In the longest PCCH ever, the guys finally take on the entire Star Wars Saga! All of it. They pay special attention to the original trilogy while they explore the transcendence of the Force, the rage of the Dark Side, the passionlessness of the Light, and the need for love to balance them both. They close with their Top 5 Trilogies.

Steve and Christian discuss Parallel Love, a documentary that follows the trajectory of the rock band, Luxury. One cool thing about this band: 3 members are Orthodox priests. The guys discuss the disruptive nature of art, the ongoing process of conversion, and how all of us are called to be priests of creation. They close with their Top 5 Christian Artists and Musicians.

A couple months ago, the guys watched a documentary following the band, Luxury. They were so impressed by the band and their music, they decided to focus this week on Luxury's album, Trophies. The guys discuss how the world is in decay, how we still need to be affirming of life, and how grace and repentance mean we actually have to change our lives. They close with their Top 5 Things They Are Thankful to God For.

"And even in this not particularly flattering light, you are without a doubt the five and a half most wonderful wild animals I've ever met in my life. So let's raise our boxes - to our survival.” – Mr. Fox The guys explore the Wes Anderson film: "Fantastic Mr Fox." They discuss art, what our "real" nature is, and the way we can only be truly united in our diversity.

“I’m not the season I’m in...You’re not the season you’re in.” Steve and Christian listened to the new album by Fleet Foxes, "Shore." The guys discuss connection vs isolation, tradition vs traditionalism, and the beauty of forgiveness.

"There is no spoon." Steve and Christian watched the classic sci film, "The Matrix." The guys discuss what it means to be human, the nature of reality, free will, and taking the "red pill." We're also shining a light on the Saint Haralambos Agape Grocery, which has distributed over 16 tons of groceries to the public since in the last few months. It's one of many outreach programs the parish offers to the wider community. Learn more on the parish website: saintharalambosgoc.org. In our next episode, we'll get in the holiday spirit and dig into the Netflix movies "The Christmas Chronicles."

Dn. Rico Monge joins Steve and Christian to discuss "Matrix Resurrections." Spoilers ahead! They explore humanity, freedom, and love.

The girls discuss Cinderella and the various themes associated with her stories. This includes friends as helpers, the line between truth and lies, and the power of resilience in the face of adversity. All this, plus what they're cooking!

How can we find joy and healing for our souls as image bearers of God?

Jesus calls all to take up our cross and follow him for our entire life.

Fr. Philip LeMasters explains how the Sunday of Orthodoxy calls us to become living icons of the risen Savior.

Fr. Philip LeMasters addresses our need to see our challenges in life in light of the Kingdom of God rather than through the lens of anxiety, worry and fear.

Fr. Philip LeMasters preaches on the example of the twelve holy apostles who sacrificed all for the sake of following Jesus.

Fr. Philip LeMasters speaks about the importance of the Cross.

Through the Lord’s great Self-Offering, even the most wretched person may enter into the blessedness of the Kingdom through humble faith and repentance. Even the most notorious sinner may become a glorious saint and shine brightly with eternal glory.

The good news of our Lord’s resurrection extends to everyone and the entire world. The Church directs our attention during the Paschal season to how some very different people came to share in the life of our Lord, such as the disciple Thomas, the Myrrh-Bearing Women, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and the paralyzed man. Today we focus on someone who was different from all of them by worldly standards, for they were Jews and she was a Samaritan. We know her in the Church as the Great Martyr Photini, but in that time and place she would have seemed a very unlikely candidate to become a great evangelist of Christ’s salvation.

If we want to share personally in Christ’s restoration and fulfillment of the human person in God’s image and likeness, we must cut off from our hearts and minds all that would separate us from embracing the great mystery of the One Who was circumcised in the flesh on the eighth day.

As we welcome Christ into our lives and world at His Nativity, we must remain focused. There is no shortage of distractions this time of year that appeal to our passions and threaten to convince us that there are matters more important than accepting His gracious invitation to enter fully into the joy of the banquet of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Savior calls us to embrace our true vocation not only during divine services or in the eschatological future, but in every moment of our lives.

Today is the Sunday before the Feast of Theophany (or Epiphany), when we celebrate Christ’s baptism in the river Jordan and the revelation that He is truly the Son of God. His divinity is made manifest and openly displayed at His baptism when the voice of the Father declares, “You are my beloved Son” and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove. Theophany shows us that Jesus Christ, who was born in the flesh for our salvation at Christmas, is not merely a great religious teacher or moral example. He is truly God—a member of the Holy Trinity– and His salvation permeates His entire creation, including the water of the river Jordan. Through Christ’s and our baptism, we become participants in the holy mystery of our salvation, for He restores to us the robe of light which our first parents lost when they chose pride and self-centeredness over obedience and communion. He enters the Jordan to restore Adam and Eve, and all their children, to the dignity of those who bear the image and likeness of God.

On the last several Sundays, our gospel readings have challenged us to return home from our self-imposed exile. Zacchaeus gave more than justice required to the poor and those whom he had exploited from his ill-gotten gains, and was restored as a son of Abraham. By her persistence and humility, the Canaanite woman received the deliverance of her daughter as a sign that Christ calls all people to return home to Him in faith. The publican returned to his spiritual home by humbly calling for the Lord’s mercy, even as the Pharisee exiled himself by his pride. The prodigal son took the long journey home after coming to his senses about the misery of being in exile from the father whom he had abandoned.

On this first Sunday of Great Lent, we commemorate the restoration of icons centuries ago in the Byzantine Empire. They were banned due to a misguided fear of idolatry, but restored as a proclamation of how Christ calls us to participate in His salvation in every dimension of our existence.

We are certainly in a spiritually rich time of year in the life of the Church. Having begun the fast in preparation for the Dormition of the Theotokos, we are now also anticipating the Transfiguration of the Lord, when Peter, James, and John beheld His divine glory on Mount Tabor. As with all the feasts of the Church, the point is not simply to remember what happened long ago, but instead to participate personally in the eternal truth made manifest in these celebrations. And that means nothing less than being transfigured ourselves by our Lord’s gracious divine energies as we come to share more fully in His restoration and fulfillment of the human person as a living icon of God.

As we continue to celebrate the Elevation of the Holy Cross, we must remain on guard against the temptation of viewing our Lord’s Cross as merely a religious symbol that requires nothing of us. Through His Self-Offering on the Cross, Christ has conquered death and brought salvation to the world. But in order for us to share personally in His eternal life, we must take up our own crosses, deny ourselves, and follow Him. If we refuse to do that, then we will show that we are ashamed of our Lord and want no part in Him or His Kingdom. We will show that we prefer to continue in the old way of death rather than to enter by His grace into the heavenly reign.

In part two of his introduction to his new podcast, Fr. John offers a preview to the history of Christendom and describe the Orthodox perspective he plans to bring to it.

Fr. John explains how the Church cultivated a higher level of sexual dignity and explores how Christendom served to elevate women in Roman society.

Fr. John discusses eucharistic worship as an experience of paradise.

Fr. John explores the triumph of Orthodoxy in the year 843 and the way in which it enables the art of Christendom to express the deepest conviction about man's relationship with God and the possibility of communion with Him.

In this episode, Fr. John describes why Saint Gregory's defense of hesychasm against the westernized Barlaam represented a defense not only of Orthodoxy, but of Christendom itself.

In this, the first episode of the Paradise and Utopia video edition, Father John provides a video lecture from his office in Puget Sound, showing, with the use of powerful, full-color icons such as those of Andrei Rublev, how hesychasm inspired some of the greatest art in the history of eastern Christendom.

Fr. John recorded these comments in his car on the way to the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers service in his region. He asks, "What is the difference between Triumph and Triumphalism?"

Fr John recently travelled to the OCA’s Exarchate of Mexico at the invitation of His Grace, the Rt Rev. Bp Alejo. In today’s podcast, he recounts his journey.

In this episode, Fr John Parker address same-sex marriage and homosexuality, in response to the frenzy of discussion on these topics today in the public sphere.

Fr. John Parker reflects on his appearance on the new live call-in program entitled Faith Encouraged Live with Fr. Barnabas Powell. This is the first of two podcasts where he talks about effectively reaching out as a parish.

Fr. Josiah Trenham speaks about catechism at a clergy retreat for the Carolina Deanery of the Orthodox Church in America.

Fr. Michael Oleksa shares on the lives of saints in Alaska, the stories of their mission work, and connects his personal experiences with the many diverse cultures found there.

Fr. John reflects on the Synaxis of the Holy Apostles, commemorated on the day following the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. "Their proclamation has gone out into all the world, and their words to the end of the universe."

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.

Dr. Humphrey takes us to the letter to the Hebrews for the Christian Hall of Fame as we approach the Sunday of Orthodoxy.

Consider how the gospel readings from various jurisdictions for this Sunday clarify St. Paul’s difficult retort to St. Peter in Galatians concerning the Law, faith, and the faithfulness of Christ, and how the OT clarifies the meaning of the phrase “Son of God” used in all these passages!

To err is human and to forgive is divine, but our readings for this coming Sunday, illumined by the prophets, show us that the proclamation of forgiveness is now a human responsibility. The God-Man demonstrates that God has bestowed this divine characteristic, part of His glory, to those who are his sons and daughters. God forgives, and we forgive. (Matthew 9:1-8; Romans 12:6-14; Jeremiah 31:27-34; Jonah 3:1-10)

This week we concentrate upon the epistle reading, where St. Paul mentions (as he does elsewhere), God’s armor for our use in life. This imagery may be difficult for a contemporary audience, but it is found many places in Scripture, and cannot be dismissed. We consider the “active” and “passive” weapons wielded by our Lord Jesus, and commended to us, by means of other NT readings, Isaiah, and the book of Wisdom. (2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Isaiah 59:15-17; Wisdom 5:17-20; Isaiah 11:3-5)

The prophet Jeremiah helps us to consider, along with this Sunday’s gospels and epistle, the different ways in which God makes himself intimately known to each of us, and to all of us together, in the Church. (Luke 8:26-39; Gal 1:11-19; Luke 16:19-31; Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Today, on what has unfortunately become a merely “secular” festival, we recover a deeper Valentine’s message by considering what our faith has to say about romance and true love. We look at the life of the third century St. Valentine, and consider Hebrews 13:4, Genesis 1 and 2, Ephesians 5; and the book of Tobit (especially 8:4-8).

This week we consider God’s actions, both as they fulfill our expectations of His righteous character, and as they astonish us. We remember the faithfulness of those who saw less of God’s revelation than we have, especially the three youths in the fire, and the holy ancestors of Jesus. Our readings for this Sunday, Luke 24:36-53, Luke 14:16-24 and Colossians 3:4-11, both respond to the desires of the ages, and shock us with the vibrancy and great extent of the new creation made possible through the Incarnation, Death and Resurrection of our LORD.

This week we consider the reading from Acts 16 for the sixth Sunday of Easter, reading it in the light of Psalm 1. These readings discloses different mindsets, some to caution us, some to be our models, as we follow Christ on the Way.

What is meant by the phrase “He was not tempted by Hades”, and is it the case that Jesus appeared first to the Theotokos? We look to the Scriptural teaching on the despoiling of Hades, to the cultural associations of Hades in the Greek and Roman mind, and to the prophet Isaiah for help in understanding the joy of Holy Saturday’s conquest.

Edith Humphrey begins a new series on the eight resurrectional (dismissal) hymns to the Theotokos, beginning with the one in tone three appointed for this week. Help is found in interpreting the mysteries of this hymn from the prophet Jeremiah, from the early chapters of Genesis, and from Isaiah’s vision of the heavenly throne-room.