In honor of Parenting Month at Ancient Faith, Raising Saints is flipping it around: instead of talking about how adults can feed the faith of children, we're considering the impact this process has on the parents, and the many ways in which raising saints can transform one into a saint.

"One of my big confusions during the first few years of my journey as an Orthodox Christian was caused by an assumption I had that words used by different Orthodox spiritual writers would refer to the same thing. It took me a few years and abundant consternation to finally figure out that, ... sometimes words take on slightly different meanings in one context than they have in another. Figuring this out the hard way cost me several years of headache wondering why apples sometimes looked more like oranges."

In one of his talks, St. Theophan speaks of the glories of life in a monastery and then he makes a the following statement: “Of course, many inconsistencies occur here, too…” Ah, there’s the rub. There’s the bit that throws us off, “many inconsistencies occur here, too.” And the saint says, “of course,” as though we should have never expected things to be consistent. But we do. We do expect things to be consistent and we are offended when they are not.

A catechumen once asked what he could do to get victory over bad dreams: especially lustful dreams that roused his passions and often led him into temptation. I told him that this is one of those aspects of life in a fallen body that must be resisted and endured. One of the ways Satan seeks to weary and wear out the saints (or those who strive to be holy) is through the constant going astray of our flesh. Our job is to resist and to return our attention to God and to whatever is good, true and beautiful. When we turn our attention to Jesus, then Jesus fights our battles. One of the desert fathers said that trying to confront our own wicked thoughts is like trying to drive off wild dogs by throwing biscuits at them. We end up feeding the very thing we are trying to drive away. But if we turn our attention to Jesus, to the One who saves, to the One who made us and loves us and calls us to Himself, then the barking of the dogs fades away into the background. Then Christ Himself fights our battles, and we return to our natural place as worshipers of God, as those whose minds and hearts are attending to the one thing needful.

Even as we strive to please God by disciplining ourselves and obeying His commands, we know that God loves us. We know that God will accept our striving for righteousness, even if we don’t do it very well, even if we fail. God is able to fix our mistakes. Therefore, like children striving to please a parent whom we know loves us completely, we offer what we have, what we can do, in a carefree way, knowing that 100% will never be enough to succeed completely all of the time, but it is enough to please God.

Fr. Michael Gillis answers the question of “how to overcome thoughts of pride in our hearts that inevitably come after labouring on good works for our families and people around us.”

The guys recently watched Forks Over Knives, a documentary about the dangers of meat consumption. Join Steve and Christian as they discuss the film, the cultural importance of food, and the sacramental nature of all things. They close with their Top 5 Meals of All Time.

This week, the guys take a look at NBC’s new hit show, This is Us. They discuss how men are portrayed in pop culture, the role of the virtuous person in a family, and the reality that families make us who we are. They close their conversation with their Top 5 Fictional Dads.

The guys read John Green’s new novel Turtles All the Way Down. They discuss the pain and reality of mental illness, the nature of personhood, and how love breaks through death. They close with their Top 5 YouTubers.

We must accept a kind of death in order to become our true selves—one that includes a rejection of legalism and self-justification.

Fr. Philip challenges us to respond in humble obedience to the resurrected Christ, following the example of the Myrrhbearers.

Our favorite sins drive us into the isolation of the wilderness, away from the healing power of Jesus. Once healed, the best witness to the transforming power of Christ is the personal story of those set free.

Fr. Philip LeMasters shares about the rich, foolish farmer. "The barn of the rich fool was a pagan temple in which he worshiped only himself. If we live according to the standards of our world of corruption, we will become just like him by seeking to lay up treasures for ourselves to the point that we will shut ourselves out of the new life that Christ has brought to the world."

As we celebrate the Exaltation of the Cross, let us examine ourselves to see if our lives appear foolish and scandalous by the standards of the world because of our faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

The veneration of icons should prod us all to wrestle with the question of who we are and who we want to become. Too often, however, we think that iconography simply has to do with wood and paint, and we ignore the question of whether we are becoming more beautiful icons of Christ. The icons are not merely examples of religious art, but reminders that to become truly human is to become like Jesus Christ, for He has healed the corruption of the human person that began with the first Adam.

There are many ways to view ourselves as human beings. All too often, we accept false definitions that we find appealing in light of our passions, weaknesses, and other forms of personal brokenness. When we do so, we set our sights too low, for the Savior became one of us in order to make us perfectly beautiful icons of His salvation.

We must remember who we are and find our true selves in Him, if we want to avoid the inevitable disintegration of personality and character that comes from slavery to our passions. Then we too will be able to obey with joy the Lord’s command to the formerly demon-possessed man: “Return to your home, and declare all that God has done for you.”

Let us prepare for the banquet through fasting, prayer, generosity, confession, and repentance, so that we will have the spiritual clarity to accept the great invitation that is ours in Christ Jesus.

St. Basil the Great, who gave away his great wealth to found philanthropic ministries for the sick and needy, taught that the Lord’s strict words to this man revealed his lack of love for his neighbors. Basil wrote that “Those who love their neighbors as themselves possess nothing more than their neighbor; yet surely, you seem to have great possessions! How else can this be, but that you have preferred your own enjoyment to the consolation of the many…For the more you abound in wealth, the more you lack in love.” The young ruler had laid up treasures for himself on earth and had given his heart to them. (Matt. 6: 19-21)

On the last couple of Sundays, our gospel readings have reminded us what not to do if we want to prepare to welcome Christ into our lives and world at His Nativity. The rich fool was so focused on money and possessions that he completely neglected the state of his soul. The rich young ruler walked away in sadness when it became clear that he loved his wealth more than God and neighbor. The weeks before Christmas are the most commercialized time of the year when we are all bombarded with messages that the good life is primarily about having a lot of money and being able to buy whatever we want. Since the Lord warned so clearly of the folly of giving our hearts to the false god of riches, it is sadly ironic that the celebration of His Nativity so often occurs in ways that contradict the blessedness of His Kingdom.

As we conclude our preparation for celebrating the Lord’s Nativity, we must resist the temptation to corrupt this blessed season into an excuse for glorifying ourselves in any way. Instead, we must allow our hopes for whatever we want in this life to be called into question by the God-Man, Who was born in such strange circumstances to fulfill a kingdom not of this world that stands in prophetic judgment over all our agendas, preferences, and desires. We must learn at Christmas to hope only in Him.

Fr. John speaks with Metropolitan Kallistos Ware about the importance of preaching, worship, and books in our call to evangelism. One of the books His Eminence recommends for those wanting to learn more about the Orthodox faith is For the Life of the World by Fr. Alexander Schmemann.

Fr. John reflects on the apostle/missionary—the Gaderene demoniac—as an image of the Resurrection.

Fr. John Parker reflects on the Myrrhbearing woman and the healing of the paralytic. There are two types of messages in sharing our faith: the preaching of Jesus as the Son of God and personal testimony of what God has done in our lives. He asks for listener feedback regarding this sentence describing the Myrrhbearers, "They went and told no one because they were afraid." What keeps us from boldly proclaiming Christ? (Email Fr. John at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/**/.)

Fr. John Parker shares reflections from Crete at the 2nd International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care. Learn more about the conference at http://pemptousia.com/2018/01/2nd-international-conference-on-digital-media-and-orthodox-pastoral-care-the-living-water-2/.

Fr. John Parker shares reflections from Crete at the 2nd International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care. He tells about St. Nikephorus the Leper. Learn more about St. Nikephorus at https://orthodoxwiki.org/Nicephorus_the_Leper. Learn more about the conference at http://pemptousia.com/2018/01/2nd-international-conference-on-digital-media-and-orthodox-pastoral-care-the-living-water-2/.

Fr. John Parker shares reflections from Crete at the 2nd International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care. He tells about Olga, a woman he met at the conference who is editor of the Russian magazine, Foma. Learn more about Foma. Learn more about the conference.

Fr. John Parker shares reflections from Crete at the 2nd International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care. He introduces Orthphoto.net. Learn more about the conference.

Consider how the prophet Isaiah and the sage ben Sirach help us to understand more about the gospel’s teaching on forgiveness, and St. Paul’s words on living the attentive life of ascesis. Why should we ask forgiveness of those whom we think we haven’t even hurt—because our sins hurt everyone in the body of Christ!

This week, as we approach Great Lent, Dr. Edith Humphrey helps us prepare our minds by focusing upon godly humility, as seen in Job, in the model laid out for Timothy by St. Paul, and in the well-known parable of the Publican and the Pharisee.

We read 1 Cor. 8:8-9:2 in the context of St. Paul’s larger discussion of our One LORD God, while looking back to Deuteronomy 6:4, the food regulations of Leviticus, and the words of Amos and Isaiah on formalism and idolatry. We also consider how this passage prepares us for a Holy Lent.

This week we take to heart Jesus’ strengthening words to the seer John, learning what it is to truly fear the Lord, how He is the beginning and the end of all things, and how our times are in His hands. (Rev. 1:17b-20, Genesis 1-3, Dan 10:7-12a; Isaiah 22:22; Psalm 31:14-17a/LXX 30:15-18a)

Today we read the fourth of the six Psalms recited by the priest at the beginning of Matins, Psalm 86 LXX/87 MT. With help from Joshua 2, John 4:14 and 7: 37-39, and Galatians 4:26-7, we unpack this psalm that celebrates the glory of Zion—a city founded by the LORD in the Old Testament, and that points towards an even more glorious heavenly city, to which we are called as citizens.

We read the rest of Azariah’s prayer, followed by a short narrative, found in Daniel 3:37-50, with the help of Psalm 50/51 and Ezra (in the OSB, 2 Ezra) 8:71-87. Azariah’s utter honesty and trust in the philanthropic LORD leads to God’s answer—His presence with them in the furnace, as Azariah and his friends offer the fruit of their lips.

Prepare, O Bethlehem: The Feast of the Nativity, illustrated for children by Niko Chocheli (St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2000)

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

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

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 three by Richard Rene (Coteau Books for Kids, 2007).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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