Elissa discusses Orthodox marriage and parenting, focusing particularly on how both involve dying to self.

Elissa talks with Dan Bein from Orthodox Christian Fellowship about this important ministry for college students.

Fr. Michael talks about how we take on responsibility for fixing others. "Peace does not come once we figure out how to heal our problems and the problems of those around us. That's backwards. Our problems and the problems of those around us will be healed as we acquire peace."

Fr. Michael begins a two-part series on discussing the comparison between vocations: marriage, monasticism, and singleness.

Fr. Michael follows up last week's podcast ("Error to the Right") with a discussion about the warning to the Laodicean Christians to not be lukewarm (Revelation 3). "We are all sick, blind, naked, wretched, but it's only the lukewarm who don't think they are."

Fr. Michael shares reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held this past weekend at Antiochian Village. This is Part 1.

Fr. Michael shares reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held earlier this month at Antiochian Village. This is Part 2.

Fr. Michael shares reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held earlier this month at Antiochian Village. This is Part 3.

Fr. Michael shares reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held earlier this month at Antiochian Village. This is Part 4.

Fr. Michael shares reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held last month at Antiochian Village. This is Part 5.

Fr. Michael concludes his reflections from his presentation on Theosis at the Orthodox Institute, held last month at Antiochian Village. This is Part 6. Here is a link to the written text of his presentation: holynativity.blogspot.com/2014/11/st-isaacs-three-degrees-of-knowledge.html.

Young people, my daughters included, often say that there are no good candidates among the Orthodox Christians they know. I understand this problem. Often Orthodox Christian churches are small and choices are limited.

Continuing in homily 42, St. Isaac gives us another warning. When you find unchanging peace, that is, when everything is going smoothly for you most of the time, then “beware: you are very far from the divine paths trodden by the weary feet of the saints. For as long as you are journeying in the way to the city of the Kingdom and are drawing nigh to the city of God, this will be a sign for you: the strength of the temptations that you encounter. And the nearer you draw nigh and progress, the more temptations will multiply against you.”

Patience, according to St. Isaac the Syrian, can cut in half the adversity and affliction one experiences in trials, regardless of the source.

There are some in the Orthodox Tradition who have said that married couples should abstain from sexual relations during lenten periods. Some have gone so far as to say that this is the teaching of the Church. I am not an expert on such things, so I will not venture an opinion on whether or not it is the teaching of the Church or whether or not it is merely pious opinion. However, since someone has asked me about it, I will share some of my thoughts about it. Follow the blog at blogs.ancientfaith.com/prayingintherain/2016/03/marriage-sex-lent

Too often we say that we love the sinner but hate the sin; however in practice, I don’t think the sinners can tell the difference. May God help us to care for the bodily needs and to lovingly honour our neighbours, especially those we disagree with, and let us strive in appropriate measure to be diligent in our life of prayer and in our ascetic disciplines so that even without a word we may influence our neighbour to turn from what is evil to what is beautiful.

If we do not work on that relationship, if we do not nurture longing for God, if we do not take the time to nurture our inner life, then we also grow apart from God. We are still baptized, still joined to Christ, but growing apart we become bored with God, our longing wanders to more exciting possibilities; and if we are not careful, God become a stranger, even an enemy to us. And this, perhaps, is what hell is like: to be joined to God, yet be bored with Him; to go to your own wedding, despising your fiance; to spend eternity knowing that you ignored for a lifetime the God who loves you so much that he allows you even to ignore His love.

In Orthodox Christian marriage, the wife is the queen, crowned and exalted at the head of the household; however, she is also the intercessor, standing submissively behind her husband, receiving his full attention and quietly interceding on behalf of the household. In this image is revealed the mystery of Christ and the Church, the mystery of the miraculous transformation of water into wine, of what is natural into what is above nature, of what is merely human into what is divine.

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.

After my last blog post, John commented that the burning of Churches in Canada calls for “Christian outrage” now, while love and forgiveness can wait until after the crimes have been investigated and resolved. I can honestly say that I know how John feels. In fact, I will go so far as to say that until one feels outrage, one can’t honestly love and forgive. Outrage is a natural human response to outrageous acts—like burning down a Church. If one does not begin by feeling a certain amount of outrage, then I would wonder if that person is actually in touch with reality. Outrage is a natural, merely human emotion.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins a discussion on 1 Corinthians Chapter 1.

Fr. Stephen De Young continues his talk about 1 Corinthians Chapter 1.

Fr. Stephen De Young dives into a discussion of Chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians.

Fr. Stephen De Young finishes his discussion on 1 Corinthians Chapter 2 and begins looking at Chapter 3.

Fr. Stephen De Young finishes Chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians and starts into Chapter 4.

Fr. Stephen De Young finishes Chapter 4 of 1 Corinthians.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins discussing Chapter 5 of St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians.

Fr. Stephen De Young continues his discussion about Chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians.

Fr. Stephen De Young talks about Chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins a talk on 1 Corinthians Chapter 7.

Fr. Stephen De Young finishes his thoughts on Chapter 7 of 1 Corinthians and begins talking about Chapter 8.

Fr. Stephen De Young welcomes us back after a short break, and begins discussing Chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians.

Fr. Stephen De Young continues and concludes his discussion of 1st Corinthians, Chapter 9.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins his discussion of 1 Corinthians, Chapter 10.

Fr. Stephen De Young concludes his discussion from the week previous about 1 Corinthians, Chapter 10.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins his discussion of 1 Corinthians, Chapter 11.

Fr. Stephen De Young finishes his discussion on St. Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 11.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins a discussion on Chapter 12 of St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, verses 1-22.

Fr. Stephen De Young finishes up his discussion on 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 and moves forward to talk about Chapter 13.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins a discussion on St. Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 14.

Fr. Stephen De Young continues discussing St. Paul's First letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 14 with verse 22.

Fr. Stephen De Young begins discussing Chapter 15 from St. Paul's 1st epistle to the Corinthians.

Fr. Stephen De Young continues talking about 1 Corinthians Chapter 15 starting with verse 9.

Fr. Stephen De Young continues his discussion on 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, beginning with verse 10.

Fr. Stephen De Young carries on with 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15, talking about how it is the climax of St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians.

Fr. Stephen De Young picks up where he left off in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15.

Fr. Stephen De Young wraps up Chapter 15 of St. Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians.

Fr. Stephen De Young starts a new discussion on St. Paul's 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 16.

Fr. Stephen De Young finishes his discussion on 1 Corinthians with Chapter 16.

Fr. Stephen De Young introduces St. Paul's 2nd Letter to the Corinthians, which is not technically his second letter to the people of Corinth.