This is a recording of a presentation Fr. Ted gave at the annual clergy retreat.

Fr. Ted explains why it is important to mark the liturgical time of the Church year, especially the first day on September 1.

Fr. Ted reflects upon the call to "seek first the Kingdom of God," particularly as we raise our children.

Fr. Ted discusses what it means to partake of the body of Christ.

Fr. Ted addresses the sacrament of confession and its healing and communal properties.

Fr. Ted shares the story of St. Fanourios and reflects upon the Gospel reading about Jesus' interaction with the Rich Young Ruler.

Fr. Ted leads a Lenten Retreat at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Ocean, NJ. In this first session Fr. Ted delivers a talk on how Orthodox Christians are called to use the contemplation of their own death, using the Lenten season, to prepare for their birth into eternity.

In this second session Fr. Ted discusses how the Holy Sacraments of the Church prepare us for our own deaths and allow us to truly see life through the passion.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos explains the connection between anxiety and striving after the things of this world, rather than the Kingdom of Heaven.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos explains the Synodal System within the Orthodox Church.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos introduces us to the beginning of the triodion, the three-week season of preparation for the fasting of Great Lent.

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

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos challenges us to consider our own preconceptions about God and how we live in relation to our belief in God.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos invites us to consider the reality of our sin and our need for repentance.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos shares the story of Fr. Nicola Yanney, of blessed memory, as he calls us to pursue life in Christ even in the face of danger and illness.

Questions evangelicals want to ask the Eastern Orthodox, with Fr. Michael Reagan.

Continuing the discussion with Fr. Michael Reagan, about questions evangelicals have for the Orthodox.

Kevin and Steve interview Fr. Wayne about some hard to ask questions about Lent.

Fr. Ted Pulcini, ex-Roman Catholic and now Eastern Orthodox priest and long-time Orthodox participant in Orthodox-Catholic ecumenical dialog, discusses the Vatican's recent document on the doctrine on the Church. He and Kevin Allen discuss the timing of its publication, what it really means, what it says about the current and future state of relations between the two oldest branches of Christianity, and what the divisive issues are.

Why are 'sub-culture' youth embracing Orthodox Christianity? Find out in this interview with "Death to the World" 'zine editors and converts, John Valadez and Marina Crissman!

He served in war-torn Bosnia and Kenya before he turned 40! Now he heads Orthodoxy’s largest charitable and humanitarian aid organization – International Orthodox Christian Charities. Meet Constantine M. Triantifilou, IOCC’s Executive Director, as he speaks about a career and vocation of service. (Don’t hold it against him – he’s also a Boston Red Sox fan!)

Orthodox churches in America are separated into multiple ‘jurisdictions’ based on ethnic-national lines. Antiochian priest Fr Josiah Trenham (PhD.) speaks frankly and passionately about the subject and its implications, both spiritual and pastoral. Everyone may not agree with his perspective, but it raises important questions for the future of Orthodoxy in America!

Today Kevin's guest host on the program is Father Steve Tsichlis, Senior Pastor of Saint Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine, California. Fr Steve's special guest for this exclusive Illumined Heart interview is His Eminence, Metropolitan KALLISTOS [Ware]. Their topic is: UNDERSTANDING THE SACRAMENTS. Saint Paul’s recently hosted His Eminence, Metropolitan KALLISTOS to Southern California, for a two-day, packed-house seminar to the general public titled, “Drawing Closer to the Savior: The Sacramental Life”. CD’s of this seminar are available for purchase by calling St Paul’s Church Office at 949.733.2366. You can also contact them on St Pauls’ website: www.stpaulsirvine.org.

If you missed it the first time, here is another opportunity to hear this very frank and open conversation with Charles Ajalat, the Chancellor of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese in North America. It is about an hour long but worth the investment of your time!

Dr Bradley Nassif, a “pioneer of Orthodox-Evangelical Dialogue” talks with host Kevin Allen about “where things are” formally and informally between The Orthodox Church and Evangelical Christians. Kevin asks the question: “What is an Evangelical?”

In this episode, Kevin and Father Steven C. Kostoff discuss two views of the afterlife that separate the New Age/Eastern/Gnostic from the central historic Christian belief.

Meet Father Paisius Altschul, the priest of Saint Mary of Egypt Serbian Orthodox Church and the Executive Director of Reconciliation Services/FOCUS Kansas City. Kevin speaks with Father Paisius about his community’s unique ministry of racial reconciliation and ministry to the poor and homeless in the inner city of Kansas City. (USA).

Listen to part 2 of Kevin's interview with Fr. James Early

In this two-part interview, ex-Baptist seminary graduate and missionary to Bosnia, now Orthodox priest, Fr James Early, recounts with Illumined Heart host Kevin Allen the circumstances under which he had to face and eventually reject core Baptist-Evangelical tenets and come to accept the faith handed down once and for all to the Saints. His book is called From Baptist to Byzantium.

We ask His Eminence about the role of nationalism and ethnicity in the Orthodox Church.

Mother Melania, stavrophor (little schema) nun at St. Barbara Monastery, Santa Paula, California and author of the series, "The Twelve Great Feasts for Children", and the series, "The 3-Day Pascha" (for Great and Holy Friday, Great and Holy Saturday, and Pascha) discusses purity (and impurity) of heart and overcoming the passions.

In this episode, the microphone is turned as AFR General Manager and founder John Maddex interviews host Kevin Allen on the catechism module he developed (with his priest's blessing) specifically for inquirers coming from New Age and Eastern spiritual backgrounds. Is the entrance of New Age and Eastern seekers perhaps a trend the Church needs to prepare for? Are the issues, concerns, and paradigms of these seekers the same as those inquiring from Evangelical backgrounds? Must the catechist know something about New Age and Eastern religions in order to catechize effectively? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in this program. You may download an attachment of the course outline here.

Kevin Allen talks with Fr. Peter Gillquist about the status of Orthodox Evangelism and the Church in America.

Fr. Jim Kordaris, Director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Outreach and Evangelism, speaks candidly about how the GOA understands “Orthodox evangelism” in America, whether it is committed to growth outside of its ethnic heritage, the role of "Hellenism" in the GOA's evangelistic strategy, and whether he sees the GOA playing a vital role in bringing Orthodoxy to America.

A fascinating interview with Fr. Gregory Hogg, an Antiochian priest in Western Michigan. Fr. Gregory was a Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor and professor for 22 years before coming to Orthodoxy. He also recently spoke at the Faith of our Fathers colloquium for Lutherans on Eastern Orthodoxy and his lecture along with many others are available for download on Ancient Faith Radio.

Today we're going to be talking about the veneration of Mary and the Saints in the Holy Tradition. This topic is often misunderstood and can be a stumbling block for inquirers. Our guest is Father Patrick Henry Reardon, Pastor of All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois, Sr. Editor of Touchstone Magazine and author of Christ in the Saints.

In this edition Kevin tackles the tricky question of which Christian tradition can authentically claim "apostolic succession," with historian, theologian, author, and Dean of St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Fr John Behr.

Orthodox pro-life advocate, author, and Martha and Mary House Director/Housemother Sarah Elisabet Oftedal talks with Kevin about the impact abortion has had on our culture, the lingering trauma on women (and families) who have had them, and what Martha and Mary House—the U.S.'s only Orthodox maternity home—is doing about it.

In the opening program of a new series of interviews, Dr. Bradley Nassif, theologian, author and life-long member of the Antiochian Archdiocese in North America, speaks about the "The Nature and Mission of the Bishop in the Orthodox Church". You can also read Dr Nassif's one-page piece referred to in the interview from the Antiochian website.

In episode 5, Andrew continues to explore the transformation of our desires and how that relates to addiction. Click HERE for a transcript.

Andrew reminds us that we can use our creativity in cooperation with God’s creative power or we can use it apart from God. Read the transcript HERE.

The holy icon defines for us what an image should be. But pornography is an anti-icon because it breaks the link between the image and the archetype and replaces it with a link between image and fantasy. Read the transcript HERE.

We live in a world of broken reality, of mere facts that exist without the truth of love and communion. The holy icon draws us into communion. Pornography cuts us off from communion. Transcript is available HERE.

In the next 4 episodes, Andrew gets very practical on ways to find our way out of addiction. Part 1 asks "How Do We Live?" Read a transcript HERE.

Andrew tells us that will power and relying on ourselves is an ineffective strategy for dealing with addiction to pornography. Read the transcript HERE.

Today Andrew continues his practical advise for freeing ourselves from addiction by offering St. Theophan's four spiritual weapons for our contimplation . Read the transcript HERE.

St Theophan tells us that “the four weapons of which we have spoken receive their power from the forces and gifts of grace, obtained for us by the blood of Christ.” And the mystery of holy communion “is Christ’s blood itself, and His flesh itself, in which Christ is Himself present as God.” Find the transcript HERE.