"Born a pagan in Persia in the time of the Emperor Constantine, he came to know the Christian faith as a young man, forsook his paganism and received baptism. He was so enchanted with the true Faith that he left all worldly things and became a monk in a monastery near the town of Nisibis. He lived among the brethren for some time, then withdrew into silence, going to Archimandrite Urbel, of whom it is said that, for sixty years, he never ate anything cooked. Urbel made him a deacon, but, when he wanted to make him a priest, Dometius fled to a distant mountain and settled in a cave there. He attained such perfection through fasting, prayer, vigils and meditation that he was able to heal the sick. When Julian the Apostate came to that place, he heard of Dometius and sent men to wall him up alive in the came, with two of his disciples. Thus died this saint of God, in 363, and went to the Kingdom of God." (Prologue). The Great Horologion says that Dometius and his disciples were stoned to death.

"Born a pagan in Persia in the time of the Emperor Constantine, he came to know the Christian faith as a young man, forsook his paganism and received baptism. He was so enchanted with the true Faith that he left all worldly things and became a monk in a monastery near the town of Nisibis. He lived among the brethren for some time, then withdrew into silence, going to Archimandrite Urbel, of whom it is said that, for sixty years, he never ate anything cooked. Urbel made him a deacon, but, when he wanted to make him a priest, Dometius fled to a distant mountain and settled in a cave there. He attained such perfection through fasting, prayer, vigils and meditation that he was able to heal the sick. When Julian the Apostate came to that place, he heard of Dometius and sent men to wall him up alive in the came, with two of his disciples. Thus died this saint of God, in 363, and went to the Kingdom of God." (Prologue). The Great Horologion says that Dometius and his disciples were stoned to death.

Rita discusses the second chapter of her new book, which focuses on how to create balance with our food choices and also sugar consumption.

On this 10th Sunday after Pentecost, Fr. Andrew explores two things St. Paul shows in the epistle reading that are needed by the Christian: suffering and spiritual fatherhood.

Fr. Andrew talks about Jesus' response to the rich young man on how to gain eternal life and connects it with a piece of 3rd century Church history and with our own lives.

Discussing Jesus' command in Luke 6 to love our enemies, Fr. Andrew talks about what that means in daily life, who are enemies are, and just what love actually is. Bonus commentary addresses a complication: Do you have to love an abuser?

Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne discuss proper parenting, but specifically they focus on navigating the new educational year. This is part two of a two-part presentation.

Fr. Martin Johnson joins Fr. Nick and Dr. Roxanne again for the second part of a deeply honest and insightful conversation about America's national struggle with race.

Fr. Evan discusses verses 1-5 of Mark 16.

Fr. Evan discusses the calling of the Disciples

Fr. John gives an instructive comparison of two divergent worldviews.

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

Fr. Joseph looks back on 2009 episodes of the Orthodixie podcast (and can't believe he didn't get fired) and looks forward to more jabs at American Orthodoxy in 2010.

Fr Joseph reveals one of his Lenten pet peeves: “Do the best you can.” Do the best you can? Now brothers and sisters, that’s a recipe for failure. Heck, sinner that I am, the best I can is what has got me to where I am! We don’t give an inexperienced bunch of players a ball – with no practice whatsoever – and say, “Okay, it’s game time. Do the best you can.” No. We practice and practice and practice. We fall down, get back up; struggle to do better.

Fr. Anthony uses metaphors to help us understand what healthy parishes should and shouldn't look like. This is the second part of a talk he gave at the 2018 Lenten Retreat in Bethlehem PA hosted by the Ukrainian Orthodox League (UOC-USA) and The American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America. Enjoy the show!

In this cross-over episode, Fr. Anthony talks with his friend Pastor Michael Landsman, co-host of the Areopagus Podcast, about their CPE experiences, Fr. Anthony's transition to a new life, playing D&D, and how important it is for clergy to have (non-parishioner) friends in their lives for discernment and relaxed fellowship. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony reads the second chapter of St. John Chrysostom's On the Priesthood. The translation is by Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A., (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church Volume IX, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D.), lightly edited to take out some of the archaicisms (the mispronunciations are all Fr. Anthony, though!). 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!

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 examines Jesus's exhortation to "Take heed concerning covetousness" in Luke 12:14.

"In Homily 27, St. Isaac the Syrian speaks of two kinds of confidence. The first kind of confidence is what we generally mean when we say someone is confident. That is, the person is sure about what he or she is doing or saying. St. Isaac tells us that this kind of confidence is spiritually dangerous. It is dangerous because we live in an age of changeability, or 'ununiformity' as it is translated in the Holy Transfiguration edition of St. Isaac’s text. This ununiformity refers to the mutability or inconstancy we experience in this world. Things and people don't stay the same."

On October 8, we commemorate two Sts. Pelagia of Antioch. The first is a virgin martyr, and the second is a repentant harlot, sometimes referred to as St. Pelagia the former courtesan of Antioch.

To begin with, we must remind ourselves that salvation is a mystery, and that discerning principles and rules in the scriptures and self consciously applying them to ourselves is no guarantee that we will find salvation. In fact, it seems that this approach to seeking to discover and apply the correct formula or law to his life is exactly the approach used by the ruler who fails to find salvation.

In the first episode of part two of his four-part podcast "Paradise and Utopia," Fr. John Strickland, a professor of history at Saint Katherine Orthodox College, describes how Pope Nicholas I paved the way for the rapid development of the papal theory of empire.

We are astounded by paradoxical imagery in Revelation 5—the standing-slaughtered Lion-Lamb who is both in the midst of the throne, and in the midst of humanity. This assurance of Christ’s majesty and humility, God’s transcendence and immanence, is confirmed by the Trisagion of Isaiah 6, by God’s assurance to the prophet in Ezekiel 43, and by the perceptive commentary of a sixth century bishop who perceived the significance of Jesus’ double position. Jesus’ proper place with God and with us is the key to understanding the worship of Revelation 5, which we are called to join, for the sake of the whole creation.

Bearing the Saint, Chapter twenty-two ,by Donna Farley (Conciliar Press, 2010)

Keeper of the Light: Saint Macrina the Elder, Grandmother of Saints by Bev Cooke, illustrated by Bonnie Gillis (Conciliar Press, 2006), Chapters Two and Three.

Keeper of the Light: Saint Macrina the Elder, Grandmother of Saints by Bev Cooke, illustrated by Bonnie Gillis (Conciliar Press, 2006), Chapters twenty one and twenty two.

Stranger Moon, a novel by Heather Zydek, Chapter twenty-two (Moth Wing Press, 2012)

Stranger Moon, a novel by Heather Zydek, Chapters two and three (Moth Wing Press, 2012).

Children's Bible Reader, part two, 2006, Greek Bible Society, Scripture Quotations taken from Contemporary English Version, Copyright 1995, American Bible Society. Used by permission. Illustrations by Martha Kapetanakou-Xinopoulou. "Adam and Eve turn away from God" "Cain and Abel" "The wickedness of people destroys the earth"

Children’s Bible Reader, part twenty-two. 2006, Greek Bible Society, Scripture Quotations taken from Contemporary English Version, Copyright 1995, American Bible Society. Used by permission. Illustrations by Martha Kapetanakou-Xinopoulou. "David and Jonathan" "David saves Saul's life" "David the King" "David's Psalms"

Children’s Bible Reader, part thirty-two, 2006, Greek Bible Society, Scripture Quotations taken from Contemporary English Version, Copyright 1995, American Bible Society. Used by permission. Illustrations by Martha Kapetanakou-Xinopoulou. "Two of the disciples want the best places" "The Good Shepherd" "Jesus heals ten sick people" "Jesus heals the blind beggar" "Jesus comes to Zacchaeus" "Mary and Martha" "Lazarus"

St. Moses the Ethiopian, part two, written and illustrated by Fr. Jerome Sanderson (Christ the Saviour Brotherhood Publishing, 2002).

The Illustrated Life of the Theotokos for Children by Georgia and Helen Hronos, (Light and Life Publishing, 1990). This audio is only available until August 9, 2013.

The Nightmare Tree: A Tale of Mysterion, Chapter two by Richard Rene (Coteau Books for Kids, 2007).

The Nightmare Tree: A Tale of Mysterion, Chapter twenty-two, by Richard Rene (Coteau Books for Kids, 2007).

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Two, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

The Edge of Mysterion, Chapter Twenty Two, by Richard Rene (Conciliar Press, 2011)

"The Parable of the Two Sons" from The Parables of Christ by Spiritual Fragrance Publishing (2012)

Queen Abigail the Wise, Chapter Two, written and illustrated by Grace Brooks. Create Space (2015) Available on Amazon

Christmas at Pine Cottage, Chapter Two, by Renee Riva (Forget Me Not Romances, an imprint of Winged Publications, 2018). Available on Amazon

Vanessa The Wonderworker, Chapter Two, written and illustrated by Grace Brooks. Available on Amazon

Vanessa The Wonderworker, Chapter Twenty Two, written and illustrated by Grace Brooks. Available on Amazon

The Story of the Nativity of Christ by Vesna Nikchevich, Part Two. The Publishing House of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral (2001).

Fr. Ted laments the fact that the traditions of the Church are not passed down to the next generation with enough frequency.

There are two paths—a path of life and a path of death—and we need to make sure that we are on the right one when it is time to meet our Lord.

There are two types of oppression: that which is open and blatant, and that which is subtle and difficult to combat.

While the sins of Judas and Peter were the same, Judas chose to wallow in that sin and eventually kill himself.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos describes the difference between the Samaritans and the Jews which inform Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman, St. Photini.