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Engaging with the Non-Orthodox: Reflections with Notes from the Church Fathers

Addressing alumni and seminarians at St. Tikhon's Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, during the year-opening retreat, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick challenges them to have conversations with the non-Orthodox and not to settle for falling into either polemic or compromise, showing how engagement is instead the traditional Orthodox patristic posture.




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The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand, So How Do I Repent? (Jan. 13, 2019)

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick unpacks the preaching of Christ and John the Forerunner—'Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand'—discussing what all of those terms really mean for everyday Christian life.




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The Power of Remembering Jesus Christ (Feb. 10, 2019)

Memory is powerful. And to a significant degree, it makes us what we are, shapes how we experience life, and influences what we do and say. And the acts of remembering that we engage in further shape us. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses all this in terms of St. Paul's admonition to St. Timothy to remember the risen Jesus Christ.




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The Prodigal Gets It Both Right and Wrong (Feb. 24, 2019)

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses the parable of the Prodigal Son, how he asks to return as a servant but is instead given sonship, expanding on this theme in terms of the ways in the spiritual life what we desire from God is often not what He is offering.




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When God Showed Up at the Meeting (July 14, 2019)

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.




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Which God Are You Sacrificing To? (July 21, 2019)

Using St. Paul's language about 'zeal not according to knowledge' (Rom. 10:2), Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick points out that our zeal is often for sacrificing to false gods, even when we may not see it that way, and gives direction on how to redirect that zeal for sacrifice toward the one true God Jesus Christ.




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We Are Training Ourselves for Selfishness (Aug. 4, 2019)

Every day, we make hundreds of small choices that train us for selfishness. How does that affect our behavior, and how do we train ourselves to be like Christ instead? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick explores some of our everyday experiences and what they mean for eternity.




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Leaving the City of Cain (Dec. 22, 2019)

Abraham is called by God out of Ur of the Chaldees, a descendant of the civilization founded by the first murderer Cain. Yet when he reached the Promised Land, he lived in tents. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses why and how this relates to Christmas and to us.




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Sin is Exile from the Kingdom (Jan. 19, 2020)

Using the Gospel of the Ten Lepers, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses how leprosy put the lepers outside society, how their healing has a purpose beyond physical health, and how that relates to the Kingdom of God and the immortality of its citizens.




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Thanksgiving

On today's show we discuss Thanksgiving with Fr. John Hopko and hear what you're thankful for. Theme song, "Burn Out Bright," by Switchfoot, used by permission.




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Transitions and New Beginnings

On today's show we discuss the transition to college and how to make a proper new beginning. Theme song, "Burn Out Bright," by Switchfoot, used by permission.




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Dorm Fasting

Tim explains how to fast while in college and shares a number of easy fasting recipes. See the PDF below for the recipes discussed in today's show.




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Lenten Podcast 2 - Dorm Fasting

Today, we continue our Lenten programming with tips on how to survive the Fast if you live on campus.




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Loving Our Enemies

Host Matthew Monos discusses what it means to love our enemies.




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Bearing God: St. Ignatius and Us

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick speaks at the OCF Mid-Atlantic Retreat.




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Orthodox Apologetics: Fasting

Mathew Monos once again interviews Fr. Brendan Pelphrey—this time about how to explain fasting.




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On the Waves: Searching for a Career

Dan and his guests discuss the process of preparing for life on the other side of the diploma.




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Being Lay People for Christ - Jason Catanese

How can we fully realize our Christian calling without being priests? Jason Catanese, a recent graduate and a schoolteacher in Phoenix, AZ, returns to College Conference East to reflect on how Christ’s light shines in his life.




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Sacramental Living with Fr. Paul Abernathy

Fr. Paul Abernathy of FOCUS speaks at OCF's College Conference East about what it actually means to lead a sacramental life. He asks what the word "sacrament" even means and shares personal stories from his ministry at FOCUS about the love and mercy of God.




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Come and See the Living Church with Fr. Timothy Hojnicki

Before we begin to talk about the physical buildings, we must first address the living stones. In his keynote address at College Conference East, Fr. Timothy Hojnicki asks what visitors will actually see when they come to an Orthodox parish.




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Taste and See the Living Church with Fr. Timothy Hojnicki

Part 2 of Fr. Timothy's talk at College Conference East addresses what our life in Christ can look like when we participate in the Church and how we can begin the discussion of talking about the Christ and His Church.




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Sacramental Living with Fr. Gabriel Bilas

Fr. Gabriel, priest at St. Mary Magdalene (OCA) in Fenton, MI speaks at College Conference Midwest about how to practically live a sacramental life by dissecting the Church's sacraments and how we draw closer to Christ through them.




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Looking Back

For 2017-2018's final OCF podcast, outgoing Student Leadership Board members, Chairman Emma Solak and Media Student Leader Daniel Bein, reflect on their time in college, thinking about how to live as Orthodox Christians on college campuses and what it means to be alive in Jesus Christ.




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Orthodox Apologetics: Explaining Orthodox and Catholic Differences

Original guilt, immaculate conception, the Filioque, papal authority: Sometimes it can be difficult to explain the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. OCF Student Media Leader Tasya Lysack and Fr. Brendan Pelphrey will be speaking about other Christian denominations for the next few episodes of Orthodox Apologetics, and today they discuss the answers to common questions our peers might ask us about the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.




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A Different Kind of Spring Break

Unsure what to do during your spring break this year? Tasya and OCF Real Break Student Leader Anna Sobchak discuss OCF's alternative spring break trips: Real Break. They consider the importance of these trips in a college student's career, and also discuss fundraising ideas and what's new for Real Break in 2018.




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On the Waves: Engaging the World

OCF Student Podcast Assistant Nathan Jekel is joined by Maria McClatchey and Andrew Abboud to discuss St. Matthew's account of Peter walking on the water and what it means for our Christian lives. Also in this episode, Nathan, Maria, and Andrew give a preview of the topics that they will be discussing on the program throughout the remainder of the academic year and ask listeners to send in questions to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/**/.




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All Stars: Discussing Servant Leadership with Athena Vlamis

"But whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant"- Matthew 20:26 The All-Stars series continues with guest Athena Vlamis, a senior at Kennesaw State University and Georgia District Student Leader for OCF. In this podcast, Tasya and Athena talk about Athena's leadership role in a new Pan-Orthodox initiative, the Connect Conference. The college seniors also discuss servant leadership, using our talents for the glory of God, the role of young adults in the church, the foundation OCF has laid in their lives, the importance of living as an Orthodox in day-to-day life, and more.




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Parish Life (Part 1): Embracing Your Parish—with Michelle Ibrahim

Tasya interviews Michelle Ibrahim, a grad student in theology who recently became the youth director in the same parish where she was raised. Michelle and Tasya talk about the importance of embracing your parish-even when you're a young adult. They discuss the importance of developing strong relationships in the Church, getting involved in the various ministries offered in the Church, but most importantly, maintaining a spiritual life.




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On the Waves: Almsgiving

Nathan, Maria, and Andrew discuss the topic of almsgiving and answer a listener question in the inaugural On the Waves mailbag segment. Listeners are asked to send in questions to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/**/!




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All-Stars: Taking a Leap of Faith—with Quinn Marquardt

February's All-Stars feature is Quinn Marquardt, the OCF Mountain Student Leader. Tasya and Quinn discuss how taking a leap of faith and getting involved with OCF--both at the chapter level and by joining the Student Leadership Board--has transformed their college experience.




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All Stars: When OCF Work is Discouraging—with Naim Mekdessi and Rachel Sierra

Tasya interviews Rachel Sierra and Naim Mekdessi—two students who have been active throughout their college years in OCF's South Region. The three college seniors discuss dealing with chapter elections, what it means to be District Leaders and chapter presidents, how they handle discouragement in OCF work, and more.




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“My OCF Story” Featuring Caroline Retzios, the SLB Chairman

Kassiani Mamalakis interviews Caroline Retzios on her OCF Story and journey as an Orthodox Christian.




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Be Loved: Living Like John the Evangelist & Theologian

How can we see and share love on a college campus? Hear as OCF Student Leadership Board members share their thoughts about love. Danielle brings it all together with a discussion of "the disciple whom Jesus loved", the holy Apostle and Evangelist John.




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Exploring the Relevance of St. Morwenna's Journey to Our Lives with Laura Jansson

In this episode, Danielle speaks about St. Morwenna with Laura Jansson, contributor to the book Seven Holy Women. They discuss the significance of prayer, vulnerability, and struggle within the faith, and how we can apply lessons from St. Morwenna's life to our own Orthodox journey.




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Preparing for Lent, with Fr. Timothy Hojnicki

In today’s episode, Danielle and Fr. Timothy discuss the stories of the Canaanite Women and Zacchaeus. They talk about great faith and begin to elaborate on a main theme of lent: humility.




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Preparing for Lent: The Publican and The Pharisee

In this episode, Danielle and Fr. Timothy get deep into understanding humility and its importance for our Lenten journey.




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Preparing for Lent: The Prodigal Son

In this episode, Danielle and Fr. Timothy continue on the Pre-Lenten journey by drawing connections between our repentance and God’s compassion and love for mankind.




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Preparing for Lent: Judgement Sunday

In this episode, Danielle and Fr. Timothy explore how Judgement can bring us closer to Christ as we embark on journey towards Lent




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Surviving College - Part 1

In today's kick-off episode, we listen to part one of a talk by Fr. Kevin Scherer. We also peek into OCF's future and go over our dreams for the podcast and how you can dream with us. Theme music: "Burn Out Bright" by Switchfoot from their 2006 album "Oh! Gravity." Used by permission of the band.




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Surviving College - Part 2

In today's episode, we listen to part two of a talk by Fr. Kevin Scherer. Theme music: "Burn Out Bright" by Switchfoot, used by permission.




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Finding Peace During Finals

Today, we have an interview with Dr. Al Rossi on how to find peace in college life, especially during finals time. Theme music: "Burn Out Bright" by Switchfoot from their 2006 album "Oh! Gravity." Used by permission.




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Beginning Lent: Sunday of Orthodoxy

In the final episode of the six-week series, Danielle and Fr. Timothy examine the Triumph of Orthodoxy through iconography, and conclude the series with some Lenten advice for young adults.




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Preparing for Lent: Forgiveness Sunday

In this episode, Danielle and Fr. Timothy discuss the liberation found in humbly forgiving ourselves and others before Christ.




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Reliving Real Break

On this week's episode, Danielle learns more about the Real Break experiences of two members of the OCF Student Leadership Board, Evan Roussey and Elias Anderson. They recount where they went, the communities they both developed and were introduced to, as well as lessons that they took away from their trips




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Loving Creation - Part 2

Having been born in the image of God, we strive to achieve His likeness - becoming one with Him. And our relationship with His creation is a part of that spiritual development.




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Loving Creation - Part 1

Matthew begins a series exploring the spiritual aspect of environmentalism by asking, "Why does God create?"




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Bearing a Cross

At the mid-point of Great Lent, the Church inspires our efforts with Christ's Holy Cross. Matthew uses this opportunity to reflect on our own crosses.




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Living Faith

Matthew is sick this week so we will take a break from his series on sacraments to present a short feature from our archives.




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Discovering The Will Of God - Part 1

Matthew just returned from Alaska where he spoke at Eagle River Institute on the topic of Discovering the Will of God. His next few episodes will feature that lecture.




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Discovering The Will Of God - Part 2

This is part 2 of Matthew's 4 part lecture delivered at Eagle River in Alaska.