In this episode, Fr. Anthony interviews iconographer Lynette Hull of the Prosopon School (prosoponschool.org). She shares her thoughts on what happens when parishes compromise on icon composition and style, how missions should prioritize their collection of icons, and why it is important that priests immerse themselves in the production (and not just the study and veneration) of icons. She also shows considerable restraint as she works around Fr. Anthony's (attempts at) humor. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony reads the first chapter of St. John Chrysostom's On the Priesthood. The translation is by Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A., (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church Volume IX, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D.), lightly edited to take out some of the archaicisms. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony reads the third chapter of St. John Chrysostom's On the Priesthood. The translation is by Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A., (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church Volume IX, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D.), lightly edited to take out some of the archaicisms (Fr. Anthony's mispronunciations are a bonus!). Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony reads the fourth chapter of St. John Chrysostom's On the Priesthood. The translation is by Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A., (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church Volume IX, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D.), lightly edited to take out some of the archaicisms (the mispronunciations are all Fr. Anthony, though!). Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony reads the fifth chapter of St. John Chrysostom's On the Priesthood. The translation is by Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A., (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church Volume IX, edited by Philip Schaffer, D.D., LL.D.), lightly edited to take out some of the archaicisms (and maybe add a modern word or two). Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony reads the sixth and final chapter of St. John Chrysostom's On the Priesthood. The translation is by Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A., (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church Volume IX, edited by Philip Schaffer, D.D., LL.D.), lightly edited to take out some of the archaicisms. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, Fr. Anthony reads the second chapter of St. John Chrysostom's On the Priesthood. The translation is by Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A., (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church Volume IX, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D.), lightly edited to take out some of the archaicisms (the mispronunciations are all Fr. Anthony, though!). Enjoy the show!

How will we help our children find a respectful and good way to offer Orthodoxy to this world? Elissa emphasizes the importance of being able to articulate the Orthodox faith in emulation of the twelve Holy Apostles.

Elissa updates the Raising Saints audience on some new projects they might find interesting, and establishes a new plan for the future of Raising Saints.

"What enraptures us today determines how we will experience the rapture of the last day no matter when or how that takes place."

"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."

One of the greatest frustrations in my spiritual life has been caused by a passion for certainty. You might call it a need to know, a need to know what God is doing in my life, a need to have some explanation for or feeling for why my life is the way it is right now. When I don’t know—or when I don’t have some explanation that I can tell myself is the reason why things are happening to me and around me the way they are happening—if I don’t have something I can say to myself that gives reason and explanation to the pain and apparent arbitrariness of my experience, then because I don’t know, I have a great deal of inner turmoil. And it often happens that the inner turmoil of not knowing—or not thinking that I know—why things are the way they are or what God is doing in my life and in the lives of those around me through the painful, unfair and unbearable circumstances I or we are experiencing, the pain of this not knowing is more tormenting than the actual suffering I experience from the circumstance.

In Homily 42, St. Isaac the Syrian makes an interesting statement about spiritual guidance. He says, “Do not seek advice from a man who does not lead a life similar to your own, even if he be very wise.” St. Isaac goes on, “Confide your thoughts to a man who, though he lack learning, has experience in things, rather than to a learned philosopher who speaks on the basis of speculations, having no actual experience.” For St. Isaac, and many Orthodox spiritual writers, both ancient and modern, it is very important to seek advice from those who have actually lived and experienced the things that you are seeking advice about.

It seems the future of the Church, the future of the next Great and Holy Council (or the continuation of the one that has already begun) depends mostly on us, the people: the moms and dads, the brothers and sisters, the laity in general and the married priests and simple monastics. We’re the one’s whose holiness or lack thereof determines the holiness of tomorrow’s generation of leaders in the Church.

Spiritual Letters is a collection of letters written in the early part of the twentieth century by a Roman Catholic priest—and I highly recommend it to English speaking Orthodox Christians who want to be encouraged in prayer.

If we do not work on that relationship, if we do not nurture longing for God, if we do not take the time to nurture our inner life, then we also grow apart from God. We are still baptized, still joined to Christ, but growing apart we become bored with God, our longing wanders to more exciting possibilities; and if we are not careful, God become a stranger, even an enemy to us. And this, perhaps, is what hell is like: to be joined to God, yet be bored with Him; to go to your own wedding, despising your fiance; to spend eternity knowing that you ignored for a lifetime the God who loves you so much that he allows you even to ignore His love.

Fr. Stephen begins his study of the Gospel of Luke with chapter 1, verse 1.

Fr. Stephen continues the study of Luke, at chapter 1, verse 39.

Fr. Stephen concludes Luke, Chapter 1, and begins Chapter 2.

Fr. Stephen continues through Luke 2.

Fr. Stephen wraps up the discussion of Luke 2.

Fr. Stephen begins the study of Luke 3.

Fr. Stephen wraps up the discussion of Luke 3.

Fr. Stephen begins the study of Luke, Chapter 4.

Fr. Stephen concludes the study of Luke, Chapter 4.

Fr. Stephen begins the study of Luke 5.

Fr. Stephen wraps up the discussion of Luke 5.

Fr. Stephen begins the study of Luke 6.

Fr. Stephen wraps up the discussion of Luke 6.

Fr. Stephen begins the discussion of Luke 7.

Fr. Stephen continues the study of Luke 7.

Fr. Stephen wraps up the discussion of Luke 7.

Fr. Stephen begins the discussion of Luke 8.

Fr. Stephen continues his discussion of Luke 8.

Fr. Stephen wraps up the discussion of Luke 8.

Fr. Stephen begins the discussion on Luke, chapter 9.

Fr. Stephen continues discussing Luke, Chapter 9.

Fr. Stephen wraps up the discussion on Luke, Chapter 9, and begins discussing Chapter 10

Fr. Stephen continues his discussion of Luke, chapter 10.

Fr. Stephen finishes his discussion on Luke, Chapter 10

Fr. Stephen begins a discussion of Luke 11, including the Lord's Prayer.

Fr. Stephen continues the discussion of Luke 11.

Fr. Stephen concludes the discussion of Luke 11 and begins Luke 12.

Fr. Stephen concludes the discussion of Luke 12.

Fr. Stephen begins discussing Luke 13.

Fr. Stephen concludes chapter 13 and begins discussing chapter 14.

Fr Stephen wraps up Luke 14 and discusses Luke 15.

Fr. Stephen concludes discussing chapter 15, and begins Luke, chapter 16.

Fr. Stephen concludes the study of Luke 16.

Fr. Stephen begins discussing Luke, Chapter 17