Fr. Adrian and Chaplain Sarah talk about the importance of prayer in the life of an Orthodox Chaplain, and how they use prayer as a spiritual intervention in their ministries.

Fr. Adrian continues his interview with Fr. James Parnell - Hospital Chaplain, Parish Priest and Military Chaplain - about the unique opportunities and challenges of offering spiritual care to military veterans. This is Part 2 of a 2-part series.

Fr. Adrian interviews Fr. James Parnell - Hospital Chaplain, Parish Priest and Military Chaplain - about the unique opportunities and challenges of offering spiritual care to military veterans. This is Part 1 of a 2-part series.

On this Sunday, Fr. Andrew discusses the question, "Why do we talk about money in church?"

On this Sunday of the Paralytic, Fr. Andrew speaks of the many ways in which we become spiritually paralyzed and how Christ can cure us.

On this Sunday of the Blind Man, Fr. Andrew explores how our spiritual sight can be healed and we can move from being only institutionally related to the Church to fully engaged in its life.

Fr. Andrew uses St. Paul's language of sin as spiritual sleep to talk about how our lives are distorted in this 'sleep' and what it's like when we 'awake.'

On this Sunday after Theophany, Fr. Andrew talks about the gift of Christ given at baptism that precludes both pietism and clericalism—Christians are called to be ministers to one another.

Discussing the Parable of the Talents, Fr. Andrew speaks on what it means for us to have spiritual currency and how we ought to spend it.

With the feast of the Prophet Moses, Fr. Andrew passes on a way of understanding how the stages of spiritual life connect with the prophet's life.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick focuses on the four phrases in 2 Tim. 4:5 ('Be watchful in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry') and uses that verse as a summary of what it means to be Christian.

Dan and Fr. Brendan discuss exactly what people mean when they say they're "Spiritual but Not Religious," and how to address that without turning into a patronizing nuisance.

Fr. William George joins Dan as they talk about some of the unique challenges Father William encounters, as a spiritual advisor for the OCF chapter of County College of Morris--giving room for others to work, leading discussions, and maintaining the peace.

Laura Jansson joins the Louhs to chat about how the treasures of Orthodox faith can help us through the beautiful but sometimes scary journey toward parenthood.

Fr. Joseph gets lost in Houston, loses his wallet in the airport and becomes invisible at stop lights -- all from Dallas, Texas.

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!

Fr. Michael shares important things to think about in the quest for a spiritual father or mother.

Fr. Michael shares from St. Isaac the Syrian, "How one speaks of spiritual things is perhaps more important than the very spiritual matters themselves."

As an Evangelical, I had been taught that everything that is really important (spiritually speaking) has to do introducing people to Jesus Christ. Presenting Christ was almost everything. I believed that once one was reconciled with God through Christ–which I understood to be a legal transaction–everything that was really important in one’s relationship with God had been taken care of. This assumption, or something very like it, pervades Evangelical writing.

People sometimes flee the Church because they encounter abusive people or situations there. And yes, we need to love, minister to, care for and most of all be patient with those who flee the church because of the bad experiences they have had. But still, there are no Lone-Ranger Christians. We are not taught to pray to “My Father in heaven,” but “Our Father in heaven.” God is the God who sees. God sees our suffering. God knows what we have been through. And God wants us to find our safety in Him. But this safe place in God is not a place far away from the Church—after all, all you have to do is pick up a newspaper to realize that the Church has no monopoly on the abusive use of power. There is no place on earth to flee in order to escape the risk of being abused by people with power. There is no place on earth, but there is a place in heaven. And so Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven.”

A catechumen once asked what he could do to get victory over bad dreams: especially lustful dreams that roused his passions and often led him into temptation. I told him that this is one of those aspects of life in a fallen body that must be resisted and endured. One of the ways Satan seeks to weary and wear out the saints (or those who strive to be holy) is through the constant going astray of our flesh. Our job is to resist and to return our attention to God and to whatever is good, true and beautiful. When we turn our attention to Jesus, then Jesus fights our battles. One of the desert fathers said that trying to confront our own wicked thoughts is like trying to drive off wild dogs by throwing biscuits at them. We end up feeding the very thing we are trying to drive away. But if we turn our attention to Jesus, to the One who saves, to the One who made us and loves us and calls us to Himself, then the barking of the dogs fades away into the background. Then Christ Himself fights our battles, and we return to our natural place as worshipers of God, as those whose minds and hearts are attending to the one thing needful.

Many holy fathers and mothers of the Church have pointed out that spiritual words are like powerful medicine. If taken inappropriately, what was designed to heal ends up causing harm.

Fr. Michael talks about the difference between inwardly-focused spiritual zeal and outwardly-focused emotional zeal.

Fr. Michael Gillis answers the question of “how to overcome thoughts of pride in our hearts that inevitably come after labouring on good works for our families and people around us.”

For those of us who are still working on getting that first few rows of stones around the foundation of faith, focusing on acquiring a little bit of every virtue helps us to keep picking up the stone (of virtue) that is needed at a given moment and putting it down at the correct place in our spiritual house. Baby steps for baby Christians. May God grant that we are all found to be children in His Kingdom.

Join Steve and Christian as they talk about the highly anticipated Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. The guys talk about the Force, both the light side and the dark, the recurrent themes of family and personhood with just a dash of theology. So, join the guys as they celebrate the movie and end with their five favorite Star Wars quotations of all time.

We must never think that the vocation to holiness is reserved exclusively for some people, perhaps the clergy, the monastics, or only the great saints.

Fr. John explores what exactly monasticim was in the days of St. Macarius.

Fr. John explores marriage within the life of early Christendom.

Fr. John discusses the spiritual transformation of time by Christianity.

Fr. John discusses the ways in which the Church tries to create a sanctified topography in Christendom.

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. Ted reminds us that, "Christ is always in front of us," and that spiritual healing is readily available.

Fr. Ted cautions us against the popular notion of spirituality without religion.

Fr. Ted discusses the spiritual importance of icons, citing the Seventh Ecumenical Council.

Fr. Ted explains that it is possible to be a good person and a bad Christian simultaneously.

Fr. Ted reminds us that we must cultivate our internal spiritual lives with patience in order to grow as Christians.

Fr. Ted addresses the trend to cultivate ourselves in our careers but not in our spirituality.

Fr. Ted shares his Paschal homily. Christ is risen!

The most important part of the Paschal service is not the Holy Light, but rather the Divine Liturgy in which we receive Holy Communion.

Fr. Ted calls all Orthodox Christians to prayer and humility as the Holy and Great Council begins.

Fr. Ted shares the story of St. Fanourios and reflects upon the Gospel reading about Jesus' interaction with the Rich Young Ruler.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos explains the significance of the spiritual calendar and the beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year.

Mother Frederica Mathewes-Green, well-known author and public speaker, discusses the Christian life. Kevin and Steve ask her about prayer, forgiveness, and to mark our inaugural show--the Illumined Heart!

Continuing discussion with Mother Frederica Mathewes-Green, Kevin and Steve delve deeper into what it means to live life as an Orthodox Christian. Just in time for Lent!

How old is monasticism in the west? Are there historic connections between eastern and western monasticism? What does the western monk strive to achieve? Is the praxis similar for the western (Roman Catholic) and eastern (Orthodox) monk? These are questions Kevin asks Fr. Simon O'Donnell (OSB), a Benedictine monk (and former novice master) of 42 years at Saint Andrew Abbey, Valyermo, California.

Join Illumined Heart co-host Kevin Allen on his pilgrimage to Saint Herman of Alaska Monastery, Platina, California to talk with its Abbot Fr. Gerasim and Fr. Seraphim Rose legacy-keeper and biographer Monk Damascene. September 2nd marks the 25th anniversary of the repose of Fr. Seraphim Rose. In part 1 of this 3 part series, Kevin is in the cell constructed by Fr. Seraphim and now occupied by Monk Damascene where he talks with the monk about his spiritual father. For more information about the books published and distributed by the monastery, visit their website.

In the conclusion of our 3 part series commemorating the 25TH anniversary of the repose of Fr Seraphim (Rose), Kevin Allen is seated on a wooden bench overlooking a panoranmic view of Mt. Yolla Bolly with the Abbot of St. Herman of Alaska Monastery, Fr. Gerasim. Listen for valuable lessons (as well as birds chirping!) on the spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting from a spiritual child of this venerated American monk and writer.

Host Kevin Allen speaks with Father Steven Tschlis about the role of the spiritual guide - father or mother - in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, and how such a guide may differ from one's parish priest or sacramental confessor. Should we look for a "spiritual father or mother" in a monastery? What role does the parish priest play? These and other questions will be addressed in this conversation.

Today Andrew continues his practical advise for freeing ourselves from addiction by offering St. Theophan's four spiritual weapons for our contimplation . Read the transcript HERE.