Using Hebrews 5:1 as his text—"For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins"—Fr. Joseph speaks of the manly beauty of St Raphael.

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!

If Christ can make eyeballs out of spit and clay, He can take care of you!

The Great Commission just doesn't apply to us, right?

Fr. Anthony continues discussing the book Ten Commandments for Pastors New to a Congregation by Lawrence W. Farris.

In this episode, Fr. Anthony begins by talking about the need to build joy into our routines. Then, after a (satirical) commercial break, he calls for Orthodox priests to consider taking on the role of Orthodox shaman as well.

In this episode, Fr. Anthony and Fr. Hans Jacobse (American Orthodox Institute) lament a culture that denigrates manliness and talk about how priests (and other manly men) can help boys of all ages tame their passions and become the Christian warriors they were called to be. Note: this conversation includes a frank (but not explicit) discussion about pornography.

In this episode, Fr. Anthony talks with Dylan Pahman (Research Fellow, Acton Institute) about what we can learn about virtue and markets playing Magic the Gathering. Then, after lamenting the lack of economic literacy among some theologians and clergy, Dylan addresses some of the major objections some Christians have with markets, liberal democracy, and international trade. He makes the case that they will not automatically cultivate virtue, but can be compatible with Orthodoxy. You can read the works referenced at acton.academia.edu/DylanPahman.

Why does it matter that our God came down to earth and took on flesh? Elissa discusses using the Jesse Tree and other means to teach our children about the Feast of the Nativity.

In one of his talks, St. Theophan speaks of the glories of life in a monastery and then he makes a the following statement: “Of course, many inconsistencies occur here, too…” Ah, there’s the rub. There’s the bit that throws us off, “many inconsistencies occur here, too.” And the saint says, “of course,” as though we should have never expected things to be consistent. But we do. We do expect things to be consistent and we are offended when they are not.

Spiritual Letters is a collection of letters written in the early part of the twentieth century by a Roman Catholic priest—and I highly recommend it to English speaking Orthodox Christians who want to be encouraged in prayer.

Fr. Michael Gillis shares from St. Isaac the Syrian (homily 62), in which St. Isaac offers us the metaphor of a manuscript in rough draft to help us understand why on-going repentance is important for Christians regardless of their real or imagined state of spiritual maturity.

Fr. Stephen De Young introduces St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins the discussion of Romans 1.

Fr. Stephen De Young speaks on Romans 1:8-17.

Fr. Stephen De Young wraps up the discussion of Romans 1.

Fr. Stephen De Young works through Romans, Chapter 2.

Fr. Stephen De Young discusses Romans 3.

Fr. Stephen De Young discusses Romans 4:1-8.

Fr. Stephen De Young discusses Romans 4:9-12.

Fr. Stephen De Young discusses Acts 4:13-25.

Fr. Stephen De Young talks about chapter 5 of the book of Romans.

Fr. Stephen De Young continues his discussion through Romans Chapter 5.

Fr. Stephen De Young wraps up Chapter 5 of Romans.

Fr. Stephen De Young dives into Chapter 6 of Romans.

Fr. Stephen De Young continues Chapter 6 of Romans and works his way through Chapter 7.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins a discussion on Romans, Chapter 8

Fr. Stephen De Young continues the discussion on Romans Chapter 8.

Fr. Stephen De Young wraps up the end of Romans Chapter 8.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins the discussion of Romans 9.

Fr. Stephen De Young discusses Romans 9:30 to 10:4.

Fr. Stephen De Young concludes the discussion of Romans 10.

Fr. Stephen De Young dives into a discussion about Romans, Chapter 11.

Fr. Stephen De Young finishes his discussion about Romans Chapter 11.

Fr. Stephen De Young discusses the shift in St. Paul's Letter to the Romans.

Fr. Stephen De Young discusses Romans 12:10-21.

Fr. Stephen De Young discusses Chapter 13 of St. Paul's Letter to the Romans.

Fr. Stephen De Young talks about Chapter 14 of the book of Romans.

Fr. Stephen De Young discusses Chapter 15 of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans.

Fr. Stephen De Young wraps up the book of Romans, covering the last bit of Chapters 15 and 16.

This week the guys talk about the Netflix Original series Bojack Horseman. They discuss character formation, longing for transcendence, and how seeking meaning exclusively within the immanent is ultimately dissatisfying, dismaying, and even dangerous. They close with their Top 5 bleak comedies.

In the final episode before the summer break, Steve and Christian discuss DC’s hit summer blockbuster Wonder Woman. They discuss the nature of human beings, the power of compassion, and (as always) how secularism has taken hold of our notions of the transcendent. They close with their Top 5 Heroines.

Reunited at last, Christina and Emma bring their own perspective to Wonder Woman. They discuss the characteristics of heroism, how femininity and power are related, and the line between virtue and naïveté. They close with their Top 5 War Films.

The guys watched the new Orthodox documentary Becoming Truly Human. They discuss the nature of conversion stories, the role of parents in journeys through faith, and how doubt can be central to our spiritual walk.They close with their Top 5 Martyr Stories.

The guys finally take on the latest Spider-Man film, Far From Home. They discuss the nature of reality vs. illusion, the human need for belief, and how we often are willing to disown our lives for something easier. They close with their Top 5 Spider-Man Villains.

The guys discuss the first live-action Star Wars TV Series: The Mandalorian. They touch on the interplay between nostalgia and creativity, the role of choice in identity formation, and the self-sacrificial love. They close with their Top 5 Westerns.

"Wherever I go, he goes." Steve and Christian watched season 2 of the amazing Disney+ series, "The Mandalorian." The guys discuss the difference between tradition and traditionalism; the empire's evil; and discerning the Way. Philanthropy Spotlight: We're also shining a light on the Astoria Food Pantry, a neighborhood mutual aid project that provides high-quality fresh food to 200 people per week. In 2021, they plan to both continue the programs that they started in 2020 and expand operations to some new projects to serve the community. Learn more on their website: https://www.astoriafoodpantry.com.

The girls discuss the poetry of Amanda Gorman, the young poet who read her work at the inauguration and Super Bowl. They discuss themes of light and darkness, the way burdens can be inherited, and a vision of God's Kingdom.

Steve and Christian explore the new DC superhero movie, "The Batman." Spoilers ahead! They explore lies, power, trauma, and radicalization.

Christina and Steve watched the new film about Saint Nektarios, "Man of God." Spoilers ahead! They explore struggle, salvation, and the choice to live as faithful Christians.