Reflections written by Fr. Nicolaie for the Sixth Sunday of Luke: the story of the farmer who wanted to build more barns.

When someone is in need, they seek to be listened to, to be heard by a heart that cares about their story and about the injustice done.

In the heart of every prodigal son, at the time of prayer, God prepares a real place ready to offer hospitality to the one that is wounded.

St. Gregory Palamas believed in beholding through prayer the uncreated energies of God. A young volunteer reveals to the community that this is not one quick event that pierces the soul. It is rather an encounter for the whole day.

Healing happens within the community in different ways, and at times it is given to us to witness little miracles. In the end it heals us all, in our heart. And this is the real miracle.

Today's episode addresses spiritual warfare, demon dishwashers, Palm Sunday as a fish, wine and oil day and the wisdom of Fr. Alexander Schmemann.

If you’re tempted to reach for a spoon and your favorite ice cream instead of your latest 401K statement, you’re not alone. This week Martha takes a look at comfort food and the built-in safety measures the church gives us.

Just as there are different degrees of vegetarianism, there are varying degrees of our spiritual commitment in the Orthodox faith. In this episode, Martha looks at these levels from her perspective, as a convert to Orthodox Christianity. She instructs us to encourage one another as we complete our Lenten journey.

Martha describes a program hosted by her local library that accepts food items as payment for library fines in support of a neighborhood food bank.

Chris Person compiled a list of active forums, grouped by subject area, hosted outside of the major platforms #

The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel's clearheaded "endorsement of democracy, solving problems, and Kamala Harris" #

the BBS goes read-only on Friday, replaced by Substack comments, and the community is not happy #

grateful to Mia Sato for staying on this beat, which affects so many smaller sites I care about #

he has an extraordinary memory, reliving the stories behind a beautifully simple song #

the incredible web-based Mac/NeXT system emulator somehow keeps getting better #

they're asking people not to access NYT games or cooking apps until it's over, so give up that Wordle streak #

inflation was a painful global phenomenon, and every ruling party was punished for it regardless of political leanings #

How important is it for the people to be there when the Divine Liturgy starts?

Fr. Lawrence laments the pervasive lessons taught today on gender and hearkens to the Song of Solomon.

I know a man in Christ who prays for Marilyn Monroe every day as a part of his prayers for all the departed. He doesn’t pray for her under her stage-name of “Marilyn” though. He prays for her under her real name of “Norma Jeane”, the name given her by her mother and under which she was once baptized by (of all people) the evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson while under the foster care of a very fundamentalist family.

Commenting on the epistle reading of Paul to the Colossians, the Very Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur concentrates on the idea that the passions we struggle with also lead us into idolatry. For “when Christ who is our life appears,” we either die to the passions, or we choose them over Him.This is a battle which happens in our hearts every day, as Christ has already appeared to us through our baptism, and continues to appear to us through our every encounter with Him spiritually and physically in the sacraments and the body of the Church.

As reported in the Byzantine Texas blogsite, the Ecumenical Patriarch is calling for a unified observance of Easter by next year, 2025, to coincide with the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea. In a sermon he said, “We beseech the Lord of Glory that the forthcoming Easter celebration next year will not merely be a fortuitous occurrence, but rather the beginning of a unified date for its observance by both Eastern and Western Christianity.” Patriarch Bartholomew went on to declare that it was “a scandal to celebrate separately the unique event of the one Resurrection of the One Lord”.

The feast of the Ascension is a feast of comfort and consolation for the people of God. But it can for some people represent a stumbling block. Looking at the ascension of Christ as it is narrated in Scriptures, does the Church then really believe that accepting the Ascension also involves accepting a literal three-storey universe?

I have recently come across the teaching that Orthodox Christians should not pray for non-Orthodox. I cannot cite the details of who-where-when, so perhaps I am misunderstanding what is being said. But the concern to differentiate Orthodox from non-Orthodox in our intercessory prayers is real enough: I have been in one Orthodox Church where the list in the narthex on which one could write names to be prayed for in the Litany of Fervent Supplication has separate columns for Orthodox and non-Orthodox. I know of another church where some parishioners write down the names and then add “(non-Orthodox)” after them. What are we to make of this? Are there such requirements made on liturgical prayer?

Recently I have come across an anti-Orthodox polemic which rejects our veneration of icons on the grounds that venerating an image painted on a board of Christ, His Mother, or His saints is contrary to the practice of the apostles and of the earliest Church. The objection is stated with some sophistication, and is not the usual fundamentalist reference to the Mosaic Law’s proscription of carved statues used in worship (e.g. Exodus 20:4f). This more sophisticated objection acknowledges that there were indeed images of Christ, His Mother, and His saints used in the early Church such as can be found in the funerary art of the catacombs and on the walls of churches (such as that of Dura Europos). But, it points out, there is no evidence that these images functioned as anything more than mere decoration. That is, the people did not come up to the wall to kiss the wall art or venerate the images.

Fr. Apostolos addresses Christ's triumph through the elevation of the Cross.

Fr. Apostolos talks about God's mercy.

Fr. Apostolos Hill speaks on the theme of the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise and how we acquire a thirst for the Kingdom.

Fr. Apostolos Hill speaks about the Hymn of Kassiani's retelling of the sinful woman who wept her tears of repentance over the feet of Christ and of Jesus' retort to Simon, "He who is forgiven little, loves little...." He also tells about the life and love of St. Mary of Egypt.

Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a homily on this Sunday's Gospel reading, an examination from Holy Scripture of the nature of true healing.

Sermon on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman (John 4:5-42)

Sermon on the Seventh Sunday of Pascha (John 17:1-13)

Sermon on the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Ephesians 2:14-22; Luke 13:10-17)

Sermon on the Sunday After the Theophany (Ephesians 4:7-13; Matthew 4:12-17)

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Sermon on the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (I Corinthians 9:2-12; Matthew 18:23-35)

Sunday before the Beginning of the Great Fast

Forgiveness is at the heart of the gospel message and Christian experience. As Christians living in the community of faith, we are called to share all things in common. Fr Tom explains that this includes sharing the mercy and compassion with one another that we first received from Christ. (Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost)

Asking for mercy from God is at the heart of the Church's prayer. Fr Tom teaches us that that two seeminly opposing attitudes, humility and boldness, are necessary to continually approach the throne of God. (Thirty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost - The Canaanite Woman)