We live in an age of new paganism. The distance we allowed between ourselves and Christ has created a spiritual void in the world, which is rapidly being filled with spiritual experiences and rituals that mirror those of the ancient pagan world.

The sign of a true Christian

Fr. Seraphim gives a short update.

Learning About Spirituality from the Celtic Saints (w/ Fr. Seraphim Aldea)

Fasting for God Opens Our Spiritual Sight (w/ Fr. Seraphim Aldea)

"Low" Periods Hide a Spiritual Treasure (w/ Fr. Seraphim Aldea)

Having Constant Spiritual Ups and Downs? (w/ Fr. Seraphim Aldea)

Is spiritual life more difficult in our days than of old? Fr. Steven thinks so, and explains how the threat of the erosion of our personhood is something new.

The Gabby Petito case has connected with many people. What are we to think of it, and can we learn something from it?

St. Seraphim of Sarov states that “everyday we should partake of just enough food to allow the body, being fortified, to a be a friend and helper to the soul in performing the virtues. Otherwise with the body exhausted the soul may also weaken.” In this episode, Rita provides wisdom from the early Church Fathers regarding what foods we should be eating and how to consume them in a sensible and healthful manner.

Elder Paisios constantly stressed the power of positive thinking. In this episode, the listener will learn the effects of poor stress management on the body and how positive thinking is important for our health and weight management.

In this podcast, we see great teachings for our relationship with material things, our earth and body, through teachings from a saint that lived around 1500 years ago! Starting January 21, 2021, Rita will be offering my Food Faith and fasting workshop in the virtual format. Here is the website to learn more and sign up: https://foodfaithfasting.gumroad.com (Workshop Flyer is attached)

Rita Madden shares some wisdom from Abba Pambo to aid us in keeping the correct spirit for the Great Fast.

In this podcast we explore how guidance from St. John of Kronstadt to handle spiritual sickness, following Holy Orthodox Tradition, gives us the answers and when we do this, we just feel physically better.

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.

Addressing the 'fruit of the Spirit' in Galatians 5, Fr. Andrew discusses how St. Ambrose interprets this passage to say something about who God is and what spiritual life therefore means.

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.

On the feast of the Circumcision of Christ, Fr. Andrew talks about the New Covenant made in Christ and how Christians participate in it.

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.

The coming of the Holy Spirit into the world, says Matthew, was the dynamic event which makes true oneness with God and with other people possible.

Matthew examines what the Holy Spirit brings to those who are open and willing.

Matthew continues his series, this time examining the unity of the early Christians and their entry into the Divine Nature of the Trinity.

In this podcast, Matthew examines two other pillars of Church unity—the breaking of bread and prayers.

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. John Oliver explains how we can repel the Holy Spirit, and how we can become alive in the Holy Spirit instead.

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!

The Holy Spirit can be a difficult and abstract concept to explain to young people, so in honor of the feast of Pentecost, Elissa explores the story of the tongues of fire, as well as the prayer "O Heavenly King," to find ways to describe this most mysterious person of the Holy Trinity.

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.”

The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives always takes place on two levels, both on the level of what is outside us or what comes to us, and on the level of what is within us or how we receive what comes to us.