Parables of Community

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Stories of the lives of the people who come to St. John the Compassionate Mission, an apostolate of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese located in Toronto, Ontario.

St. John the Compassionate Mission and Ancient Faith Radio


    • May 28, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 7m AVG DURATION
    • 541 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Parables of Community

    5.18.25 Longings for Encounter with Christ

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie shares stories that reflect on loneliness and our need for an encounter with Christ.

    5.11.25 Illness, Mercy, and Building Community

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie shares insights from the community on how God can use times of illness to touch all of us with His mercy.

    5.4.25 Myrrhbearers at the Mission

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie shares the stories of myrrhbearers Sergei and Timothy who came to the mission this week bearing countenances reflecting the joy of the resurrection.

    4.13.25 New Life on Lazarus Saturday

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie shares insights into Michael's baptism on Lazarus Saturday.

    Selflessness, Forgiveness, and Working Towards Peace

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025


    Brother Luke and Father Nicholaie share snippets of life at the mission, encouraging us to pray like a child, forgive as the Theotokos learned to do, and work towards peace.

    3.30.25 On Faithful Generations, Fasting, and Healing

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie looks at the role of faithful fasting and prayer in bringing healing.

    3.16.25 Embracing Resurrection

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie shares experiences that are helping the community to "water the dying plants" in their midst, embracing resurrection instead of neglecting it.

    3.9.25 God Reveals His Love to Everyone Through Beauty

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025


    3.2.25 Forgiveness and the Messiness of Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025


    The community explores the beauty of God's forgiveness as it meets us in our messiness.

    2.23.25 I Was Hungry

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie explores the truth that hunger, if met with kindness, heals deep gulfs between us and creatively brings about unity.

    2.16.25 Faithfulness with Joy

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie encourages the community to be faithful to the work that God has prepared for them, specifically acts of mercy, and to do so with joy, unlike the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son.

    2.9.25 The Triodion Prepares our Hearts

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025


    Padre Roberto and Fr. Nicolaie encourage us to take this Triodion season to prepare our hearts to say YES! to Christ, just as members of the community are doing.

    A Church Without a Cross?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025


    Father Nicolaie shares stories of the prayers of community members, and reflects on the value of their prayers for the entire community.

    1.26.25 Learning Hospitality from the Outcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025


    The community processes Zacchaeus' outcast status, observing how repentance first opened his home to Christ, then turned his heart to the poor; then considers how this relates to their own situations.

    1.19.25 Returning to Give Thanks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie shares stories of community members who emulate the one leper who returns to give thanks.

    1.12.25 Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie shares the week's scriptures and how they are playing out in the community.

    1.5.25 Expectant Hope at Theophany

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025


    The community is becoming a witness of Theophany through the signs of healing it lives and experiences.

    New Life and Loss: a Modern Carol

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie shares a reflection on new life and loss in the community, noting how both are part of the Nativity story.

    Nativity in the Community

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2025


    Fr. Nicolaie shares glimpses at Nativity events in the community.

    Seasonal Reflections from the Community

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2024


    Fr. Nicolaie and Brother Luke reflect on fasting and Christmas in the context of the community.

    12.8.24 Grace for Those Who are Bent Over

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024


    A look at the Gospel reading of the woman who was bent over for many years, through the lens of community members' experiences.

    12.1.24 Seeing Christ

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024


    John, a volunteer at the mission, is helping others to see Christ more clearly, even though he himself is legally blind.

    11.24.24 Keep Walking

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2024


    Fr. Nicolaie tells stories from the community in the context of the week's Gospel readings, encouraging us to keep walking, because when we do so, we walk through the door that is Christ; a door that is already opened to us.

    11.10.24 The Care of the Community in the Face of Societal Norms

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024


    The icon of the small community who cares for all is the healing source of the modern soul today.

    11.3.24 Comfort in the Chapel and in Community

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2024


    Father Nicolaie shares stories of community members finding the kind of comfort both in the chapel and amidst the community that is similar to Lazarus' experience in the bosom of Abraham.

    10.27.24 Choosing the Place of Humility and Cleansing the Eye of Charity

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024


    Fr. Nicolaie invites us to join the community in looking into the eyes of the Theotokos from a humble position at the feet of her icon; and to live ascetically in a way that opens our own eyes to charity and mercy.

    A Handful of September Stories from the Community

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2024


    Brother Luke shares three stories from community life.

    10.20.24 Seeing Humanity in the Suffering Ones

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2024


    It is the cry of the poor who are in solidarity with those who suffer the most, today. The poor are not indifferent to the suffering, but lift it in prayer, with faith that God hears them.

    10.5.24 In Search of Resurrection

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2024


    A discussion of Saturday's gospel leads community members to search for Resurrection.

    9.28.24 Becoming the "Bene Dicere"

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024


    How can poverty, hunger, and mourning be considered "blessed?" Father Nicolai looks at the Beatitudes through the lens of the community, revealing the "Good Word," "Bene Dicere," or "Blessing" that is poured out in and through someone with a sincere heart.

    9.22.24 Mercy That is Deeper than the Depths of the Sea

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024


    In this Sunday's gospel, Jesus provides an abundance of life out of the abyss. The plentiful fish are a testimony of the authority that He has over the living and the dead, revealing that His mercy is deeper than the heart of the sea.

    9.15.24 Singing and Silence at the Cross

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024


    The church is called today to care for life, to offer an open space where the soul of man can pray and sing, and have an encounter with Christ, who listens to us from the cross.

    Some New Stories from the Mission

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024


    Padre Roberto shares some new stories from the mission.

    6.20.24 Notes from the Community

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2024


    Brother Luke shares a collection of recent interactions and experiences from within the community.

    7.13.24 Angels, Flowers, and the Light of the Resurrection

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024


    Father Nicolai reflects on recent hopeful learnings in the community.

    7.7.24 Glimpses of God at Work

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024


    Notes from the community that offer a peek at how the community members are seeing God at work in and through each other.

    6.23.24 Communion Inspires Unity

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024


    Through Matthew's arrival at the community this week, we learn that communion makes us look for the one that is lost: Through the wounds of the poor, Christ pours out His grace.

    6.16.24 The Faith of a Heart that Never Heals

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2024


    Fr. Nicolaie tells how the faith of people who saw (and see) evil in the face of war is a faith that can guide those of us who live in a society tempted by the illusion of death.

    6.16.24 The Faith of a Heart that Never Heals

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2024


    Fr. Nicolaie tells how the faith of people who saw (and see) evil in the face of war is a faith that can guide those of us who live in a society tempted by the illusion of death.

    6.9.24 Our Hope of Restoration

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024


    Father Nicolae writes about how both the blind man in the Gospel reading, and Angela (a member of the community) have been changed by Christ to such an extent that they are nearly unrecognizable. This gives all of us hope of restoration through Christ.

    6.9.24 Our Hope of Restoration

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024


    Father Nicolae writes about how both the blind man in the Gospel reading, and Angela (a member of the community) have been changed by Christ to such an extent that they are nearly unrecognizable. This gives all of us hope of restoration through Christ.

    5.26.24 Stirred Waters for the Healing of the Whole Community

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024


    Healing happens within the community in different ways, and at times it is given to us to witness little miracles. In the end it heals us all, in our heart. And this is the real miracle.

    5.26.24 Stirred Waters for the Healing of the Whole Community

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024


    Healing happens within the community in different ways, and at times it is given to us to witness little miracles. In the end it heals us all, in our heart. And this is the real miracle.

    Reflections on Holy Week in the Community

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024


    Brother Luke reflects on Holy Week experiences in the community.

    Reflections on Holy Week in the Community

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024


    Brother Luke reflects on Holy Week experiences in the community.

    Scenes from Everyday Life at the Mission

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024


    Brother Luke reflects on some scenes from every day at the mission.

    Scenes from Everyday Life at the Mission

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024


    Brother Luke reflects on some scenes from every day at the mission.

    4.14.24 Seizures, Eclipses, and the Gospel Story of the Young Man Who was Possessed

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2024


    A community member and Father Nicolaie each reflect on their experience with an aspect of the Gospel story of the young man who was possessed.

    4.14.24 Seizures, Eclipses, and the Gospel Story of the Young Man Who was Possessed

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2024


    A community member and Father Nicolaie each reflect on their experience with an aspect of the Gospel story of the young man who was possessed.

    4.7.24 Giving of Ourselves Changes Us

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2024


    It is always better to give than to receive. When we try to help other people, we tend to forget their need to also be able to give.

    4.7.24 Giving of Ourselves Changes Us

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2024


    It is always better to give than to receive. When we try to help other people, we tend to forget their need to also be able to give.

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