Joseph, a priest, is called. The question is: Is he guilty?

Fr Joseph rants and runs for cover—raising concerns, but not hands (please).

Fresh from the Antiochian Clergy Symposium on "Medicine, Theology, and Healing," Fr. Joseph shares his thoughts on Jesus' healing of the paralytic, and that which matters most.

Fr. Joseph says, "I'll have you all know that I took time out from reading Scripture, visiting the sick, and saying my prayers to record this podcast—now with more banjo!"

Fr. Joseph was with Fr John Salem and the good folks at St Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Church, Oklahoma City, the fourth week of Lent. Here's a short excerpt from the two-day retreat.

As the following game show reveals, some of your favorite Bible verses might not be in the Bible!

This ecumenical Thanksgiving tale has developed over the years—in large part thanks to AFR listeners. Enjoy!

You ever had a wreck with the bishop in the car? Yeah, well, lemme tell ya before he does: I have!

The Great Commission just doesn't apply to us, right?

Children, parents and grandparents - whatever condition we find ourselves in, God knows and understands.

Today, Fr. Joseph is reading his fan mail and coming across some interesting questions!

No matter what you call your grandparents, go to Church Camp, write home, and beware the Mama Eater.

This week's podcast is taken from the book, "One Flew Over the Onion Dome" – any similarities to your own parish, bishop or jurisdiction is purely intentional. Orthodoxy not available in all states. In your area, it may only be available in a foreign language – in which case, your mileage may vary …

Fr. Joseph encounters Bible floppers, hip-hoppers, and mountain toppers in his quest to discover ... What It Takes.

Fr. Joseph recounts holding Easter colored chicks... holding a BB gun, his eye on a sparrow... and later, standing outside in the rain wearing a ball cap, oven mitts and holding a napkin-covered lacrosse stick, chanting, "Here birdie, birdie, birdie." Yes, this week's podcast is for the birds.

This episode includes an interview with Benedict Sheehan, the Director of Music at St. Tikhon's Seminary and the author of The Music Stand blog with Ancient Faith. He shares his thoughts on the state of our music and makes suggestions on how to improve it.

In this episode, Fr. Alexander Webster, the Dean of Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary and a retired Army Chaplain, shares his thoughts on the challenges of the priesthood and describes how Holy Trinity prepares men for it. Enjoy the show!

A priest friend of mine likes to say, "We may not have many, but we have them all!" In this episode, I describe some the of the things that make it hard for priests and laity to see eye-to-eye and try to make the case that it really is okay not to like everything about your priests or parishes in order to love, serve, and support them. (Please note that I am NOT defending pathological or abusive parishioners and priests; we deal with those rare situations in other episodes). Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony interviews Fr. John Peck, the Dean of Great Marty Euphemia Orthodox Theological Academy. Fr. John shares his assessment of the biggest challenges Orthodox parishes face in America and the ways that this new academy seeks to help them face them. The academy is not designed to replace seminary education or compete with traditional Orthodox seminaries. Rather, it is designed to fill a real need Fr. John and other priests have found in their ministries: the equipping of the saints for ministry.

Fr. Anthony interviews Fr. Geoffrey about the Orthodox School of Theology at Trinity College (trinityorthodox.ca) and how it trains Orthodox Christian clergy, theologians, teachers, and other co-workers of God to serve. Because of its relationship with the University of Toronto, other local seminaries, and Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Mission, it is able to combine serious academic, theological, and practical education. Fr. Geoffrey has a wonderful perspective on ministry that I am sure you will love. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony interviews Met. Antony, the rector of St. Sophia's, about his path to the episcopacy, the primary challenges the Orthodox face in America, and how St. Sophia's trains priests to address those challenges. The culture at St. Sophia's is designed to help reinvigorate the sense of parish as a healthy family, with the priest as that family's spiritual father. He laments the distance that has grown between parishioners and between parishioners and their priests, but says that he has already begun to see the first fruits of St. Sophia's pastoral focus in the form of vibrant church communities led and loved by well-formed priests. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Cyril Jenkins, PhD., Director of the St. Basil Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture at Eastern University, shares his thoughts on the challenges Orthodox Christians face in America and how intentionally Orthodox educational institutions - like the St. Basil Center and the St. Constantine School - can help them grow in Christ and evangelize America. He also talks about his current project: bringing a St. Constantine School campus to the Lehigh Valley. Fr. Anthony finishes by encouraging people to consider moving to the Lehigh Valley so that they can benefit from and contribute to the wonderful pan-Orthodox culture there.

In this episode, Fr. Anthony and Fr. Harry talk about one of the Demons of Noonday: self doubt. They point out the role that participation in the Divine Liturgy can have in diagnosing and overcoming it and encourage anyone who is suffering from pernicious self doubt to spend more time with their supportive brothers in the priesthood.

Join Fr. Anthony next to his back porch in Hartwell, Georgia, as he talks with scientist, theologian, professor, Associate Dean, and evangelist, Gayle Woloschak, PhD, DMin (Northwestern University) about COVID, vaccines, and discernment. This is a recording of Fr. Anthony's livestream. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony interviews Fr. John Whiteford about some of the many joys he has found serving and glorifying God in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Fr. John is the rector of St. Jonah Orthodox Church in the Houston area (saintjonah.org) and he blogs at his parish website and at fatherjohn.blogspot.com. Fr. John has a great love of the Gospel and sharing it with everyone. That joy is contagious. Enjoy the show!

Join Fr. Anthony and Fr. Harry as they talk about how artificially romanticizing the Golden Age of the Councils contributes to the polarization of our communities, how politics are the new idolatry, and why it is so easy to anathematize heretics over vaccines and masks. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory Jensen about motivated reason and the consequences of mixing micro and macro domains. They suggest that our increasing tribalism is exacerbated of confusing pastoral and public communications - something that is all but impossible to avoid on social media. Enjoy the show!

Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Gregory about scientific theories about the origin of thoughts and how the Orthodox understanding covers and improves on them both theologically and practically. This should not be surprising as Orthodoxy grounds anthropology within the fullness of the faith and monastic wisdom is the practical fruit of this theology as it has been lived, developed, and preserved for many generations. Enjoy the show!

Elissa explains how to help children who struggle with doubt about the existence of God.

The Sunday of Orthodoxy offers us an opportunity to discuss with our kids the Orthodox understanding of the materiality of this world and its potential for holiness.

Elissa reminds us that the body of Christ is a living organism, and we remove pieces of it to the detriment of the whole.

Elissa reminds us that it is our job to make our free will line up with God's will.

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

Elissa talks with Alisa Rakich-Brooks, author of Let There Be Light, the first in a new series of Orthodox children's books, about how our children are experiencing the relationship between religion and science and steps we might take to frame scientific inquiry in an Orthodox light.

Elissa takes a look at a question from a friend: How do we handle it when an older child doesn't want to go to church? Can't we just worship from home? Why does it matter and how do you teach that?

Fr. Michael gives some answers to the age-old question of why life is hard.

Fr. Michael uses the examples of the Prodigal Son and the Wise Thief to talk about unity and freedom.

Fr. Michael answers the familiar question, "If God is real, why isn't it obvious to everyone?"

Fr. Michael shares helpful words for the beginning of Great Lent from Chapter 21 of the Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian.

Fr. Michael shares from St. Isaac the Syrian. "St. Isaac advises us that when we find ourselves confronting either tedium or despondency, we need to call to mind why we are doing what we are doing. Why do I pray? Why do I read my bible? Why do I do any spiritual discipline that I do? I do it because I desire the hidden, spiritual realities. I desire to know God. St. Isaac tells us that we must allow this desire to generate expectation in us: expectation that God will come to my aid, expectation that soon something hidden will indeed be revealed to me; expectation that this simple act of being diligent and hanging in there will indeed bear fruit."

One of the perennial struggles I have in the spiritual life comes from a form of pride that is lodged fast in me and manifests itself in an "all or nothing" attitude toward spiritual life and other life disciplines. It can take various forms in different arenas of my life, but it always follows a similar pattern. The pattern goes like this: I set a goal or rule or ideal for myself, one that I could easily achieve if I only apply myself a little. This goal could be a goal for work or for prayer; it could be a rule for conduct (such as how much computer time I will allow myself or how much and what I will or will not eat or drink); or it could be an ideal such as what a priest should look or act like. Any such goal or rule or ideal I set for myself I tell myself is reasonable and attainable if I only push a little, if I only apply myself.

Fr. Michael shares on Thomas Sunday, "Those who doubt, those who fear, those who hide and shut the doors are not cut off from the One who appears in rooms with closed doors."

“This is the fiercest struggle, the struggle that resists a man unto blood, wherein free will is tested as to the singleness of his love for the virtues….It is here that we manifest our patience, my beloved brethren, our struggle and our zeal. For this is the time of unseen martyrdom…” What is this struggle that St. Isaac speaks of and how can it be overcome?

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.

"Truly, O Lord, if we do not humble ourselves, You do not cease to humble us. Real humility is the fruit of knowledge; and true knowledge, the fruit of trials." St. Isaac the Syrian Homily 36

As an Evangelical, I had been taught that everything that is really important (spiritually speaking) has to do introducing people to Jesus Christ. Presenting Christ was almost everything. I believed that once one was reconciled with God through Christ–which I understood to be a legal transaction–everything that was really important in one’s relationship with God had been taken care of. This assumption, or something very like it, pervades Evangelical writing.

Fr. Michael shares his reflections on St. Isaac the Syrian's response to the question, "If, after a man has greatly toiled, laboured, and struggled, the thought of pride shamelessly assails him—taking occasion from the beauty of his virtues—and reckons up the magnitude of his toil, by what means should he restrain his thoughts and achieve such security in his soul as not to be persuaded by it?"

I had a conversation recently in which I couldn’t explain very clearly a comment I made several times, and as a result there was a certain amount of misunderstanding. I realize that perhaps many people have this same misunderstanding, and since it has to do with the Kingdom of Heaven, and how it “comes” or how we actually enter and live the life of the Kingdom of Heaven while we are still on earth, I thought that discussing this misunderstanding and how to overcome might be a good way to begin our discussion of “Let Your Kingdom come (as in heaven, so also on earth).”

What is the Kingdom that we are to pray come? In one sense, you can say that the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew’s gospel, is the government of God: the fact that God is ruler over all, and the Kingdom of heaven is how God rules all. When we think of the Kingdom of Heaven as the government of God, then one wonders, “What’s to come? Doesn’t God already rule over all? Don’t the scriptures teach us this?” Well, yes and no.

Repentance is a process by which we allow our minds to be changed and illumined which results in a change in our whole being: our transfiguration.