Fr. Andrew Damick comments on a recent article in Christianity Today by Mark Galli entitled "Giving Up Self-Discipline For Lent." He contrasts the Western view of Lent with an Orthodox perspective. Listen to Fr. Andrew's commentary below or read it by clicking on the image.

With the Sunday of the Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick tells the story of how God showed up at the meeting and also meditates on what happens when we actually expect Him to show.

Sometimes, we wish God would just show up so that He would remove all our doubts and we could believe in Him without question. But what are we really asking for? What would happen? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses this question in light of the Gospel of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses what sexual immorality does to a person, noting how its devastating corruption is inward and difficult to uproot.

Today we conclude our 3-part series entitled "Heaven Ain't Up, Hell Ain't Down" with a challenging Q&A; session. Theme music: "Burn Out Bright" by Switchfoot from their 2006 album "Oh! Gravity." Used by permission.

Today we continue our a 3-part series entitled "Heaven Ain't Up, Hell Ain't Down." Theme music: "Burn Out Bright" by Switchfoot from their 2006 album "Oh! Gravity." Used by permission.

Today, we talk about summer plans for the podcast. We also begin a 3-part series entitled "Heaven Ain't Up, Hell Ain't Down." Plus, we go over how YOU can help OCF in a HUGE way. Theme music: "Burn Out Bright" by Switchfoot from their 2006 album "Oh! Gravity." Used by permission.

The Louh's introduce us to Marlena Graves, author of the newly released "The Way Up is Down: Becoming Yourself by Forgetting Yourself" published by Intervarsity Press. Marlena describes the process of emptying herself that allows her to move upward toward God and become the true self that God calls her to be.

"Life is full of small opportunities to baptize these inevitable daily pains in the mystery of the cross."

Fr. John looks at tombs we all fall into—the sins, beliefs and habits that drain the life out of us.

Fr. John compares the worldviews of Joni Erickson Tada and Christopher Reeve.

With help from his daughter, Fr. Joseph tries to stay on pitch while singing Dan Idzikowski's "Superchristological and Homoousiosis".

Fr Joseph rants and runs for cover—raising concerns, but not hands (please).

There was a time when "Is it real, or is it Memorex?" meant something. Nowadays, we've forgotten the latter and can't define the former! Even with help from Randy Travis, ELO, Drake, Jim Croce, and Adele -- Fr Joseph still seems to miss his Ma (Bell).

What do y'all think of the name St Elvis Orthodox Church? Okay, how about Father Elvis? Er ... can we at least have a church and priest in Tupelo?

Sometimes we can be just too impressed with our own words.

You have to listen to get the connection. Hint: Men and Women are just different!

The legend of Sunshine Boy and his lesson in humility.

What's in a name? Our names represent our families and we are family through the blood of Christ.

A brief history of the coffee hour, with some suggestions about how best to use the time as you sip your morning brew!

Fr Joseph reviews the rules of life, particularly Murphy's Law and its variants, and and then provides us with a rule we can all live with.

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.

Fr. Anthony and Fr. Gregory Jensen talk about how to live with - and even love - your limitations and then begin a discussion on the sorts of things that should be part of our annual check-up. Enjoy the show!

Elissa encourages families to spread the joy of Pascha to a local cemetery.

Elissa addresses the issue of testing Sunday School students.

Elissa describes the "Psalter group" and its purpose during Great Lent.

Rather than picture a perfect, established, normal Sunday school and try to fit yourself into that plan, maybe it's better to start by looking at what you do have and find a flexible, innovative way to make it work.

Elissa updates the Raising Saints audience on some new projects they might find interesting, and establishes a new plan for the future of Raising Saints.

Fr. Michael talks about the transition from fearing God to loving God.

Fr. Michael shares his reflections from Abbess Thaisia: An Autobiography. Visit his blog.

It is frightening to be held up by God. It is frightening to look into the abyss of our own darkness and sin. It is frightening and it is glorious. Or at least it can be glorious, once you learn to relax in God’s embrace, once you learn to trust the One who has held you from the your mother’s womb, the One whose love never fails. Once you learn to trust, then it can be glorious, then you can see not only your sin, but also the amazing and glorious works of God despite your sin.

"The danger...is that any systemization of spiritual realities is both wrong and thus misleading. Systems, definitions and diagrams of the inner life are, in a sense, by definition wrong because they are an attempt to reduce to something that is merely rational that which transcends our rational capacity. The spiritual life is known and experienced, but because it is supra-rational, it cannot be spoken of in rational categories. Which does not mean that it cannot be spoken of at all. Irony, metaphor, and apophatic statements can sometimes point toward supra-rational, inner realities, or to what such realities are not. However, the word ‘sometimes’ is key."

Fr. Michael Gillis has us look at the world we find ourselves in. We are mentored by media that exploits and seduces us for its own profit, political leaders whom we know are lying, businesses that we know are cheating us and an educational system piloted by women, men and “others” who want to obliterate basic human nature. It seems we find ourselves, like young prophet Samuel, being raised in a corrupt and predatory culture. Yet nevertheless, like the prophet Samuel, we too can grow into very holy people, people who can learn to listen for God even as we are surrounded by innumerable sins and evil influences.

This week, the guys watch the Netflix original series "Stranger Things" and discuss friendship, transcendence, nostalgia, and our longing for eternity. They wrap up with their top 5 iconic '80s movies.

This week the guys listen to Crack-Up, the triumphant return of the Fleet Foxes after a 6-year hiatus. They wrestle with this complex album while exploring disappointment with social structures, the ambivalence of self-reliance, and the Christian promise of hoping in Christ. They close with their Top 5 Artsy Albums.

Since we're all trying to be socially responsible and live in a state of self-imposed quarantine, Christian Gonzalez and Steve Christoforou want to offer a little bit of lightheartedness. That's why they will be going LIVE every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern/9:30 a.m. Pacific with a brand-spanking new episode of Pop Culture Coffee Hour! Join them at www.y2am.org/PopCultureLive and be a part of the conversation!

What if magic were real? The guys explore the new Disney feature film, "Onward." They explore the truth in stories, the challenges of a disenchanted world, and the ways Disney films present love.

Christina and Emma, along with special guest and Effective Christian Ministry Cohort Director, Dr. Pres. Athanasia Kostakis, discuss the fantasy novel, Uprooted. They touch on how many gifts can work together, the responsibility of discipleship, and friendship. As always, what they're cooking. Leave your comments for the 200th episode at 917-524-7483 (call or text) by July 1, 2022.

On this Sunday of "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," by St. John Climacus, we are called to ever greater heights of union with God by lowering ourselves through humble repentance.

Fr. Philip LeMasters explains how we can become fully alive through taking up our cross and following Christ.

We do not have to burn incense on the altar of a Roman god in order to show that we are ashamed of the Savior. All that we must do is to refuse to take up our crosses as we serve the false gods of this world. It does not take much spiritual insight to see that worshiping idols is quite common and easily done in our time and place.

Let us become transfigured in holiness as we pray, fast, repent, and give generously to our neighbors as we become living icons of the Savior’s fulfillment of the human person in the likeness of God.

Our songs, processions, and prostrations before our Lord’s Cross are the beginning, not the end, of our discipleship.

Only we can unite ourselves to Christ in His Great Self-Offering for the salvation of the world.

If we refuse to deny ourselves even in small ways this Lent, then we will become even more accustomed to serving ourselves instead of God and neighbor.

Like St. Mary of Egypt, let us refuse to let anything keep us from confronting our personal brokenness with brutal honesty as we take up our own crosses in faithfulness to the Savior Who offered up Himself on the Cross for the salvation of the world. He alone is our hope and the Victor over death.

St. Basil the Great, who gave away his great wealth to found philanthropic ministries for the sick and needy, taught that the Lord’s strict words to this man revealed his lack of love for his neighbors. Basil wrote that “Those who love their neighbors as themselves possess nothing more than their neighbor; yet surely, you seem to have great possessions! How else can this be, but that you have preferred your own enjoyment to the consolation of the many…For the more you abound in wealth, the more you lack in love.” The young ruler had laid up treasures for himself on earth and had given his heart to them. (Matt. 6: 19-21)

In order to take up our crosses, we must choose to embrace the struggle of dying to our vain illusions about ourselves and our world. Our hope is not in spiritual or moral perfection acquired merely by our own willpower, but in the gracious mercy of the One Who offered up Himself for our salvation purely out of love.

In the anecdotal introduction to a new reflection, Fr. John tells the story of the fall of Constantinople to the western crusaders in 1204, showing how this event, inspired in part by new claims of papal supremacy, resulted in the permanent separation of eastern and western Christendom.

In this episode, Fr. John discusses the immediate aftermath of the mutual excommunications of 1054 and the ways in which papal supremacy emerged as the main point of continued division between the east and the west.