him a huge barbarian of tremendous strength named Lyaios, who fought many men in the arena and defeated them all, to the entertainment of the Emperor and the crowds. A young Christian named Nestor determined to show the people that the only true strength is in Christ: he visited Demetrius in his cell and asked for his blessing to challenge Lyaios to combat. The Martyr made the sign of the Cross over Nestor and sent him to the arena with his blessing. Nestor, a young boy, cried out before the Emperor 'God of Demetrius, help me!' and quickly killed the mighty Lyaios, to the astonishment of the crowd. The infuriated Emperor had Nestor slain with his own sword, and sent soldiers to Demetrius' cell, where they killed him with their spears. Demetrius' servant, a believer named Lupus, retrieved the body of Demetrius and buried it with honor. He kept the Saint's ring and blood-stained tunic, and through them worked several miracles and healings. When the Emperor heard of this, he had Lupus, too, beheaded.   As a sign of the grace that rested on the holy Demetrius, a fragrant myrrh flowed copiously from the Martyr's body after his death, healing many of the sick. For many centuries, St Demetrius has been a patron Saint of Thessalonica.

He was born in Bithynia of peasant stock. He worked as a swineherd, then became an officer in the Imperial army, where he served with such distinction in the war against the Bulgars that the Emperor Constantine VI wanted to take him into his personal service. "But the sight of massacres and horrors of war had brought home to him the vanity of this life. He asked leave of the Emperor to retire from the service, in order to wage unseen warfare in the ranks of the angelic army" (Synaxarion). In the coming years he traveled widely, sometimes living as a hermit, sometimes living in monasteries, more than once founding a monastic community. Wherever he went he lived in stillness, solitude and strict asceticism. He was famed for his spiritual counsel, his prophecies, his many miracles of healing ailments bodily and spiritual, and for his friendship with animals. Once a monk who doubted the Saint's miracles was eating at table with him when a large bear burst in upon them. Joannicius called the bear and it came and lay at his feet; he then told it to lie at the feet of his frightened guest and said "At their creation, the animals looked with veneration on man, who is made in the image of God, and he had no fear of them. We are afraid of them now because we have transgressed God's commandments. If we love the Lord Jesus and keep his commandments, no animal will be able to do us any harm." The monk departed greatly edified.

Rita offers tips and encouragement to assist listeners in their fasting journey.

Rita Madden shares some readings from "Meditations for Great Lent" by Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou, and reminds us that the purpose of Lent is to grow in humility and love. Sign up today to be apart of My Beautiful Lent!

Rita Madden encourages us to prepare our lives for the journey of Great Lent by working for the healing of the whole earth.

On this Sunday, Fr. Andrew speaks of the greatest gift he ever received from his parents, the gift of a Christian identity.

On the feast of St. Anthony the Great, Fr. Andrew preaches on why someone would walk out into the desert to find God.

Fr. John illustrates how Christians are those who reach out to people in pain

Fr. John examines how the advent season prepares us for the Nativity of Christ.

Fr. John uses the parable of Jesus to show us what Christian life is supposed to be.

So, what would it look like if suddenly the country was swept up in the popularity of Orthodoxy. Brace yourself for Fr. Joseph's vision!

Fr. Danislav Gregorio visits the Orthodixie studio to plug his latest publishing efforts, a series of Great Books that cover bachelor fasting, Orthodox evangelism, patience, and mindless middle-aged mishaps (among other things—perhaps even the most important thing).

Where do sermons come from? Well, they sure don't come from Neil Young, Stephen Bishop, George Jones, or the Bay City Rollers! But these, and more, join John Chrysostom and John of Kronstadt in this episode, which begins, of course, with Sammy Davis Jr.

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.

In this, the first section of the book, St. Gregory talks about the qualities that make for good and bad pastors. The version read is from The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.). It is available for free here (https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf212/npnf212.iii.iv.ii.i.html). Enjoy the show!

In this, the second section of the book, St. Gregory talks about what sort of internal and external life the pastor should lead. The version read is from The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.). The mispronunciations are all Fr. Anthony, though. The text is available for free here. Enjoy the show!

This episode shares the first ten "Admonitions" of Part Three section of St. Gregory's Book of Pastoral Rule. In it, St. Gregory gives advice on how to pastor people based on their varying personalities. Going beyond the basic, "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable," he explains how to adjust the medicine to the exact needs of each type of patient. This is good and useful stuff! The version read is from The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.). It is available for free here. Enjoy the show!

This episode shares the "Admonitions" eleven to twenty of Part Three of St. Gregory's Book of Pastoral Rule. In it, St. Gregory gives advice on how to pastor people based on their varying personalities. Going beyond the basic, "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable," he explains how to adjust the medicine to the exact needs of each type of patient. This is good and useful stuff! The version read is from The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.). Enjoy the show!

This episode shares the "Admonitions" twenty-one to twenty-nine of Part Three of St. Gregory's Book of Pastoral Rule. In it, St. Gregory gives advice on how to pastor people based on their varying personalities. Going beyond the basic, "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable," he explains how to adjust the medicine to the exact needs of each type of patient. This is good and useful stuff! The version read is from The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.). Enjoy the show!

This episode shares the the final admonitions and advice from (including advice on preaching!) Part Three and gives the entirety of Part IV (on preaching) of St. Gregory's Book of Pastoral Rule. How are preachers like roosters? Listen and find out! The version read is from The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.). It is available for free here. Enjoy the show!

Applying St. Gregory the Great to modern times, Fr. Gregory Jensen PhD and Fr. Anthony Perkins encourage us to turn isolation into solitude and solitude into peace; and to speak and listen to God in that peaceful silence. After a brief discourse into risk management under uncertainty, they share practical tips, learned from experience and holy tradition, on how to grow in Christ in the midst of the coronavirus. This podcast is the audio from Fr. Anthony's daily YouTube lifestream. (https://www.youtube.com/user/74snipe) Enjoy the show!

The goal of Great Lent is not only to deny ourselves and live for Christ, but also to let Christ live in us.

Elissa discusses how the parish and Sunday school can help support the family throughout Lent.

Fr. Tom takes us to the Letter to the Hebrews which tells us why Jesus is the perfect sacrifice or offering.

Entering the final week of Lent, we are reminded once again of our own weakness and failings and our needs for the mercy of God.

In today’s gospel lesson, there were people so used to focusing on their daily routines and worldly responsibilities that they had lost the ability to recognize something new and joyful. One owned real estate, another had animals, and a third was married. Even though these are commonplace conditions, they used them to justify their refusal to accept the invitation to the great party. No one forced them to do so; instead, they excused themselves. As a result, the master commanded his servant to “Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.” Because there was still room, the master ordered him to go out even further to “the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”

St. Photini’s encounter with the Lord was truly transformative. He did not merely give her ideas about religion. He gave her the “Living Water” of the Holy Spirit which made her a participant in eternal life by grace.

As we celebrate the Exaltation of the Cross, let us examine ourselves to see if our lives appear foolish and scandalous by the standards of the world because of our faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

Even as we recall the Three Hierarchs’ shining example of holiness, we remember today also someone whose life changed dramatically when he turned away from corruption in order to follow Christ. Luke’s gospel portrays the story of Zacchaeus in memorable and distinctive ways.

Let us follow the example of the Canaanite woman in persistently and boldly offering even our deepest pains and greatest weaknesses to Christ for healing.

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” These words from the brokenhearted father in today’s gospel lesson resonate with all of us who are honest about what the deep challenges of our lives reveal about our spiritual state.

Christ calls us all to become like the Good Samaritan, binding up the wounds of our neighbors and refusing to narrow down the list of those whom we must learn to love as ourselves. Like St. John Chrysostom, let us refuse to think that we can rightly worship the Lord by confining our piety only to what we do in liturgical services. Instead, we must make every dimension of our life a point of entrance to the Kingdom of our great High Priest.

We will misunderstand these blessed weeks of Lent if we assume that they are about helping us to have clearer ideas or deeper feelings about our Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection. We will be even more confused if we think that our intensified prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and repentance somehow earn God’s forgiveness or make us better than other people. Quite the contrary, Lenten disciples are simply opportunities to open our souls to the gracious healing of our Lord so that we may share more fully in His life. That is another way of saying that the point of Lent is to grow in our knowledge of God through true spiritual experience and encounter.

If we have embraced the spiritual practices of Lent with any level of integrity for the last few weeks, the weakness of our faith has surely become apparent to us.

On today’s great Feast of Pentecost, we celebrate the fulfillment of the deepest desires of those who bear the divine image and likeness to participate personally in the eternal life of God.

Fr. John discusses cosmology, a concept that was very important to the early Church.

Fr. John discusses the spiritual decline of the Church in the West and the attempt to reform this degradation.

Fr. John continues his exploration of the pivotal reign of Pope Leo IX and the way in which its reforms led toward a confrontation with the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1054.

In this conclusion to his account of the Great Schism, Fr. John reviews the leading controversies that aggravated relations between Rome and Constantinople during Pope Leo IX's military confinement, and how they resulted in the latter's posthumous act of excommunicating Patriarch Michael Cerularius in 1054.

In this final episode of his reflection on Muscovite Russia, Fr. John describes the Old Believer Schism as a crisis in the formerly optimistic cosmology of eastern Christendom, leading to its decline on the eve of modern times.

What was the genius of classical music during its nineteenth-century golden age? According to Fr. John Strickland, it was an effort to rescue Christendom's transformational imperative in an age when secularization threatened to sever earth from heaven. No longer influenced by traditional Christianity, great composers like Beethoven exaggerated earthly passions (especially sexual love) to communicate the West's primordial desire for transcendence. But the emotionalism that resulted threatened to take the floor out from underneath them. This episode concludes by analyzing famous works by Schubert and Berlioz which show how transcendence gave way to descent, and how utopian hopes plunged into irreversible spiritual agony.

Fr. John interviews Fr. Josiah Trenham about the importance of preaching in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Fr. John shares about some of the Orthodox missionaries from North America and reflects on the beauty of the Holy Saturday services (including baptisms) and Pascha services.

As we approach the Feast of Feasts, Dr. Humphrey takes us again to the Old Testament to illumine the Paschal New Testament readings including the story of the Prophet Jonah as well as the Three Youths in the fire.

Let’s look to the deep words of God’s yearning found in the prophet Ezekiel in order to understand the compassion of the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, and the actions of our father St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, an appointed shepherd of God’s people.

This week we understand the depths of Christ’s demolition of death, and the great reversal, in the light of Ezekiel 7, Jeremiah 7, and Psalm 125 (MT 126).

This week we read Psalm 50 (MT 51) in the light of 2 Kingdoms/2 Samuel 11-12 and Romans 5:12-17. This famous confession leads us to explore what some consider poetical theological hyperbole, and the question of ancestral sin.