Podcasts about Desert Fathers

In week eight of Above All Else, a series on the heart and the seven deadly sins, Grant Clark explores gluttony. Drawing on Proverbs, John 6, and the unforgettable image of Augustus Gloop tumbling into Willy Wonka's chocolate river, Grant argues that gluttony is not fundamentally about food but about a disordered appetite in the heart that cannot say "enough." He then points us to Jesus, the Bread of Life, as the only one who truly and lastingly satisfies."Gluttony is a third car when one will do, a third drink when one is best, a third hobby when the other two you started aren't satisfying enough. Alcoholics and drug users are gluttons, but so are some web surfers, card players, and businesspeople. In other words, '-aholic' is the suffix attached to the glutton's meal of choice, for gluttony is immoderation, and immoderation is not about having body fat; it's about having a gaunt soul." - Jeff Cook, SevenWhat gluttony is (and isn't):- Gluttony is not simply eating too much; it is any appetite that refuses to say no, not yet, or enough- Thomas Aquinas: gluttons eat "too soon, too expensively, too much, too eagerly, or with too much finicky fussing about... food"- The Desert Fathers: gluttony is not fundamentally about food; it is about the heart. Food simply reveals the deeper issue- Gluttony is about MORE: the pattern that shows up in our spending, our shopping, our screens, our stuffGluttony in our culture:- 26% of Americans spend more than they earn (highest level ever recorded)- 90 million Americans use buy-now-pay-later services; 40% of purchases are regretted within days- People buy 60% more clothing than 15 years ago and wear each item only 7-10 times before discarding it- Global viewers consumed over 2.43 billion hours of YouTube every single day in 2025- Humanity now consumes the equivalent of 1.7 Earths' worth of resources every yearGluttony and the heart - John 6:- The crowd who followed Jesus across the sea came to him not because of who he is, but because of what he gave them: "you are looking for me... because you ate the loaves and were filled"- "They were moved not by full hearts, but by full bellies." - Leon Morris- "The young man who rings the bell at the brothel is unconsciously looking for God." - Bruce Marshall- "The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night." - John Piper- Jesus's response: "I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again." (John 6:35)From gluttony to self-control - fasting:- Fasting is abstaining from food so that we might pray; when hunger pangs come, we turn to God rather than the fridge- "Fasting reveals the things that control us." - Richard Foster- Dallas Willard: "Very little of our being lies under the direction of our conscious minds and very little of our action runs from our thoughts and consciously chosen intentions. Our mind on its own is an extremely feeble instrument... If we are to be transformed, the body must be transformed."- Fasting disrupts our automatic habits and retrains us to hunger for God, not the table of the world- Challenge: practice 24 hours of fasting this week (sundown to supper), using meal times to pray and read ScriptureVerses referenced:Proverbs 4:23Proverbs 21:17, 20 (CSB)John 6:24-26John 6:27John 6:33-35Philippians 3:18-19Mark 8:34Matthew 6:161 Corinthians 10:31

We talk with award-winning author Tish Harrison Warren about how to navigate burnout and weariness. Two-thirds of Americans are dissatisfied with their work, and a sense of languishing is widespread. Many of us feel overwhelmed, spiritually dry, and filled with doubts… about our faith and about our place in this world.In her new book, What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience (Convergent/Random House, 2026) Tish Warren draws from both her own season of exhaustion and the rich well of Christian tradition — particularly that of the earliest Christian monks — to discover the habits and mindsets that anchor us, give us resilience, and offer us hope.We discuss:* Tish was very busy after becoming a best-selling author. She was writing for the New York Times and Christianity Today as well as her next book. But she came to a place of burnout, when she became spiritually dry. She stopped all that writing and went off social media in order to explore how to get through these difficult times. She tells us what she learned in that time.* The things that make us weary are usually the good things in life, what Thomas Aquinas called “arduous goods.”* When we experience dryness and weariness, we choose to escape that through scrolling or binge-watching. But the Desert Fathers and Mothers chose to live in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. We can learn a lot from them as they struggle with the “dark night of the soul,” to find a deeper, more satisfying faith in God. Scroll down to learn more about Tish Harrison Warren.Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with your friends!Your hosts are Dr. Bob Robinson and David Loughney. For further resources on reintegrating all of life with God's mission, go to re-integrate.org.Tish Harrison WarrenTish Harrison Warren is a writer and an Anglican priest. She is the author of several books, including Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life, which won Christianity Today‘s 2018 Book of the Year, and Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work, or Watch, or Weep, which won Christianity Today‘s 2022 Book of the Year and the 2022 ECPA Christian Book of the Year.She formerly wrote a weekly newsletter for The New York Times, which focused on faith in public discourse and private life. She was also a columnist for Christianity Today. Her articles and essays have appeared in Comment Magazine, The Point Magazine, Religion News Service and elsewhere.She currently serves as the C. S. Lewis Theological Writer-in-Residence for the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary. She is a senior fellow with The Trinity Forum. She and her husband Jonathan recently planted Immanuel Anglican Church. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three children.Where to purchase these books: Support independent booksellers! Purchase any of the books mentioned above from Byron and Beth Borger at Hearts & Minds Bookstore. They are eager to serve God's people with great books. Order online through their secure server or call 717-246-3333. Ask for 20% OFF by mentioning that you heard about these books on the Reintegrate Podcast! Get full access to Bob Robinson's Substack at bobrobinsonre.substack.com/subscribe

This is a reading for meditation of selected teachings/sayings of the Desert Mothers, taken from 'Apophthegmata Patrum' (Sayings of the Desert Fathers & Mothers) translated by Benedicta Ward; and Philokia: compiled in the eighteenth century by Macarius of Corinth (1731-1805). The teachings spoken here are from the Mothers - Amma Theodora, Amma Syncletica and Amma Sarah.The Desert Mothers lived primarily in the fourth and fifth centuries, withdrawing to the arid regions of the eastern Mediterranean at a time when Christianity had become legally protected and increasingly institutionalized. Like their male counterparts, they sought the desert as a place of stripping away — a landscape where distractions fell silent and the soul was exposed before God.Some lived in loose monastic communities; others inhabited abandoned tombs, caves, or simple mud-brick cells. Their days were shaped by prayer, fasting, manual labor, and long periods of silence. Water was scarce, food minimal, and illness common. The desert was not romantic — it was a place of bodily weakness and spiritual testing.They were called ammas, meaning “mothers,” a title that conveyed both intimacy and authority. This was not sentimental language. To be an amma was to be recognized as someone whose life had been tested and whose counsel could be trusted.

Geoff continues talking with regular guest David Clayton about how the Desert Fathers and Mothers understood sin as discorder (of all kinds) and how asceticism was a path toward freedom to love God and others. They discuss sin not merely as rule-breaking but as patterns that impair clear seeing, free choosing, and loving well. Asceticism is presented as training that frees the heart by reshaping habits, while emphasizing grace, mercy, and the hope to “begin again” each day. They particularly focus on the concept of "watchfulness" and the neuroscience of "paying attention." Dive deeper in our new book, Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection, and learn about our trainings and other resources at embodiedfaith.life.Stay Connected: Check out our Attaching to God 6-Week Learning Cohort.Join the Embodied Faith community to stay connected and get posts, episodes, & resources.Support the podcast with a one-time or regular gift (to keep this ad-free without breaking the Holsclaw's bank).

Too many Christians, Jerry Sittser says, sit at a banquet table and eat only one food. In this episode, host Tressa Spingler talks with theologian, historian, and author Dr. Jerry Sittser — professor emeritus of theology at Whitworth University — about the newly revised edition of his book Water from a Deep Well and the spiritual inheritance many believers overlook.Drawing on the monks' rhythm of life, the Desert Fathers and Mothers, the mystics, and the great tradition of historic orthodoxy, Sittser invites listeners to rediscover something ancient rather than chase something new. He reflects on inhabiting time rather than spending it, beginning the week with rest, the practice of silence (“get up to slow down”), and what the early church can still teach a hurried, distracted age.The conversation turns honest and personal as Sittser — who lost his wife and a daughter in an automobile accident — describes suffering not as something to overcome or avoid but as something to step into and find God within. It's an invitation to live in the tension of beauty and sorrow, and to take the small first steps toward a deeper, well-rooted faith.YOU WILL LEARNWhy so many Christians “eat only one food” — and what the full diet of historic Christianity offersHow a January course at a snowed-in mountain camp became the seed of Water from a Deep WellThe monks' gift of rhythm: inhabiting time instead of consuming it, and beginning the week with restThe Desert Fathers and Mothers — stranger, funnier, and wiser than they first appearUnion of relationship vs. union of absorption: a healthier way to read the mysticsSuffering as an inevitable part of discipleship — and the soul's capacity to hold beauty and sorrow at onceWhere to begin when you feel spiritually dry: small, meaningful, deep first stepsGUEST BIODr. Jerry Sittser is professor emeritus of theology and a senior fellow at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, specializing in the history of Christianity, Christian spirituality, and religion in American public life. The author of nine books — including A Grace Disguised, The Will of God as a Way of Life, Resilient Faith, and Water from a Deep Well — he has spent decades helping Christians recover the wisdom and deep roots of the historic church for everyday life.RESOURCES & LINKSJerry Sittser's website: https://www.jerrysittser.com/Water from a Deep Well (revised edition): https://www.jerrysittser.com/booksPracticing the Way podcast series with John Mark Comer: https://www.practicingtheway.org/podcasts/practicing-the-way More episodes & SLBF Studio at Upper House: https://slbf.org/studioSend us Fan MailCONNECT WITH USSubscribe to The UpWords Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and visit slbf.org/studio to learn more about our work at the intersection of faith, the academy, and the marketplace.This episode was created by the SLBF STUDIO at Upper House.Produced by Daniel Johnson and Dave ConourEdited by Dave Conour

In this episode of Living Incense, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the teachings of the Desert Fathers on the inner spiritual life. He discusses why true spirituality naturally leads to humility rather than superiority by likening it to washing away visible and hidden sins gradually. Fr. Matthias explains the difference between humility and low self-esteem, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging one's true self and relying on faith in God to avoid despair. He also highlights the challenge of stillness and solitude, drawing from monastic experiences to show how being alone with God fosters spiritual growth. The talk addresses spiritual hunger and the discipline required for prayer, even when it feels dry or difficult. Fr. Matthias connects loving God with loving one's neighbor and examines Christian love as a willing self-sacrifice, not coercion or victimhood. Finally, he reflects on the call to become “dead” to both praise and criticism through self-awareness and faith, following Christ's example. #DesertFathers #SpiritualHumility #ChristianPrayer #InnerLife #FrMatthiasShehad #MonasticWisdom #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

In our ongoing series Above All Else, Grant Clark turns to the seventh and most misunderstood of the deadly sins: sloth. Far from simple laziness, sloth -- or acedia -- is a spiritual apathy and quiet resistance to Jesus that can live just as easily in the heart of the overachiever as in the one on the couch."Acedia is ultimately a failure of love. It's a place of apathy toward life and a kind of spiritual boredom... Whether midday, midlife, halftime or halfway through a big project, we're tempted to give in, give up or distract ourselves. Acedia tempts us to abandon the life we have for some imagined better option somewhere else -- as in 'anywhere but here'! Acedia can also be the temptation to live our lives in imagined fantasies of what might be rather than living in the gift of what is." - Alan Fadling (An Unhurried Life)What is acedia?- The Cambridge Dictionary defines sloth as "an unwillingness to work or to make any effort" -- but the biblical concept runs far deeper- Derived from the Greek a ("not") + keedos ("to care") -- acedia is a failure of love, a resistance to the transformation God is calling us into- Pope John Paul II defined acedia as "a sadness arising from the fact that the good is difficult"- It is not just laziness -- it is a selective laziness that can look like overwork, busyness, and productivity while neglecting the most important thingWhat does acedia look like?- The story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42): Martha was productive and active, but distracted from the one thing necessary -- attentiveness to Jesus- "Acedia is 'a restlessness that entices us to pursue everything but our most important duties. Acedia distracts. It makes us lazy and sluggish toward our spiritual and practical responsibilities. It is a selective laziness that makes everything else appealing.'" - John Cassian- "Slothful people are not only found lying around on couches or beds. They are often found in the gym every morning at 5:00 A.M., leading large organizations and companies, writing books, achieving goals, and even working hundred-hour weeks. Yes, the same sin can be at work in the heart of the person glued to the TV and the person who does not have time for TV. Christian thinkers have always seen links between laziness and overwork, though the definition of sloth has morphed through the years." - Trent Casto (The Death of the Deadly Sins)- Sloth wears many masks: variety-seeking, escapism, distraction, commitment-phobia, procrastination, and never finishing what we start- The "noonday demon" of the Desert Fathers -- the midday restlessness that whispers anywhere but here- Delayed obedience: like Augustine's prayer, "Lord, give me chastity and self-control -- but not yet"- Acedia is avoiding the responsibilities that loving God and loving neighbor require - Trent CastoFrom sloth to zeal (Romans 12:11)- "Do not be slothful in zeal. Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord." (ESV) / "Do not lack diligence in zeal. Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord." (CSB)- Zeal = earnest commitment with haste and diligence; fervent = to boil, to burn -- a passion for Jesus- The word diligent in Latin (diligere) means "to love" -- to be diligent in zeal is to love- "Look at the intensity in this verse. The Christian life is neither cold nor indifferent... We face many temptations to be passive or lazy today. So let's heed this word: live on fire for Christ! And let's see that God is gracious in giving us such a command. He knows our frames. He knows our passions can cool. So he exhorts us in love. I believe every Christian in a privileged part of the world must always ask, 'Do I love comfort too much? Has it become an idol? Has it caused me to shrink back from passionate service to the Lord Jesus?'" - Tony Merida- "Since acedia is a failure to appreciate the gifts of the present moment or the present season, the classic remedy for acedia has always been to abide in the good relationships and to engage in the good work before us." - Alan Fadling- Practical response: (1) Obey straight away -- identify and repent of any area of delayed obedience; (2) Abide -- stay where God has placed you, persevere in the ordinary, and trust that God is at workVerses- Proverbs 4:23- Luke 10:38-42 (CSB)- Luke 10:40- Romans 12:11 (ESV + CSB)- Ephesians 2:8-10- Hebrews (for the joy set before him, he endured the cross)- Psalm 72

In this episode, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores teachings from the Desert Fathers on self-awareness and spiritual growth. Fr. Matthias discusses why worldly pursuits often fail to satisfy the heart, using King Solomon's reflections in Ecclesiastes to illustrate the emptiness of earthly pleasures. He emphasizes the importance of keeping God at the center of all relationships and activities to maintain balance and avoid attachment to created things. Fr. Matthias explains the distinction between temptation and sin, highlighting that temptation is inevitable but falling into sin is a choice. He delves into the ongoing struggle of faith, underscoring the need for continual repentance and reliance on God's mercy rather than personal perfection. Drawing from St. Paul's example, he reflects on how weakness and temptation strengthen faith and guard against pride. This conversation also looks at the role of obedience, experience, and inner reflection in developing spiritual maturity and addresses the difficulty many face in embracing silence and confronting troubling thoughts. #DesertFathers #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianTemptation #FaithStruggle #SelfAwareness #FrMatthiasShehad #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

What sustains faith when prayer feels flat and God seems distant—and there's no clear tragedy to explain it? Anglican priest and former New York Times columnist Tish Harrison Warren joins Macie Bridge to talk about weariness, burnout, and the quiet middle stretches of a long spiritual life. Drawing on her new book What Grows in Weary Lands, she turns to the Desert Fathers and Mothers for a resilience that resists both flaming out and numbing out. "It felt like the call had dropped, like the line had gone dead." In this episode with Macie Bridge, Warren reflects on her own season of spiritual aridity and the ancient counsel to stay in your cell rather than escape. Together they discuss the difference between burnout and weariness, acedia and the noonday demon, perseverance, silence as countercultural practice, and the world as a womb. They explore why escape rarely heals and what it means to trust the slow work of God. Episode Highlights "It felt like the call had dropped, like the line had gone dead." "I do not think vitamin D will solve what I'm talking about." "We're not having to hold our life together in the midst of weariness with will power and duct tape." "We kind of bring Times Square with us wherever we go now." "God doesn't need me to be impressive or achieving." About Tish Harrison Warren Tish Harrison Warren is a writer and an Anglican priest. She is the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary, named Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year, and Prayer in the Night, which won both Christianity Today's 2022 Book of the Year and the 2022 ECPA Christian Book of the Year. She formerly wrote a weekly newsletter for The New York Times on faith in public and private life and was a columnist for Christianity Today; her essays have appeared in Comment, The Point, and Religion News Service. She currently serves as the C. S. Lewis Theological Writer-in-Residence at Baylor's Truett Seminary, is a senior fellow with The Trinity Forum, and an assisting priest at Immanuel Anglican Church. (Source: tishharrisonwarren.com) Learn more and follow at tishharrisonwarren.com, Instagram @tishharrisonwarren, and X @Tish_H_Warren. Helpful Links and Resources What Grows in Weary Lands (newest book): https://tishharrisonwarren.com/whatgrowsinwearylands Liturgy of the Ordinary (most popular book): https://tishharrisonwarren.com/liturgy-of-the-ordinary Curt Thompson, referenced on the brain and community: https://curtthompsonmd.com/books/ Show Notes Writing from the middle of the process Weariness vs. burnout—bigger than the occupational "It felt like the call had dropped, like the line had gone dead." Two years at The New York Times—top of a career, bone-tired Spiritually tinged exhaustion, distinct from depression Comprehensive difficulty—work, marriage, church, politics, drama Post-COVID burnout talk; why the church rarely names this Craving emotional highs in contemporary Christian faith We lack stories of long, steady faith "I do not think vitamin D will solve what I'm talking about." Discovering the Desert Fathers and Mothers Acedia, the noonday demon—sloth, boredom, irritation, doubt Flame out, numb out, or go deep The cell as guiding metaphor—a rhythm of prayer and work "Stay in your cell"—counsel of St. Moses and Arsenius Resisting the lie that escape elsewhere brings contentment "The cell is actually this transformative place." Curt Thompson: the brain isn't made to do hard things alone A desert mother's maternal metaphor—the world as a womb "What is happening right now matters"—hope without escapism Grace: "we're not having to hold our life together... with will power and duct tape." "Part of our weariness is it is too noisy. The world is too noisy." "God doesn't need me to be impressive or achieving." Trusting the slow work of God #TishHarrisonWarren #WhatGrowsInWearyLands #ChristianResilience #Burnout #DesertFathers #SpiritualFormation #Weariness #Acedia #Hope #ForTheLifeOfTheWorld Production Notes This podcast featured Tish Harrison Warren Interview by Macie Bridge Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa Hosted by Evan Rosa Production Assistance by Noah Senthil A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/about Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

In this conversation, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the sayings of the Desert Fathers, focusing on silence as a vital spiritual practice. He explains who the Desert Fathers were, their dedication to monastic life in the desert, and how their wisdom applies to modern Christian living with discernment. Fr. Matthias discusses the balance between spiritual ambition and humility, the importance of guidance from a spiritual father, and how to approach others who may be progressing too quickly in their faith. He emphasizes silence not as avoidance but as an opportunity for inner reflection, prayer, and self-examination. The discussion also covers the dangers of inward judgment versus outward humility, the role of confession in cultivating self-awareness, and the challenge of maintaining authenticity amid external pressures like social media. Fr. Matthias highlights silence as a tool to foster deeper communion with God and to guard against pride and distraction. #DesertFathers #ChristianSilence #SpiritualWisdom #MonasticLife #Confession #InnerReflection #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

The Desert Fathers knew something that many of us have forgotten. The greatest danger to the spiritual life is not always the obvious sins we can name. Often it is the secret satisfaction we feel when we discover the weakness of another. There is something in the fallen heart that delights in comparison. The moment another stumbles, we instinctively move ourselves a little higher. We become observers, commentators, judges, analysts. We speak about “discernment” while quietly nourishing condemnation. We discuss another's failures while remaining remarkably blind to our own. Abba Poimen cuts through all of this with terrifying simplicity: “Who am I? And judge no one.” That is the beginning of monasticism. It is also the beginning of Christianity. Notice how often the Fathers return to the same theme. A brother falls. Another brother is tempted. Someone has a concubine. Someone frequents the baths. Someone neglects his duties. Yet the holy elders are almost never interested in discussing the sin itself. They are interested in the response of those who witness it. The real question is not, “What did he do?” The real question is, “What happened in your heart when you saw it?” The Presbyter of Pelousion stripped eleven brothers of the schema because of their failures. Later his conscience tormented him. Why? Because he discovered something humiliating: the same old man lived in him. The same fallen nature. The same capacity for sin. The Fathers never deny the existence of sin. They deny our right to stand above sinners. That is an entirely different thing. Again and again the Fathers teach that when we expose another's wound, we expose our own. When we delight in uncovering another's failure, God permits us to see the sickness hidden within ourselves. Timothy advised that a tempted brother be expelled, and shortly afterward the very temptation he condemned descended upon him. Why? Because God wanted to punish him? No. Because God wanted to heal him. Nothing teaches compassion like discovering that the line between saint and sinner runs directly through one's own heart. The most moving story in this collection may be the one about the brother abandoned in the ravine. The anchorite's solution was simple: “Expel him.” Abba Poimen's solution was different. He sought him. He called him. He embraced him. He fed him. He restored hope to him. The brother had already condemned himself. He did not need another judge. He needed a father. The Church has never lacked judges. What she continually lacks are fathers. A father sees the wound beneath the sin. A father sees the despair beneath the failure. A father sees the battle that nobody else sees. And because he sees it, he goes after the lost sheep. The Fathers teach us something even more demanding than refusing to judge. They teach us to actively support the struggling brother. One brother tells Abba Poimen that he enjoys the company of virtuous men but avoids those with bad reputations. The Elder's answer is astonishing: “If you do a little good to the good one, you ought to do twice as much good to the one about whose sin you have heard.” Twice as much. Not less. Not avoidance. Not suspicion. Not gossip disguised as concern. Twice as much. Because he is sick. When someone is physically ill, we do not withdraw our care until they recover. We increase it. We visit them. We pray for them. We encourage them. We sit beside them. Why then do we often do the opposite when a brother becomes spiritually ill? The Fathers understood that perseverance is often sustained by hidden acts of mercy. A word of encouragement. A meal. A visit. A refusal to repeat a rumor. A willingness to believe that grace is still at work. A determination to remember the brother's dignity even while he struggles. Many vocations have been saved by such acts. Many have also been lost through their absence. St. Ephraim says elsewhere that we must never become the occasion for another's withdrawal from the brotherhood. Those words should terrify every monastery, every parish, every Christian community. Whenever someone leaves wounded, discouraged, or broken, the question should not merely be what happened to them. The question should also be what happened to us. Did we strengthen them? Did we encourage them? Did we bear their burden? Did we pray for them? Did we conceal their weakness and protect their dignity? Did we seek them when they wandered? Or did we stand at a safe distance discussing their failures? The saints are not those who never see sin. They are those who see it and respond with tears rather than judgment. They see a fallen brother and remember their own weakness. They see a wound and cover it. They see a sinner and move closer rather than farther away. In the end, this is exactly how Christ has treated us. Every one of us has been the brother in the ravine. Every one of us has been the sinner whose shame was visible to Heaven. And Christ did not expose us. He sought us. He embraced us. He fed us. He covered us. The closer a man comes to God, the less interested he becomes in revealing the wounds of others and the more eager he becomes to bind them up. That is the way of the Desert Fathers. It is also the way of Christ. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:14:24 Anna: My daughter is asking for an understanding on judging based on Desert Fathers 00:36:42 Maureen Cunningham: What if the person is abusive to you ? 00:37:01 Maureen Cunningham: Like an alcholic 00:39:41 Julie: Like instead of assuming the sleeping monk is lazy or spiritually weak, but really is he exhausted from spiritual struggles, fasts, etc… 00:42:40 forrest: Sorry for a late comment for #15: the Greek word for "cover up" is the same used in the Septuagint Exodus 12:13 for the Angel of God "passing by" the houses marked with blood. 01:04:05 Julie: The wanting to be loved and needed by others. Our passions are hard to cut 01:10:57 una: Wait, what about the baby? 01:17:03 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️ 01:17:19 Janine: Thank you

In this episode of That Would Be Rad, we dive headfirst into one of the strangest intersections of religion, history, folklore, and the modern UFO phenomenon.For decades, reports of mysterious craft and non-human intelligences have captured the imagination of millions. Governments investigate them. Fighter pilots report them. Entire belief systems have formed around them. But long before congressional hearings, Pentagon footage, and discussions about "non-human intelligence," a group of Orthodox Christian mystics and saints were issuing a very different warning.What if the phenomenon is real... but not extraterrestrial?Join Woody and Tyler as they explore the ancient world of Orthodox Christianity, the Desert Fathers, aerial spirits, Ezekiel's famous "wheel within a wheel" vision, the Nephilim, medieval encounters with strange beings in the sky, and the teachings of four influential Orthodox holy men who all arrived at a remarkably similar conclusion about UFOs.What We Talk About in This Episode:• Why UFOs and UAPs have suddenly become mainstream topics of discussion• The Pentagon, military encounters, and the rise of "non-human intelligence" conversations• What Orthodox Christianity actually is and why it differs from most forms of Christianity in America• The Desert Fathers, spiritual warfare, and the Orthodox tradition of discerning spirits• Ezekiel's bizarre vision and why UFO researchers have been fascinated by it for decades• The Nephilim, the Book of Enoch, and ancient stories of beings descending from the sky• Medieval encounters with faeries, aerial beings, and mysterious sky phenomena• St. Gabriel Urgebadze, St. Paisios of Mount Athos, St. Porphyrios, and Fr. Seraphim Rose• Why these four influential Orthodox figures all viewed UFO encounters through a spiritual lens• The fascinating idea that humanity may interpret the same unexplained phenomena differently depending on the culture and era• Whether modern UFO encounters are something entirely new—or simply the latest version of a mystery humans have been trying to explain for thousands of yearsWhy You NEED to Listen:Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, a Christian, an atheist, a UFO enthusiast, or just someone who loves exploring strange ideas, this episode is guaranteed to make you think.This isn't an episode about proving that aliens are demons.It's an exploration of one of the most fascinating questions we've ever discussed on the show:If something beyond human understanding really was interacting with humanity... would we even recognize it for what it truly is?So grab your Bible, your tinfoil hat, or maybe both—and join us as we venture into one of the weirdest rabbit holes we've explored in a long time.Be Rad.RAD WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT OUR SHOW:JOIN OUR PATREON: Exclusive episodes, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes weirdness: patreon.com/thatwouldberadBUY US A COFFEE: Fuel our late-night research sessions — buymeacoffee.com/thatwouldberad ☕️CHECK OUT OUR MERCH: Grab official That Would Be Rad gear — thatwouldberad.myspreadshop.comSHOW INFO:

There are passages in the Fathers that do not merely instruct us. They unsettle us because they seem to speak from a place beyond ordinary language. This portion of St. Isaac the Syrian is one of them. He begins almost defensively, and yet with extraordinary tenderness: “I shall tell you something, and do not laugh, for I speak the truth.” That opening matters. Isaac knows what he is about to describe can sound excessive, mystical, even absurd to the outward or untested mind. He knows some will mock it. Others will reduce it to sentiment or pious exaggeration. He knows he is stepping into something difficult to articulate because the reality itself exceeds words. And yet he writes. That itself is striking. This costs him something. There is a deeply personal quality here. Isaac is not writing as one giving detached spiritual theory. He writes almost like a father speaking carefully about a mystery he knows language will diminish even as he tries to preserve it. Near the end of the homily he says plainly that he has “taken no little trouble to set these things down.” One feels the labor in that line. Not merely literary labor, but spiritual labor. He is trying to hand on something fragile and luminous to “every man who comes upon this book.” His desire to help souls outweighs the risk of being misunderstood. And what does he speak of? Tears. But not tears as emotional excess. Not tears as instability. Not tears as religious theater. He is speaking of something far deeper: the awakening of the inward man. Isaac says that until this inward fruit begins, much of our life remains outward. We may pray, labor, fast, study, serve, and yet still remain largely organized around the visible self. The hidden man may still be in service to the world. Then comes his astonishing image. When tears begin, the soul has “left the prison of this world.” Not the world itself. But its prison. That inward captivity of self, illusion, hardness, fragmentation, and outwardness. And then Isaac gives one of the most beautiful images in all ascetical literature: he speaks of the soul almost as an infant being born into another reality. As an infant in the womb first begins to draw subtle breath before entering this visible life, so the inward man, born of grace through the womb of Mother Church and quickened by the Spirit, begins to perceive another atmosphere. Another age. Another reality. Another air. He says the soul begins to breathe “that other air, new and wonderful.” This is breathtaking. For Isaac, tears are not simply sorrow. They are often the birth pangs of the spiritual child within us. Grace, whom he calls the common mother of all, labors to bring forth the divine image in the soul. And because the mind is unaccustomed to this new reality, the body itself may cry out. Tears become a kind of holy wailing, but “mingled with the sweetness of honey.” What language. He is trying to describe something almost impossible: sorrow joined to sweetness, pain joined to grace, birth joined to loss, tears joined to wonder. The modern mind often has little room for this. We understand tears psychologically. We understand grief. Exhaustion. Relief. But Isaac is speaking of something deeper than emotion. He is speaking of the Kingdom beginning to stir within. Of the Spirit crying out from depths beyond words. Of the soul awakening to a reality more real than the visible world. And yet Isaac remains sober. He is careful. He distinguishes passing consolation from deeper compunction. He warns, in effect, against reducing such things to passing feeling or spiritual excitement. He speaks of stillness, of peace of thought, of gradual transition, of hidden maturation. Even here he is restrained. That restraint matters. Because what makes this passage so beautiful is not ecstatic excess. It is tenderness joined to sobriety. Mystery joined to humility. Vision joined to caution. And perhaps most moving of all, Isaac writes not to exalt himself, but to serve. These things, he says, he has written for himself and for every man who comes upon this book. That line carries enormous tenderness. He writes as one who knows words cannot capture the fullness of what grace does, yet he offers them anyway so another soul may not lose courage. Perhaps that is why this passage still pierces us. It reminds us that the spiritual life is not merely moral effort, external correctness, or religious performance. It is birth. The slow birth of the inward man. The hidden awakening of the Kingdom. The Spirit crying from within us. And perhaps, however faintly, learning to breathe another air. The air of grace. The air of the age to come. The air of Christ. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:03:13 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 201 Homily 14 There are times in the spiritual life when a phrase begins as an image and slowly becomes a revelation. For some time now, the phrase Breathing the Same Air has remained with me. At first, it seemed to speak of something many of us deeply long for: to stand among those who thirst for Christ as the Desert Fathers did; to dwell within the same ascetic spirit, the same sobriety, the same inward hunger for purity of heart, prayer, and communion with God. But after returning to St. Isaac the Syrian, this phrase began to open more deeply. Perhaps breathing the same air is not first about standing among others who seek God. Perhaps it is about entering inwardly into the same atmosphere where the saints themselves learned to repent, to pray, to soften, and to become alive before God. 00:10:25 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: June 4 Week Retreat https://www.philokaliaministries.org/post/nazareth-and-the-hidden-life 00:13:45 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 201 Homily 14 00:38:54 una: How is he using "laugh"? In the sense of disbelief? 00:45:04 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 201 second paragraph 00:53:30 Holly Hecker: (From Mark)   sometimes I see these attachments (or walls separating from God) is born from old wounds, old traumas, and these attachments are fears, acts of protection.  and tears arrive when trusting God and taking the walls of traumas down.  Maybe that is a different 'tears' but its a tear of new life. 00:54:02 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "(From Mark)   someti..." with

There is a fierce honesty in the Desert Fathers that can unsettle us if we read them too quickly. They never soften the reality of sin. They do not sentimentalize weakness. They do not pretend evil is harmless, nor do they collapse into the modern confusion that mercy means blindness or moral indifference. They knew too much of the violence of the passions, too much of self-deception, too much of how quickly the heart can justify itself while remaining far from God. And yet, what is striking in these sayings from the Evergetinos is this: the deeper they saw sin, the less willing they were to condemn sinners. This is not softness. It is revelation. The Fathers understood something we often miss: to truly see sin is to begin by seeing it in oneself. We are accustomed to thinking judgment arises from moral seriousness. The Fathers often show the opposite. Judgment frequently arises not from holiness, but from forgetfulness. We forget what we are. We forget how much of our life is sustained not by virtue, but by mercy. We forget that beneath our outward discipline, our religious language, our ordered routines, and even our ascetic efforts, there remains within us a heart capable of pride, lust, cruelty, envy, bitterness, and quiet violence. This is why Abba Agathon, when tempted to condemn another, said to himself: “Beware, lest you do the same thing.” That is not psychological pessimism. That is truth. The saint does not trust himself. Not because he despises himself, but because he has looked deeply enough into his own heart to know how fragile he is apart from grace. The negligent brother dying joyfully may be one of the most unsettling stories in this section. He had not distinguished himself by great ascetic effort. He had not become known for extraordinary fasting or visible zeal. Yet he died in peace because he could say something profound: I have not judged. I have not held a grudge. If I quarreled, I reconciled. And the Elder says something almost shocking: “You have been saved without effort, by not condemning others.” Not because asceticism is unimportant. But because the purpose of asceticism is love. What good is fasting if the heart remains hard? What good is prayer if we stand before God while inwardly prosecuting our neighbor? What good is discipline if mercy has not entered us? The Fathers knew that a man may be severe with himself and still cruel to others. Such severity is not holiness. It is often pride wearing religious clothing. Again and again, these stories reveal the same pattern. Abba Ammonas, seeing the woman accused of immorality, does not rush to impose punishment. He sees first her frailty, her danger, her humanity. He provides what may be needed for burial before speaking of penance. When another sinful brother hides a woman in a cask, Ammonas knowingly sits upon it, covering his shame rather than exposing him publicly. Then he simply grasps his hand and says: “Be attentive to yourself, Brother.” This is astonishing. The Fathers did not always correct by exposure. Sometimes they corrected by mercy. Sometimes the deepest rebuke was protection. Why? Because they understood something terrifying and beautiful: divine love does not deny truth, but neither does it delight in humiliation. How often we do the opposite. We call it “clarity,” but sometimes it is disguised satisfaction. We expose, denounce, criticize, analyze, and condemn because another's fall secretly strengthens our own illusion of righteousness. The Fathers tear this illusion apart. Abba Moses enters the council carrying a basket filled with sand, the grains pouring out behind him. His words remain among the most piercing in all ascetical literature: “My sins are flowing out behind me, and I do not see them; and yet, I have come today to judge someone else's sins.” This is the beginning of humility. To realize that we are often blind not to the sins of others, but to our own. And then there is Abba Isaac the Theban. He condemns a brother. Later, an Angel blocks the entrance to his cell and asks: “Where do you want me to cast the erring brother whom you condemned?” This is not merely a dramatic moral lesson. It is theological revelation. To judge another is, in a hidden way, to step into a place that belongs to God. The Fathers knew that judgment is not simply speech. It is a movement of the heart that places the self above another. Mercy, then, is not emotional softness. It is participation in divine life. This is perhaps why Abba Macarius is described almost unbearably: he covered the faults which he saw as though he did not see them, and those which he heard as though he did not hear them. Not because he denied evil. But because he had become like God. God sees all and yet bears with all. God knows what we are and still does not withdraw His mercy. God alone sees with absolute clarity and still gives time for repentance. The Fathers wanted this same heart. And so should we. These stories do not simply teach us to “be nice” or “avoid criticizing people.” They embody revealed truth. They reveal what divine love looks like once it begins to enter fallen human beings. They show what man becomes when he ceases to live by accusation and begins to live by mercy. This is the deepest challenge. Not whether we can identify sin. Most of us can do that quickly. The question is whether, while seeing clearly, we have become merciful. Whether our truth has been transfigured by love. Whether our asceticism has softened the heart rather than hardened it. Whether we can stand before another's failure and remember our own need for forgiveness. The Desert Fathers were fierce because they were honest. They were merciful because they had met God. And the closer they came to Him, the less eager they were to condemn. Perhaps that is one of the surest signs that divine love has begun to remake the heart. Not blindness. Not permissiveness. But clarity without cruelty. Truth without accusation. Mercy without illusion. And a heart that increasingly belongs to God. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:14:52 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 20 Volume 3 Section H 00:15:25 Charmaine's iPad: Hello dear family. Good to see all of you 00:15:34 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Reacted to "Hello dear family. G..." with ❤️ 00:16:18 Charmaine's iPad: Reacted to "Hello dear family. Good to see all of you" with ❤️ 00:17:00 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Coming Soon! [Full message cannot be displayed on this version] 00:19:08 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 20  H 00:20:55 Julie: I'm so glad Father 00:32:40 Julie: Reminds me of the alcoholic monk that died 00:35:12 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 21, #2 00:36:07 Julie: Today in Australia 00:36:25 Catherine Opie: In NZ too 00:36:30 Rebecca Thérèse: Today in Britain as well! 00:45:35 forrest: I'll look, but they often use euphemisms 00:51:19 Danny Moulton: In the Kindle version, he says, "May God forgive us all," thereby including himself.  This seems an even more powerful expression of humility, 00:51:21 forrest: The Greek has διαφϑαρῆ, indicating a passive verb form, implying she was victimized. 00:56:14 Julie: Reminds me of Fulton Sheen, he said on a visit to a jail to prisoners.” The difference between you and me are you were caught and I wasn't 01:03:34 una: I am highly disturbed by a culture that would exact punishment from a victimized woman 01:14:25 Fr Martin, Arizona: what do you think of this? It seems we don't calcify anyone's behavior as if it condemns them, because don't each of us hope God will heal us? St. Isaac the Syrian said, "God is not One who requites evil, but who sets evil right." 01:18:38 Danny Moulton: Thank you! 01:18:41 Andrew Adams: Thanks be to God! Thank you, Father! 01:18:44 Janine: Great class! Thanks Father 01:18:50 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you☺️ 01:18:50 Maureen Cunningham: Thank you

Listen along as we continue our time in 1 Peter. Notes//Quotes: Faith: 1 Peter 3:1-7 Title: The Way Home “Submission is not something being taken from me, but is something I'm choosing to give. The truth that Jesus, being fully God, willingly entered into this world, becoming fully man and submitting His will to God the Father and giving His life to justify us as well as the Spirit's role of illuminating and pointing people to Jesus is proof that the differing roles God has for men/women and husbands/wives is not about value or worth. Submission actively happens in the Trinity. If Jesus submitted even unto death, how can I stand on my “rights” and ultimately demand to always be the one in authority?” - Kathy Keller “Renounce yourself, take up your Cross and follow Me. To recognize one's own nonentity and discover the secret of the Kingdom is not enough: the King of Love must be enthroned in our mind and heart, take undivided possession of our will and make of our very bodies the Temples of the Holy Ghost. This small particle of the Cosmos, which is our soul and body must be conquered, freed by a lifelong struggle from enslavement to the world and to the devil, freed as if it were an occupied country and restored to its legitimate King.”  - Anthony of Sourozh, Sayings of the Desert Fathers

In this episode on early Christian monasticism, Geoff and regular guest David Clayton explore how the Desert Fathers and Mothers understood sin as discorder (of all kinds) and how asceticism was a path toward freedom to love God and others. They discuss sin not merely as rule-breaking but as patterns that impair clear seeing, free choosing, and loving well. Asceticism is presented as training that frees the heart by reshaping habits, while emphasizing grace, mercy, and the hope to “begin again” each day.Dive deeper in our new book, Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection, and learn about our trainings and other resources at embodiedfaith.life.Stay Connected: Check out our Attaching to God 6-Week Learning Cohort.Join the Embodied Faith community to stay connected and get posts, episodes, & resources.Support the podcast with a one-time or regular gift (to keep this ad-free without breaking the Holsclaw's bank).

Today, we're honored to share a conversation with Tish Harrison Warren on her beautiful brand new book, What Grows in Weary Lands.From the very first pages of this book, Tish gives us language for something so familiar. She writes about aridity—those seasons of spiritual drought, exhaustion, or distance from God, when prayer feels flat, faith feels heavy, and the life we once found nourishing suddenly feels barren. Then she also introduces us to the ancient idea of acedia—what the Desert Fathers and Mothers sometimes called “the noonday demon.” It's that restless belief that life with God would be easier somewhere else, sometime else, with different work, different people, a different church, or a new set of circumstances. It's a restlessness that wants to escape the ordinary demands of love in search of some imagined future where spiritual highs are constant and faith feels effortless. But Tish says these experiences of aridity and acedia aren't signs that something has gone wrong, in fact, they are experiences that Christians throughout time have understood to be a normal—even necessary—part of spiritual maturity.In this conversation, she helps us see that the invitation in these weary seasons is not to force our way back into those spiritual highs, but to stay with prayer, to stay with the ordinary practices that have formed disciples for centuries, often staying with imperfect communities and relationships even after the shine has worn off and the brokenness becomes visible.She makes the case that that maturity often looks less like finding the perfect place, and more like learning how God meets us in imperfect places through patience, repair, and the slow work of love.Tish is an Anglican priest and author known for her award winning books Liturgy of the Ordinary and Prayer in the Night. Her new book, What Grows in Weary Lands, was released this week and is available on Bookshop.org, Amazon, or wherever books are sold. We are so grateful to Tish for coming on the podcast and we hope that you enjoy this conversation.Join us on July 11 for the Wayfare festival! RSVP here.

This week, we share an exclusive For the Journey conversation between Rev. Bill Haley, Scott Buresh (Coracle Baltimore Community Minister), and Wade Ballou (Co-pastor of the Coracle Community). They discuss Celtic Christianity, Ignatian spirituality, pilgrimage, the Desert Fathers, the development of Western monasticism, and much more. All of this serves as an introduction to A Common Way, Coracle's initiative to translate the riches of monastic wisdom for normal people in the modern world.EXPLORE A COMMON WAYEXPLORE THE CORACLE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMinthecoracle.org  |  @inthecoracleSupport the showFor the Journey is a resource of the Coracle Center of Formation for Action and is made possible through the generous support of men and women across the globe.

What Is Spiritual Weariness and How Can We Find Renewal?   In this episode of The Good Faith Podcast, Curtis Chang chats with Tish Harrison Warren—Anglican priest, former New York Times columnist, and author of What Grows in Weary Lands—about burnout, spiritual weariness, and the exhaustion that escapism and rest alone cannot fix. Tish explains how polarization, digital distraction, consumerism, and isolation can leave us tempted to "flame out" or "numb out." Instead, she invites listeners to "go deeper" through prayer, silence, embodied community, Sabbath, and the difficult but meaningful commitments that lead to lasting renewal.   00:36 - Introduction to World Weariness 02:43 - Tish Describes the Draining Experience of Public Faith 06:04 - What Are the Cultural Factors of Collective Burnout? 13:01 - Dysfunctional Responses: Reinvention and Escape 15:01 - Flame Out, Numb Out, or Go Deep 20:51 - Are There Practical Steps to Go Deep? 23:29 - The Practice of "Staying in Your Cell" 26:40 - The Tough Sell of Going Deeper 32:07 - The "Dark Night of the Soul" as a Growth Stage  36:11 - Learning from Historic Church Practices  38:04 - What Do Healthy Rhythms of Engagement and Withdrawal Look Like?   Sign up for The After Party Informational Webinars Sign up for The Good List   Mentioned in This Episode: Tish Harrison Warren's What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience The Ezra Klein Show: Burned Out? Start Here. Curt Thompson on Covid-era digital fatigue Thomas Aquinas's idea of arduous goods St. John of the Cross's The Dark Night of the Soul Stanley Hauerwas: Evangelicalism Will Die of Exhaustion (conversation with Al Mohler) the Desert Fathers and Mothers: "Stay in your cell"   More From Tish Harrison Warren: Tish Harrison Warren's website Tish Harrison Warren's New York Times pieces Other books by Tish Harrison Warren   Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Before demons became horned monsters in paintings, horror movies, and late-night YouTube thumbnails, they were something stranger.Older cultures spoke of daimons, spirits, hidden beings, wilderness presences, fallen angels, pagan gods, unclean spirits, and intelligences that seemed to move through dreams, temptation, sickness, fear, desire, and the human mind.Then Christianity entered the picture and reorganized the unseen world into a moral battlefield.In this episode of Idiot Mystic, we explore the long, eerie history of Christian demons: from Greek daimons and Jewish spirit traditions to the demons of the New Testament, the Desert Fathers, medieval demonology, witch trial panic, exorcism, possession, deliverance ministry, and modern psychological interpretations of demonic experience.We'll talk about Jesus casting out demons, Legion, Mary Magdalene and the “seven demons,” Augustine's rejection of daimonic mediation, Evagrius and the inner warfare of thoughts, medieval hierarchies, incubi and succubi, the Malleus Maleficarum, King James' Daemonologie, and why the demonic still feels so powerful when people talk about addiction, intrusive thoughts, trauma, compulsion, moral injury, oppression, and evil.This is part of the Idiot Mystic hidden beings series, alongside episodes on Mothman, Fairies / Hidden People, Daimons, Djinn, Shedim, and other recurring categories of unseen intelligence.The question underneath it all:Why do humans keep describing intelligences that influence thought, body, morality, desire, fear, and destiny?And maybe more specifically:How did Christianity turn the ambiguous middle world of spirits into a battlefield for the soul?Follow Idiot Mystic:YouTube / TikTok / Instagram: @idiotmysticWebsite: idiotmystic.comDiscord: https://discord.gg/dXKjhZrZmM

What do you do when the fire won't start - when life is full but God feels distant, when faith is intact but the soul is running on empty? In this conversation, I sit down with Tish Harrison Warren, who draws on her new book, What Grows in Weary Lands, to explore acedia, the ancient concept usually translated as sloth but better understood as a sadness that the good is difficult. We trace how the desert fathers and mothers were grappling with the same exhaustion and spiritual languishing that defines our moment and what their practices have to teach us about endurance, formation, and encounter with the living God.Tish Harrison Warren is a writer and an Anglican priest. She is the author of several books, including Liturgy of the Ordinary, which won Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year, and Prayer in the Night, which won Christianity Today's 2022 Book of the Year and the 2022 ECPA Christian Book of the Year. She formerly wrote a weekly newsletter for The New York Times, which focused on faith in public discourse and private life. She was also a columnist at Christianity Today. Her articles and essays have appeared in Comment Magazine, the The Point Magazine, Religion News Service, and elsewhere. She currently serves as the C.S. Lewis Theological Writer-in-Residence for The Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary. She is a senior fellow with the Trinity Forum and an assisting priest at Immanuel Anglican Church. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three children.Tish's Book:What Grows in Weary LandsTish's Recommendation:Liturgies of the WildConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@shiftingculturepodcast.comGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeSupport the podcast and the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below NEW PODCAST: American Evangelicals - A History PodcastA thoughtful, deep dive into one of the most talked-about movements in American history.Support the show

What is the Rosary—and where did it actually come from?In this episode of FACTS, Stephen Boyce and Pat May break down the real history behind one of the most misunderstood devotions in Christianity. Was the Rosary invented in the Middle Ages? Did Saint Dominic really receive it in a vision? And how do the The Gospel According to Luke, early monastic prayer, and centuries of Christian tradition all come together to form what we know today?We walk through the development step-by-step—from the Desert Fathers and repetitive prayer, to the formation of the Hail Mary, to the rise of the mysteries, and the global spread of the Rosary through figures like Pope Pius V and Saint Louis de Montfort.This isn't surface-level history. This is the making of the Rosary.If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7#Rosary #ChurchHistory #Catholic #FACTSPodcast #StephenBoyce #PatMay

There are sins that shock us. And there are sins we commit while feeling righteous. The Fathers place condemnation among the most dangerous of all, because it disguises itself as discernment, zeal, clarity, moral seriousness, concern for truth, or defense of virtue. It allows the soul to remain dark while imagining itself full of light. The monk in Tyre publicly takes the prostitute Porphyria by the hand to save her soul. He does not protect his image. He does not manage appearances. He does not consult public opinion. He risks slander to rescue a human being. The city immediately does what cities always do. It interprets evil. It invents details. It delights in scandal. It spreads rumor as if rumor were truth. This is the ancient world. It is also the modern one. People love condemnation because it relieves them of repentance. If another is filthy, then I feel cleaner. If another is hypocritical, then I need not examine my own hypocrisy. If another has fallen, then I may remain standing in my own imagination. The Evergetinos says something brutal and true: corrupt people readily believe corrupt things because they assume others are like themselves. The suspicious man is often revealing himself more than exposing anyone else. The monk bears this slander silently. He saves the woman, has her tonsured as a nun, entrusts her to the monastic life, and accepts years of false judgment. Only at death does God vindicate him through the miracle of the burning coals. Why then? Because God often waits until the end to expose the blindness of men. How many people have we judged who were secretly dear to God? How many motives have we misread? How many stories have we narrated from fragments and vanity? Abba Isaiah brings the matter into ordinary life. You need something from your brother. Instead of asking simply, you brood. You resent that he did not anticipate your need. You accuse him silently. The Elder says plainly: you are the one at fault. This is devastating because so much of our inner life is built on unspoken expectations. We punish others for failing standards we never voiced. Then we call ourselves wounded. St. Maximos the Confessor goes deeper still. Whoever busies himself with the sins of others has not yet begun repentance. Not advanced repentance. Not deep repentance. Begun. This means many religious people who speak constantly of the failures of the Church, society, clergy, family, culture, and enemies may not yet have entered the first room of spiritual life. They know outrage. They know commentary. They know denunciation. But they do not know repentance. The Gerontikon exposes another horror. A brother obsessed with impurity suspects two monks of sin. The Elder says the passion is in him. This is ascetic psychology of the highest order. What we compulsively detect in others often reveals what is active in ourselves. The lustful see lust everywhere. The proud detect pride everywhere. The deceitful suspect hidden motives everywhere. The bitter interpret everything through offense. They are reading their own soul onto the world. Abba Poimen adds one of the fiercest counsels in the tradition. Even if you think you touched the evidence with your own hands, do not be quick to condemn. The brother who thought he discovered fornication found only two bundles of wheat. This is not comic relief. It is revelation. You do not see clearly. You think you do. That is the danger. The section on St. John the Merciful reveals another blindness. We know the public sin. We do not know the secret repentance. The one we condemn today may already be weeping before God tonight. The one whose fall we discuss may already be rising while we remain unchanged. And here is the sharpest word of all from Abba John the Short: there is no greater virtue than not disparaging others. Why would he say this? Because the man who stops condemning is finally free to begin working on himself. The modern world feeds on accusation. Social media monetizes it. News cycles depend on it. Religious factions organize around it. Whole identities are formed through shared contempt. The Fathers would call this mass demonic pedagogy. You become what you repeatedly contemplate. If you feed daily on the faults of others, you slowly become a soul incapable of compunction. So what is the path? Speak less. Assume less. Ask plainly. Interpret slowly. Pray for the one you are tempted to judge. Return attention to your own sins. Let hidden things remain hidden unless duty truly requires action. And if genuine wrongdoing must be addressed, do so with sobriety, evidence, tears, and fear for your own soul. Here is the fierce conclusion: The soul that needs others to be guilty in order to feel innocent has not yet met God. Because the one who has stood honestly before God loses appetite for condemnation. He has too much to repent of. The Fathers do not ask you to become naive. They ask you to become clean. And cleanliness begins when you stop making a home for suspicion. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:02:57 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 5 Volume III - section 3 00:22:10 vanessa s (vanessa s): My daughter was supposed to go to Israel this summer but Air Canada cancelled all flights due to security issues. 00:22:20 vanessa s (vanessa s): :( 00:27:45 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 5 Volume III - section 3 00:35:22 Julie: Our Imagination can trick us when we start judging …our senses can be hijacked by our Assumptions 00:35:38 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "Our Imagination can ..." with

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott, Fyfe Blair "What are the 'pillows' that allow your soul to finally rest in God?" – Steve Macchia In this episode of the Discerning Leader Podcast, Steve Machia is joined by Matt Scott and Fyfe Blair for a rich and reflective conversation on silence and solitude. Together, they explore why these ancient practices feel so difficult in a distracted, fast-paced world—and why they remain essential for the health of our souls. Drawing from Scripture, lived experience, and the wisdom of the Desert Fathers, this episode invites you to move beyond surface-level quiet into a deeper stillness of heart. You'll discover how silence and solitude are not ends in themselves, but pathways into a life rooted in God's presence—a life marked by what Fife calls a "cadence of grace." If your soul feels hurried, noisy, or stretched thin, this conversation offers a gentle but honest invitation: slow down, make space, and learn again how to be with God. We've provided a 3 page Soul Care Audit that will offer you a handful of questions to consider how well you're caring for your soul. You can download the PDF here and spend some time prayerfully reflecting on your current rhythms and practices.  Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

There's a sin that has been attacking men since he was created. It doesn't look like sin. It doesn't feel like sin. But if you let it take root, it will quietly hollow out your faith...and you won't even see it coming.The average American prayer lasts one to two minutes. Men who say they're in a war for their soul, their marriage, their kids. Giving God two minutes.That's not just a busy schedule. That's something darker. And today we're naming it.The Desert Fathers called it acedia and the early Church considered it one of the most spiritually dangerous attacks a man could face. St. Thomas Aquinas listed it among the seven deadly sins. And it is the signature attack on Catholic men right now.It looks like contentment. It looks like, I show up to Mass on Sunday, I check the box, I'm a good provider. Isn't that enough? That is sloth. That is acedia. And chances are, you've never once confessed it.In this episode, James breaks down what acedia actually is, why the saints and Desert Fathers feared it above almost everything else, how to recognize it in your own life right now, and what to do about it starting this week.3 Powerful Quotes from This Episode:"Sloth is not about being lazy. It's about being unwilling to pay the cost of the fight.""Acedia is not a relaxation of effort, but a refusal of joy — because the joy that God offers is not cheap. It comes through the cross.""The man who goes into battle with a clear conscience and a clean soul is a different animal entirely from the man carrying the weight of unconfessed sin and unexamined drift."Key Takeaway — Apply This Immediately:Identify one area of your life where you've been sitting on the stairs — your prayer life, your marriage, your kids, your own soul. This week, show up there on purpose. Five minutes. Eyes closed. No apps. Tell God exactly where you've been frozen. Then go to confession before the month is out.Thank you for your prayers and support!Consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me a Coffee page to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible!Subscribe to our YouTube page.Check out our websiteGet delicious coffee from Mystic Monk CoffeeDownload TAN Digital to access the incredible TAN Library! Use code 'MANLYCATHOLIC' to get 50% OFF your subscription!Contact us at themanlycatholic@gmail.com

The shallow reader sees only a warning against suspicion. The deeper reader trembles, because this account unveils something far more demanding: the measure of a life so united to God that it no longer moves by ordinary instinct. Most men protect reputation. Most men avoid scandal. Most men keep a safe distance from misery so that their conscience remains clean and their name untarnished. St. Vitalios of Alexandria did none of this. He entered the place others cursed. He walked into darkness not to taste it, but to burn within it like hidden fire. He labored by day, ate almost nothing, gave his wages away, and spent whole nights standing in prayer for women whom society used, despised, and discarded. While others preached virtue from a distance, he purchased for them one night of freedom and filled that purchased silence with psalms, tears, prostrations, and intercession. This is not recklessness. It is sanctity. The prudent man says: “Protect yourself.” The holy man says: “Lose yourself.” The calculating man asks: “What will people think?” The saint asks: “Who will suffer if I do nothing?” The world calls such love foolish because it cannot recognize anything that does not orbit self-preservation. What made this possible? Not mere compassion. Not personality. Not activism. Not moral zeal. It was hypostatic life: the human person so opened to God that divine love begins to move through human faculties. The man remains man, yet his heart becomes a place where another will acts, another mercy breathes, another courage rises. He does not merely imitate Christ. Christ lives in him. So he can go where others cannot go. He can endure slander without defense. He can accept blows without retaliation. He can bear misunderstanding without explaining himself. He can love those who insult him. He can save those whom others have already condemned. This is why the story wounds us. We do not simply condemn others. We also love within limits. We forgive within limits. We serve within limits. We give when it costs little. We remain charitable so long as our image stays intact. We call this balance, prudence, maturity. Often it is fear wearing respectable clothing. St. Vitalios of Alexandria accepted the loss of reputation as the price of hidden obedience. He let the city think him filthy while heaven knew him radiant. Few can bear this martyrdom. Many would rather be praised for lesser virtues than despised for greater love. And see the fruit. Women were restored. The shameless learned chastity. The fallen found repentance. The violent man became a monk. The condemning city learned fear. The Patriarch gave thanks. One hidden man transformed a multitude. We live in an age obsessed with visibility, explanation, branding, image, and public vindication. We cannot bear to be misunderstood for an afternoon. Yet the saints often accepted misunderstanding for years. Why? Because once the heart belongs wholly to God, reputation becomes dust. The final words of the Elder are written not in ink, but on the ground. Dust speaking to dust: Judge nothing before the time. Not because evil is unreal. Not because discernment is unnecessary. But because what you see is almost never the whole story. The woman you dismiss may be one night from repentance. The man you mock may be a saint in disguise. The soul you slander may be carrying a cross you cannot imagine. And the one you most confidently condemn may be the vessel through whom God is saving many. If you would know whether Christ lives in you, ask not how pious you appear. Ask this: Can you love where there is no reward? Can you serve where you will be misjudged? Can you descend where others recoil? Can you lose your good name for another's salvation? Can you remain silent while God alone knows? There begins the path of the saints. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:03:39 Janine: Yes 00:04:07 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Evergetinos Volume III page 2 section 2 00:05:06 Janine: Father ..do you think the Holy Spirit is dismantling us throughout our whole life? Or is it a later stage? 00:06:06 Janine: Yes..that makes sense! 00:11:20 Sam: Greetings

Simon Wickhamsmith is a Buddhist monk turned scholar, computer musician, and one of the only translators of Mongolian literature into English. He teaches in the Writing Program at Rutgers University and has been traveling back and forth to Mongolia since 2006. In this conversation he traces his spiritual path from Catholicism through Tibetan Buddhism and back to medieval Christian mysticism, introduces the Mongolian poet Mend-Ooyo, and takes us deep into the life and poetry of the 19th century Buddhist polymath Danzanravjaa — a figure Simon considers his primary teacher — including a live reading of the poem Twos, a stunning meditation on nonduality from the Mongolian steppe. Topics 00:00 — Introduction 00:02 — Simon's spiritual path: Catholicism, Opus Dei, the Desert Fathers, and Zen 00:04 — Discovering Tibetan Buddhism, Samye Ling monastery in Scotland, and ordaining as a monk 00:06 — The three-year retreat, his mother's illness, and returning to the world 00:07 — Returning to medieval Christian mysticism: Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart, The Cloud of Unknowing 00:10 — How SAND connected with Mend-Ooyo in Mongolia — and how Simon met him 00:12 — Teaching himself Mongolian by translating Danzanravjaa's complete works 00:13 — Introducing Mend-Ooyo: born 1952 into a nomadic herding family, poet and cultural guardian of Mongolia 00:16 — The underground literary group GAL (Fire) and Mend-Ooyo's role in Mongolian literary culture 00:18 — Mend-Ooyo's mission: reconnecting Mongolia to its nomadic heritage after Soviet collapse 00:19 — Mend-Ooyo's new novel The Solitary Tree: Robin Hood, shamanism, Buddhism, and falcons 00:23 — Who was Danzanravjaa? Born in the Gobi Desert, recognized as the fifth reincarnation of the Noyon Hutagt 00:26 — Danzanravjaa's approach: spontaneous, impromptu poetry as dharma teaching 00:28 — Mongolia's first traveling theater troupe and the poems as dictated teachings 00:31 — Live reading and analysis of Perfect Qualities — a love poem, a guru poem, and a poem of nonduality simultaneously 00:33 — The three levels of meaning in Danzanravjaa's poetry: outer, inner, and secret 00:38 — Bhakti yoga, Ram Dass, Maharaji, and the connection to direct transmission beyond doctrine 00:41 — Danzanravjaa and the land: the Shambhala vortex at Hamriin Hiid 00:44 — Horses, landscape, and the spiritual path in his poetry 00:45 — Simon's personal experience of the Shambhala site and animist relationship to land 00:49 — If Danzanravjaa were alive today: his anti-Manchu politics and primary focus on deepening practice 00:50 — Live reading of the poem Twos — nonduality in full 00:54 — On translation: humor, layers of meaning, and the paradox of the poem itself Resources & Links Simon Wickhamsmith Rutgers University faculty page Suncranes and Other Stories: Modern Mongolian Short Fiction — Columbia University Press, 2021 Politics and Literature in Mongolia (1921–1948) — Amsterdam University Press, 2020 The Hidden Life of the Sixth Dalai Lama — Lexington Books, 2011 Mend-Ooyo Gombojav Official website: mend-ooyo.mn Altan Ovoo (Golden Hill) — translated by Simon Wickhamsmith Gegeenten (The Holy One) — novel about Danzanravjaa The Solitary Tree — Mend-Ooyo's most recent novel, published 2025, translated by Simon Wickhamsmith Wikipedia: Mend-Ooyo Gombojav SAND Event — Nature of Mind and Mind of Nature: A Local Event with Mongolian Poet Mend-Ooyo Gombojav (2026) Danzanravjaa (referenced poems) Perfect Qualities (also known as The Five Senses / Five Offerings) Twos — read in full during the episode Mend-Ooyo's essay on Danzanravjaa: mend-ooyo.mn/content/86.html Referenced spiritual figures & texts The Cloud of Unknowing — anonymous 14th century medieval Christian mysticism text Julian of Norwich and Meister Eckhart — medieval mystics Simon returned to after Buddhism Samye Ling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Scotland — where Simon did his retreat Ram Dass and Maharaji — referenced in discussion of bhakti yoga and direct transmission John Cage — Simon's original entry point into Zen Buddhism Connect with more talks and films from the SAND film Series The Eternal Song Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Orthodoxy Ended Church Shopping: When Church History Won My Heart.  Special Uncut Edition.What if the ache you feel on Sunday isn't a lack of passion, but a hunger for roots? Tony Nektarios Vasquez joins us to share how a Pentecostal upbringing, a non-denominational season, and eventually a Calvinist-leaning church plant still left him asking where the first 1,500 years fit in. His story is not a theory lesson—it's a family saga: a praying father discovering the Desert Fathers, a brother slipping out to Vespers, a wife and children encountering reverence for the first time, and a co-pastor who realized that history, Scripture, and worship belong together.We trace Tony's path from Pentecostal roots and a non-denominational church plant to a sober look at church history, liturgy, and apostolic succession. Family doubts, online study, and the beauty of Vespers turn hesitation into conviction as Scripture and tradition align.• questioning charismatic altar practices and emotionalism• moving from Reformers to the first 1,500 years• parish visits to St James and first Vespers• answers on icons, relics, and intercession from Scripture• liturgy as continuity with Old Testament worship• apostolic succession and the promise that the Church endures• closing a young church to enter Orthodoxy• finding healing and stability in the sacramentsWe walk through the uncomfortable questions most avoid. Are altar manifestations genuine or coached? Does sola fide stand when held beside James and the early Church? How do relics, icons, and the intercession of the saints square with the Bible? Tony takes us inside St. James Orthodox Church in Modesto, where incense and chant weren't novelty, but a doorway to Christ-centered prayer. He shares the moment his daughter said the hymns made her want to cry, the way Revelation reframed prayer as a communion of heaven and earth, and how apostolic succession answered the authority problem that haunted his independent church.This conversation is a guided tour from system to story, from proof texts to a living tradition. We touch on the continuity between Old Testament worship and the Divine Liturgy, the claim that the Church Christ founded never paused or rebooted, and the quiet courage it took to close a young church for a faith that felt both ancient and alive. If you've wondered where the dots connect—Scripture, history, and sacrament—this is an honest map drawn in real time.If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful journeys into the ancient faith, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your questions and stories shape future episodes—drop them in the comments and say hello to Tony.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

Palm Sunday is often remembered as a parade, but it was actually a confrontation. In this final installment of the "Wisdom in the Desert" series, Pastor Dan Sinkhorn breaks down the deep, prophetic meaning behind Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and what it reveals about the human heart. Why did the same voices that shouted "Hosanna" on Sunday scream for an execution by Friday? The answer lies in the gap between our worldly expectations and God's holy intentions. Drawing on the insights of St. Augustine and the Desert Fathers, Pastor Dan explores how our lives become "disordered" when we love even good things—like family, security, or success—more than we love Jesus Christ. If your spiritual life feels like a "glitchy operating system," this episode is a call to hit the reset button. As we move into Holy Week, learn how to carry the silence and discipline of the desert into the noise of the city.

Send us Fan MailYour day is moving fast, your mind is crowded, and peace can feel like a luxury you cannot reach. We slow everything down with one of the Church's simplest treasures: the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” As we pray it and unpack it, we discover why this short line has carried monks, saints, parents, and parish workers through anxiety, distraction, and spiritual dryness, turning ordinary moments into a steady return to God.We walk through the biblical roots in Luke 18, where mercy is the bold cry of the blind man and the humble confession of the tax collector, and we connect it to Saint Paul's call to “pray without ceasing.” We also trace the prayer through the early Church and the Desert Fathers and Mothers, who learned that short, repeated prayer can steady the heart when thoughts wander. Along the way, we reflect on the Holy Name of Jesus as a refuge and a source of spiritual peace, especially when life feels noisy or uncertain.Then we get practical: how to pray the Jesus Prayer throughout the day at work, in traffic, while doing chores, or before the tabernacle in Eucharistic adoration, and how breathing with the words or using beads can help. We also talk about humility as the engine of real contemplative prayer and why the goal is prayer of the heart, not perfect performance. If you want more support for your Catholic devotional life, check the link in the description for the rest of the article, a special news item, and a special offer at JourneysOfFaith.com. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs calm, and leave a review with the moment you plan to start praying it.Open by Steve Bailey Support the showChat with US 24/7 Ask us anything https://chatting.page/mjxs9aerrtgm3lmpndlcepmbyosntrjnView all of our blog posts here https://journeysoffaith.com/blogs/eucharist-mary-saintsDownload Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-appJourneys of Faith brings your Super Saints PodcastsPlease consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow!***Our Core Beliefs***The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith."  Catechism 132 Click Here“This is the will of God, your sanctification.”   1Thessalonians 4“ ...

In this Lenten message from Shiloh Church of Jasper, Pastor Dan Sinkhorn continues the "Wisdom in the Desert" series by challenging the American myth of the self-made person and our cultural sense of entitlement. Drawing inspiration from the early Desert Fathers and Mothers, Pastor Dan explores what it means to practice true biblical humility and penitence, illustrating how the desert serves as a great equalizer for us all. Through the lens of Philippians 2:5–11, this episode examines the Apostle Paul's lifelong "journey of reduction"—where he grew more secure in Christ as he viewed himself as increasingly smaller—and Jesus Christ's ultimate example of surrendering His divine privileges to become a servant. Listeners are invited to trade their desire for status and recognition for the "freedom of self-forgetfulness," embracing a life of unexceptional, faithful service to others. The episode concludes with a powerful recitation of the Wesley Covenant Prayer, challenging believers to fully surrender their lives and agendas to God's will.

Send a textThis is the second of two talks given by Archpriest Joseph Lucas at our 2026 Lenten retreat. Contemporary society constantly speaks about "love" but does not understand what it means to say that "God is love." Father Joseph Lucas will take you on a journey, from the creation of the universe to the end of history, to explore the meaning of divine love and to reveal that a life of self-denial is the only proper response. Archpriest Joseph Lucas is an Orthodox priest, patristic theologian, and professor. He serves as rector of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Cathedral in Miami Lakes, Florida, holds a PhD in Theology from Radboud University in the Netherlands, and his MDiv with Distinction in Patristics and Church History from St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Seminary. He is the author of How to Read the Holy Fathers and Prayer of the Publican: Justification in the Desert Fathers, both published by Ancient Faith Publishing, and serves as co-editor-in-chief of Rule of Faith Journal. He teaches theology at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens and specializes in patristic exegesis and historical theology. Website @ https://www.st-innocent.orgInstagram @ https://www.instagram.com/st.innocentchurch/Facebook @ https://fb.me/SaintInnocentMaconGeorgia Help Support St. Innocent Orthodox Church @ https://onrealm.org/siocmacon/-/form/give/now

This episode reflects on Matthew 6 and the warning against laying up treasures on earth, exploring the biblical term "maimon" (money/idol) and how consumer culture pulls us away from God. Drawing on the Desert Fathers, Pastor Dan invites listeners into a Lenten practice of fasting, silence, and intentional acts of resistance against materialism. Through practical examples and a closing prayer, the message challenges us to simplify, practice generosity, and create space for God by turning off devices, resisting constant shopping, and embracing Sabbath-like solitude and charity.

In a world shaped by outrage and constant commentary, the Christian calling is different. Drawing on Scripture, the Desert Fathers, and the theology of St. Gregory Palamas, this homily explores why Christians must learn to speak in ways that build up rather than tear down. Sometimes the most faithful response is simply silence. --- Homily Notes: St. Gregory Palamas "Let Us Be Quiet" There are moments when the most truthful response a human being can give … is silence. What do you meet in silence? On Holy Saturday, during the First Resurrection service, we sing these words: "Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and in fear and trembling stand; for the King of kings and Lord of lords comes forth, to be slain, to give Himself as food to the faithful." Why should we be silent in the presence of God? Sometimes the reason is shame. When we see the goodness of God clearly, we recognize the ways we have failed Him. The proper response is not words of justification. It is silence. Sometimes the reason is gratitude. For those who have received God's gift of redemption through Christ, there is nothing we could say that would adequately express it. Sometimes the reason is relief. For those who have wearied themselves trying to do good in service to God, there is comfort in knowing that our efforts have not been in vain. The burden becomes light because God is real. Sometimes the reason is simply rationality. What could we possibly say that would improve the intellectual profundity of the moment? Remember St. Peter at the Transfiguration. He sees the glory of Christ and immediately begins talking: "Lord, let us build three tents…" But Scripture gently reminds us that he did not know what he was saying.  This teaches us that sometimes silence is the only reasonable response. It also teaches us that the most profound experience of silence is simply awe. It is like standing in the sun after a long cold winter and feeling its warmth. You do not analyze the sun. You stand in it. But silence does not come naturally to us. Spiritually speaking, the opposite of silence is not just sound. The opposite of silence is distraction. Noise. Talking. Constant reaction. And today one of the loudest places in our lives is not the street. It is our phones. Social media trains us to respond instantly to everything. Every opinion must be expressed. Every disagreement must be answered. Every irritation must be broadcast. But the spiritual life teaches something very different. Sometimes the holiest thing you can do… is not to respond. Sometimes holiness means closing the app and being quiet. This struggle with speech is not new. The Desert Fathers understood this deeply. A brother asked Abba Pambo whether it was good to praise one's neighbor, and the old man said: "It is better to be silent." And if that is true about praise, how much more true it is when we are tempted to criticize or attack our neighbor [or even some rando on the internet]? Another brother asked Abba Poemen: "Is it better to speak or to be silent?" And the old man replied: "The man who speaks for God's sake does well; but the man who is silent for God's sake also does well." Scripture says something similar: "Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise; and he who shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." (Proverbs 17:28) Or as Mark Twain later put it: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." But Christian silence is not just about avoiding foolish words. It is about growing out of our sin and toward divinity. And here we must be honest with ourselves. We see easily when other people speak with anger, bitterness, sarcasm, or cruelty. But we rarely notice when we do the same thing. It is a bit like bad breath: [pause] We notice it quickly in other people, but we may not realize when it is our own. So here is a simple rule many of us were taught as children: "If you cannot say something nice, do not say anything at all." That may sound simple. But it contains real wisdom. Before speaking, ask yourself: Will what I am about to say build up the person I am speaking to? This is not about sugar-coating reality. This is not about pretending evil is good or giving evil a pass. Rather, it is about learning to speak in a way that builds up rather than tears down—so that we become pastors and priests rather than pundits and prosecutors. There are already plenty of prosecutors. What the world needs are pastors.   And that is precisely what we are called to be as the Royal Priesthood. But we need to acquire silence so that we might receive and share grace in this calling. Abba Arsenius said: "I have often repented of speaking, but never of remaining silent." And if you are not sure whether a word would be useful? And how could you be sure?  Do you really know their heart? Do you know their struggles? Do you know their intentions? We so easily judge the surface of another person's life without knowing the weight they carry. So if we are not sure whether speaking would be useful—and we should always have our doubts—perhaps the best thing for us to do is simply be quiet. Because silence is not just the absence of words. It is the space where the heart begins to hear God.--- This is only the first step in the way of silence.  But we must start somewhere: Speak less. Listen more. Use words to build up rather than tear down. Over time, something begins to change inside us. Silence creates space. And in that space we begin to notice something we had missed before. The presence of God. A brother once came to Abba Moses at Scetis and asked him for a word. The old man said: "Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything." Silence becomes a teacher. Stillness becomes a teacher. And this is exactly what St. Gregory Palamas teaches us. He reminds us that the knowledge of God is not reached by noise or argument, but through hesychia — holy stillness — the quieting of the mind and heart so that the light of God may be known. Not because we have earned it. But because we have finally become quiet enough to notice Him. And this is why the Church calls us to spiritual silence in the Divine Liturgy. In a few moments we will stand again before the altar. The King of Kings will come forth. Not in thunder. Not in spectacle. But in bread and wine that become His Body and Blood. And so the Church says again, through the hymn of Holy Saturday; "Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and in fear and trembling stand." Let us quiet our minds. Let us quiet our tongues. Let us quiet our hearts. So that we may stand before the Lord of glory… and receive Him with awe. And so the Church teaches us again what the saints have always taught: let us be quiet. If we learn this lesson well, we may discover that what waits for us in that silence is not emptiness at all… but the living presence of God.  And that silence, and that Presence, slowly shape us into the likeness of Christ.

Send a textThis is the first of two talks given by Archpriest Joseph Lucas at our 2026 Lenten retreat. Contemporary society constantly speaks about "love" but does not understand what it means to say that "God is love." Father Joseph Lucas will take you on a journey, from the creation of the universe to the end of history, to explore the meaning of divine love and to reveal that a life of self-denial is the only proper response. Archpriest Joseph Lucas is an Orthodox priest, patristic theologian, and professor. He serves as rector of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Cathedral in Miami Lakes, Florida, holds a PhD in Theology from Radboud University in the Netherlands, and his MDiv with Distinction in Patristics and Church History from St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Seminary. He is the author of How to Read the Holy Fathers and Prayer of the Publican: Justification in the Desert Fathers, both published by Ancient Faith Publishing, and serves as co-editor-in-chief of Rule of Faith Journal. He teaches theology at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens and specializes in patristic exegesis and historical theology. Website @ https://www.st-innocent.orgInstagram @ https://www.instagram.com/st.innocentchurch/Facebook @ https://fb.me/SaintInnocentMaconGeorgia Help Support St. Innocent Orthodox Church @ https://onrealm.org/siocmacon/-/form/give/now

According to Professor Hannah Fry, people's lives are enriched by artificial intelligence. It makes problem-solving easier, helps medical diagnosis, and can improve productivity. Yet as she points out in her new BBC2 documentary, AI Confidential, there are risks: that jobs will be lost to AI; that we might lose the bedside care that comes with human diagnosis as machine intelligence takes over. She also warns AI provides what she calls emotional junk food that demands nothing of us, by offering AI romantic partners. And then there's tech grief, highlighted in a recent EastEnders storyline, when video and voice notes are used to create an avatar of a dead character to console his father. Real mourning is put on hold. But it seems to me there's another risky aspect of AI – that it rewrites temptation. Temptation is traditionally thought to be about testing will-power. Take Lent and Ramadan, currently being observed by Christians and Muslims. If a Muslim fasting all day has a little snack at lunchtime, or a Christian giving up sweets for Lent, eats chocolate, they've failed in their discipline. But AI is a different, and remarkable tempter, encouraging people not to fail in some way but take the easier option that in some ways seems sensible. Why read a book, for example, when AI can give you a quick summary, or make the effort to cook for dinner guests when AI can help locate a fancy restaurant in seconds and order a takeaway. And instead of the regret that comes from conventional temptation, AI offers something else. It's all too easy to console yourself that you have done something good. You've saved time. The easy option has advantages. The Desert Fathers – early Christian thinkers who retreated to the desert – did so because they believed a hard life was good for them. They believed it brought them closer to God. And with temptation, even if you give in to it but then regret it you can grow as a person by learning something about yourself. Pope Leo who has expressed concern about the impact of AI on humanity has now urged priests to resist the temptation to use the short cut of AI to write sermons. AI might be clever, but there's something lacking in AI preaching: it doesn't come from the heart. Perhaps this Lent and Ramadan, it might be worth not only giving up something that tests our will, but pondering something that appears helpful yet is temptation on another scale, reducing our need to think. After all, as Descartes said, I think, therefore I am. What am I, if machines have seduced me to do so much less thinking for myself?

In this message, "Intensifying My Hunger for Holiness," we continue our Lenten journey, "Wisdom in the Desert,"by exploring the wilderness as a spiritual mirror that strips away our modern distractions and brings us eye-to-eye with our own brokenness. Drawing on the ancient wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, we move beyond viewing sin as a mere "lapse in judgment" to recognize it as a force that "desires to have us"—a force we are empowered to rule over through the Holy Spirit. By identifying the "Eight Thoughts"—patterns like Acedia (spiritual apathy) and Vainglory (image management)—we learn to stop "toying" with the thoughts that entangle us and instead embrace a proactive, grace-fueled pursuit of a Christ-shaped life.

Sermon Summary:We wrapped up our journey through Pete Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality with a question that matters more than any sermon series: what does a sustainable spiritual life look like on a random Tuesday when no one is asking you to think about it?A study of Israeli parole judges showed that the time of day mattered more to their decisions than the facts of a case. Decision fatigue is real. We are not brains driving bodies around. We are whole people who get depleted, and depleted people default to whatever is easiest and most immediate. Good intentions, without structure, are not a plan.That structure has a name. Fifteen hundred years of Christian tradition calls it a Rule of Life, drawn from the Greek word for trellis, a framework that helps something grow where you actually want it to grow. Daniel had one. Praying three times a day toward Jerusalem, keeping convictions about food and allegiance, he maintained his identity through sixty-plus years of living inside the most sophisticated empire on earth. The lions and the furnace made him famous. The prayer at the window made him who he was.The Desert Fathers and Mothers, St. Benedict, William Wilberforce and his Clapham Circle all understood the same thing: formation requires intention. Scazzero organizes a Rule of Life around four areas: Prayer, Rest, Work, and Relationships. Sabbath is not just recovery. It is a declaration that God holds things together. Caring for the body is a spiritual act. Community is not optional support for the real work. Community is the work.The goal of all of it is joy. Jesus said his joy would be in us and our joy would be complete. The most formed disciples should be the most alive people in the room.URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship

The fathers did not endure silence. They loved it. This is the difference between a man who is forcing himself to be quiet and a man who has discovered God. One clenches his teeth and calls it discipline. The other falls silent because he has found Someone worth listening to. Abba Or never lied, never cursed, never spoke unnecessarily. Not because he was following rules. Because he had seen the damage words do when they are born from ego. He had watched how speech leaks the life out of the soul. How it dissipates grace. How it feeds the illusion that we exist by asserting ourselves. Every unnecessary word strengthens the false self. Every unnecessary word delays repentance. Every unnecessary word postpones intimacy. The fathers were not minimalists. They were realists. They had learned that most of what we say does not come from truth but from anxiety. We speak to control. We speak to secure ourselves. We speak to make sure we exist in the minds of others. We are afraid to disappear. Silence terrifies the ego because silence exposes that we do not sustain ourselves. God does. ⸻ St Ephraim says that he who speaks much multiplies quarrels and hatred. This is not moralism. This is anatomy. Words inflame the passions. Words solidify judgment. Words give form to resentment that would otherwise dissolve in the presence of God. A garden without a fence is trampled. A soul without silence is plundered. Every idle conversation opens the gate to distraction. Every irrelevant word invites the demon of listlessness. Antiochos names this with terrifying clarity. Loquacity does not merely waste time. It hands the mind over to the enemy. Because God is not found in noise. God is found where nothing of the ego remains to obscure Him. This is why silence is not empty. Silence is full. It is full of Presence. It is full of Light. It is full of a Word that cannot be manufactured by human thought. St Isaac the Syrian says that silence is the mystery of the age to come. Words belong to this age. Silence belongs to eternity. Because in eternity, God is not explained. He is known. Not through concepts. Through union. ⸻ When the fathers entered silence, they did not enter absence. They entered encounter. They discovered that beneath the constant internal narration of the mind there was Another Voice. A Voice that did not shout. A Voice that did not argue. A Voice that did not flatter or condemn. A Voice equal to God Himself. Because it was God Himself. The Logos. The Word through whom all things were made. This Word does not force Himself upon us. He waits. He waits for the noise to stop. He waits for the ego to weaken. He waits for the endless commentary to exhaust itself. He waits for the man to become poor enough to listen. And when He speaks, He does not merely inform. He creates. His Word heals what sin has disfigured. His Word restores what pride has shattered. His Word brings into existence a new heart. This is why the fathers guarded silence with ferocity. They were protecting the place where God is born in the soul. ⸻ Antiochos says that those who possess the Holy Spirit do not speak when they wish but when moved by the Spirit. This is freedom. Not the freedom to speak. The freedom to remain silent. The ego must speak to survive. The Spirit does not. The ego is restless. The Spirit is still. The ego needs witnesses. The Spirit is its own witness. This is why the saints speak few words. Not because they have nothing to say. But because they see the cost of speech. They know that every word must pass through fire. They have seen the devastation caused by words spoken without God. They have seen how words born from self obscure the Word who gives life. So they wait. They remain in silence until speech itself becomes obedience. Until speech is no longer self-expression but revelation. ⸻ We resist this silence because it feels like death. And it is death. It is the death of the self that must assert, explain, defend, and secure itself. It is the death of the self that believes it exists by speaking. In silence, this self collapses. And something else begins to appear. Something quiet. Something uncreated. Something that does not depend on being seen or heard. Christ Himself begins to live where the false self once ruled. This is why silence is not endured. It is loved. Because in silence we discover that we were never sustained by our words. We were sustained by Him. And when every unnecessary word falls away, when every inner argument dissolves, when every effort to secure ourselves finally collapses, there remains only this: God speaking His Word in the depths of the heart. And this Word is life. And this Word is light. And this Word is love. And this Word is enough. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:03:08 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/post/philokalia-ministries-lenten-retreat-2026 00:03:37 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.youtube.com/@philokaliaministries/videos 00:04:06 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 355 number 11 00:10:00 Janine: Father…still sick..but here…thank you for prayers 00:12:40 Mary and Al: Albert 00:16:30 Andrew Adams: Will the Lenten retread be on the podcast feed? 00:47:12 Jessica McHale: Interesting---I discerned contemplative monastic life at two different monasteries. In both experiences, the nuns were too social for me. They spoke during two meals during the day, and most of the talk was politics. Since I was discerning, I imagine they wanted my opinion on political topics to see if I would "fit in" with the community. They let me know that socialization and speaaking was part of commnity life. It just wasn't for me. It is hard to find a "community" tha understands the importance of silence. For me, silence is essential. It's a prayerful existence centered on God. 00:47:37 Maureen Cunningham: If someone is quiet , the mind can be  in constant thought. How  do you combine the silence and. Empty out the mind 00:51:22 Erick Chastain: Clear creek monks didn't know who Trump was not too long ago (after he ran for president) 01:00:49 John ‘Jack': Silence ultimately brought me back to the Church.  About 15 years ago my wife asked what I wanted for a birthday gift? After listening to an elderly freind speak so lovingly of her time spent at the Abbey of the Genesee, I decided to ask for a  weekend retreat. She gave it to me, best gift ever. The first evening I thought I was  going to lose my mind. I've grown to love silence! 01:01:21 Jessica McHale: Reacted to "Silence ultimately..." with ❤️ 01:02:04 Carol Nypaver: Reacted to "Silence ultimately b..." with

"People do not drift toward holiness." We live in a world that majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. In an age where our attention spans are shrinking and our digital lives are louder than ever, how do we find the "lonely places" where Jesus met with His Father? In this Ash Wednesday message, we kick off our Lenten series, The Desert as a Place of Prayerful Pursuit. We draw wisdom from the ancient Desert Fathers and Mothers—radical believers who fled the distractions of the 3rd-century city to find deep intimacy with God in the wilderness. In this recording, you'll explore: The Theology of Effort: Why grace isn't opposed to effort, only to earning. The "Proskartereō" Life: What it means to have a "steely determination" in our prayer life. The Parable of the Bow: How to avoid the trap of "excessive religiosity" and find the unforced rhythms of grace. The Identity of the Beloved: Why we go into the wilderness because we are loved, not to prove we are worthy. Lent is not a season of passive waiting; it is an intentional journey. Whether you feel spiritually vibrant or completely parched, join us as we "shut the door" on the noise and step into the desert to reignite our passion for Jesus.

Send a textForty days can feel long when zeal fades by week three, yet Lent is meant to be a path of real change, not a test of willpower. We open a clear way forward: a Lenten reading plan that anchors daily prayer, teaches the heart to listen, and turns routine into renewal. From the first ash to the final Alleluia, we walk through practices and resources that help you stay grounded, attentive, and alive to grace.We start with the why: choosing the right spiritual reading keeps the heart centered when distractions swell. Then we move into the how with a simple, life‑giving walkthrough of Lectio Divina—reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation—so scripture shifts from information to transformation. Along the way, we draw from the Desert Fathers and Mothers, whose spare wisdom cuts through noise; Augustine's aching honesty in Confessions; Aquinas' clear vision of penance as liberation; and Francis de Sales' gentle road map for holiness in ordinary life. Together, these guides shape a Lenten plan that is practical, compassionate, and deeply Catholic.We also rekindle awe through Eucharistic miracles that reorient fasting and adoration around the living presence of Christ. Fridays receive special focus with the Stations of the Cross, using classic and contemporary texts to enter the Passion with courage and tenderness. For busy days, we share audiobook and podcast options that turn commutes, kitchens, and quiet corners into places of prayer, so your practice stays steady when the schedule will not. By the end, you'll have a toolkit—books, devotions, and audio companions—to help you pray with intention, fast with purpose, and adore with wonder.Ready to make these forty days truly fruitful? Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs a fresh start, and leave a review telling us the one resource you'll begin with today.Lenten Reading RecommendationsOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showDownload Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-app Journeys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts Please consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow! ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here The Goal is Heaven Click Here...

In this episode of "Being Human with Steve Cuss," Steve and author and spiritual guide Andrew Arndt explore fallout from prominent Christian leaders' public confessions of wrongdoing. They explore the spiritual and psychological dynamics that lead to such failures, including the dangers of living a double life, the creation of a false self, and the importance of empathy and repentance. Andrew shares insights from his new book A Strange and Gracious Light: How the Story of Jesus Changes the Way We See Everything and reflects on personal growth, leadership, and the healing power of unconditional love within the church community. Steve and Andrew emphasize honesty, vulnerability, and the ongoing journey toward wholeness. Biblical Passages I Corinthians 13 (ESV) Luke 5:31 (ESV) Episode Resources: Andrew Arndt's A Strange and Gracious Light: How the Story of Jesus Changes the Way We See Everything Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov Frederick Buechner's Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man Rich Mullins on Salvation and "God in His Mercy" (video) Henri Nouwen's In the Name of Jesus More From Andrew Arndt: Andrew Arndt's Streams in the Wasteland: Finding Spiritual Renewal with the Desert Fathers and Mothers Andrew Arndt's All Flame: Entering into the Life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Sign up for Steve's Newsletter & Podcast Reminders: Capable Life Newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He was a Phrygian by birth, a slave of Philemon, to whom the Apostle Paul addressed his epistle. Onesimos escaped from Philemon and fled to Rome, where he was converted to the Faith by St Paul. St Paul sent him back to his master, who at St Paul's urging gave him his freedom. He served the Church for many years before dying a martyr, beaten to death with clubs.   Saint Onesimos is also commemorated on November 22, with Sts Philemon, Archippus and Aphia; and on January 4 at the Synaxis of the Seventy Disciples. Our Venerable Father Dalmatius of Siberia (1697) Saint Dalmatius is venerated as a pioneer of the movement that took many ascetics to dwell in the wilderness of Siberia, establishing a new company of Desert Fathers and causing the Russian Far North to be called the 'Northern Thebaid.' He was born in Tobolsk and reared in piety by his family, recently-converted Tatars. When grown, he entered the imperial army as a Cossack and served with such distinction that the Tsar awarded him a noble title. He married and lived in Tobolsk in comfort and prosperity. One day — after the destruction of Tobolsk in a great fire in 1643 — struck by a realization of the vanity of worldly things, he left family, wealth and property and went to a monastery in the Ural Mountains, taking with him only an icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos.   He was tonsured a monk with the name of Dalmatius, and devoted himself to prayer and ascesis with such fervor that, a short time later, the brethren elected him Abbot. Fearing pride and fleeing honor, Dalmatius fled with his icon of the Theotokos to a remote cave, where he lived a life of silence and continual prayer. His presence did not long remain secret in that sparsely-settled region, and soon Christians were coming from far and wide to ask his prayer and counsel; many pagans came to him for holy Baptism. Soon his habitation became too small for those who had chosen to stay as his disciples, and the Saint received a blessing from the Bishop of Tobolsk to build a wooden chapel and some cells. This was the beginning of the great Monastery of the Dormition (also called the Monastery of St Dalmatius).   Over the years the brethren endured many tribulations. Once the Tatar Prince of the region, provoked by false rumors, planned to destroy the monastery and kill all the monks. The night before the attack, the holy Mother of God appeared to the prince in resplendent clothes, holding a flaming sword in one hand and a scourge in the other. She forbade the Prince to harm the monastery or the brethren, and commanded him to give them a permanent concession over the region. Convinced by this vision, the Prince made peace with the monks and became the Monastery's protector, though he was a Muslim.   In the succeeding years the Monastery was repeatedly burned down by the fierce pagan tribes which inhabited the area; once all the monks except St Dalmatius himself were butchered, but always the monastery was rebuilt. The Saint reposed in peace in 1697, and was succeeded as abbot by his own son Isaac, who built a stone shrine at the Monastery to house the relics of the Saint and the icon of the Mother of God which he had kept with him throughout his monastic life.

A lecture given at L'Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts. For more information, visit https://southboroughlabri.org/ by Sarah Chestnut In this lecture we will ask, what is envy, what does envy do, and most importantly, what can we do with the envy we feel so that it does not lead to sin? Exploring the Biblical narrative, and drawing on the wisdom of Mr. Rogers and the Desert Fathers, we will seek to disarm the shame that keeps envy hidden and, by its hiddenness, poisonous. The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. ©Southborough L'Abri 2026

What if the ache you feel on Sunday isn't a lack of passion, but a hunger for roots? Tony Nektarios Vasquez joins us to share how a Pentecostal upbringing, a non-denominational season, and eventually a Calvinist-leaning church plant still left him asking where the first 1,500 years fit in. His story is not a theory lesson—it's a family saga: a praying father discovering the Desert Fathers, a brother slipping out to Vespers, a wife and children encountering reverence for the first time, and a co-pastor who realized that history, Scripture, and worship belong together.We trace Tony's path from Pentecostal roots and a non-denominational church plant to a sober look at church history, liturgy, and apostolic succession. Family doubts, online study, and the beauty of Vespers turn hesitation into conviction as Scripture and tradition align.• questioning charismatic altar practices and emotionalism• moving from Reformers to the first 1,500 years• parish visits to St James and first Vespers• answers on icons, relics, and intercession from Scripture• liturgy as continuity with Old Testament worship• apostolic succession and the promise that the Church endures• closing a young church to enter Orthodoxy• finding healing and stability in the sacramentsWe walk through the uncomfortable questions most avoid. Are altar manifestations genuine or coached? Does sola fide stand when held beside James and the early Church? How do relics, icons, and the intercession of the saints square with the Bible? Tony takes us inside St. James Orthodox Church in Modesto, where incense and chant weren't novelty, but a doorway to Christ-centered prayer. He shares the moment his daughter said the hymns made her want to cry, the way Revelation reframed prayer as a communion of heaven and earth, and how apostolic succession answered the authority problem that haunted his independent church.This conversation is a guided tour from system to story, from proof texts to a living tradition. We touch on the continuity between Old Testament worship and the Divine Liturgy, the claim that the Church Christ founded never paused or rebooted, and the quiet courage it took to close a young church for a faith that felt both ancient and alive. If you've wondered where the dots connect—Scripture, history, and sacrament—this is an honest map drawn in real time.If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful journeys into the ancient faith, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your questions and stories shape future episodes—drop them in the comments and say hello to Tony.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!

This section of the Evergetinos exposes slander not as a minor moral failure or social misstep but as a profoundly spiritual violence. The Desert Fathers present it as a force that wounds the heart, fractures the mind, and distorts reality itself, not only for the one who is slandered but especially for the one who speaks the lie and for all who consent to it by listening. In the lives of the two Gregories and Abba Makarios, slander arises from a familiar source: the refusal of sinners to endure the silent rebuke of holiness. The purity of Gregory the Wonderworker becomes unbearable to those who live dissolutely. Rather than repent, they must obscure the light that judges them simply by existing. Slander becomes their counterfeit leveling of the field. If the saint can be dragged down into accusation, then their own corruption can remain hidden and unchallenged. What is striking is not merely the cruelty of the accusation but the saintly response. Gregory does not defend himself, does not appeal to his reputation, does not expose the plot, does not demand justice. He refuses to enter the logic of the lie. He acts as though the accusation has no power over his inner world. By paying the woman calmly, he breaks the spell of outrage and self-justification that slander seeks to provoke. His silence is not passivity but clarity. He preserves the integrity of the heart by refusing to let the false word become an interior dialogue. The consequence is immediate and terrifying. The slander does not remain a neutral utterance. It reveals its true nature as communion with darkness. The demonization of the prostitute is not presented as an arbitrary punishment but as a manifestation of what slander already does invisibly. The lie fragments the person. The mind loses its harmony. Perception collapses. The woman becomes externally what slander makes one internally: disintegrated, driven, no longer master of oneself. Only the prayer of the one she accused restores her, revealing that the saint bears not resentment but intercession. The same pattern unfolds in the life of Gregory of Akragas. Years of imprisonment and suffocation are endured without bitterness. His patience becomes a slow purification that exposes truth without violence. When vindication finally comes, it is accompanied by healing, not triumph. The slanderer is restored, while the architects of the lie are left speechless and darkened, their inability to speak symbolizing the final sterility of falsehood. Slander ultimately consumes the voice of the one who practices it. Abba Makarios brings the teaching to its most intimate and terrifying form. He does not merely accept public humiliation. He inwardly consents to the burden placed upon him. He works to support the child he did not father. He rewrites the narrative within himself, not as injustice but as a providential call to greater humility and labor. In doing so, he is purified of even the desire to be seen rightly. When the truth finally emerges, he flees from honor as from fire, knowing that praise can undo what slander, paradoxically, had refined. Across these accounts, the Fathers reveal a severe mercy at work. God allows slander to touch the righteous not because He delights in injustice but because it becomes a furnace in which self-love is burned away. The saint emerges freer, simpler, more transparent. At the same time, slander unmasks itself. It darkens the intellect. It warps perception. It draws others into a shared unreality where suspicion replaces truth and noise replaces discernment. Left unrepented, it leads not to mastery but to loss of speech, loss of sight, loss of coherence. The Evergetinos does not leave the reader neutral. These stories are a warning and an invitation. To endure slander without retaliation is to enter the Cross where Christ Himself was accused, mocked, and condemned in silence. To participate in slander, even subtly, is to consent to a fragmentation of the heart that eventually spreads outward, shaping families, communities, and entire cultures. The Desert Fathers are uncompromising because they are physicians of the soul. They show that words are never merely words. They either heal or deform. And they insist that God, in His mercy, will expose the lie, whether through repentance and healing or through the terrible unveiling of what darkness does when it is allowed to speak unchecked. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:01:05 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 346 Letter B 00:07:13 Anna: Maybe my husband could be considered for sainthood 00:08:16 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Reacted to "Maybe my husband cou..." with

St. Isaac the Syrian is not offering speculation about the afterlife. He is unveiling the inner logic of existence itself, now and forever. He begins, characteristically, not with heaven, but with humility—because for him humility is not a moral ornament but the measure of reality. You do not know humility, he says, by what you think of yourself when you are alone. You know it only when your self-image is wounded. If accusation disturbs you, if injustice burns you inwardly, then humility has not yet reached the marrow. This is not condemnation but diagnosis. Humility, for Isaac, is not self-accusation performed in safety; it is the quiet endurance of being diminished without revolt. Only such a heart can bear God. From this point, Isaac lifts the veil on Christ's words about the “many mansions” of the Father's house. He dismantles our spatial and competitive imagination. Heaven is not a collection of separate dwellings, not a hierarchy of visible comparisons. There is one dwelling, one place, one vision, one light. God is not divided. Beatitude is not parceled out. The diversity lies not in God's gift but in our capacity to receive it. Isaac reaches for images of profound simplicity. The sun shines equally upon all, yet each person receives its light according to the health of his eyes. A single lamp illumines an entire house, yet its light is experienced differently depending on where one stands. The source is undivided. The radiance is simple. What differs is the vessel. Heaven, then, is not the multiplication of rewards but the full revelation of what the soul has become capable of receiving. This is where Isaac's teaching becomes both consoling and terrifying. Consoling, because there is no envy in the Kingdom. No one with a lesser measure will see the greater measure of another. There will be no sorrow born of comparison, no awareness of loss, no inner accusation that another has been given more. Each soul will delight fully in what it has been made able to contain. God will not be experienced as deprivation by anyone who is in Him. But it is terrifying because Isaac makes clear that this capacity is not arbitrary. It is formed. It is disciplined. It is shaped through humility, suffering, obedience, and purification of the heart. The same divine light that gives joy to one will reveal limitation to another. The difference is not external but interior. Heaven does not change us at the threshold; it unveils us. Isaac goes further. He insists that the world to come will not operate by a different logic than this one. The structure of reality is already set. Knowledge beyond sense, perception beyond images, understanding beyond words—these already exist in seed form. Ignorance remains for a time, but it is not eternal. There is an appointed moment when ignorance is abolished and the mysteries that are now guarded by silence are revealed. Silence, here, is not absence but reverence. God is not fully disclosed to the undisciplined mind. Finally, Isaac draws a stark boundary. There is no middle realm. A person belongs either wholly to the realm above or wholly to the realm below. Yet even within each realm, there are degrees. This is not contradiction but coherence. Union or separation is absolute; experience within each state is varied. One is either turned toward God or away from Him, but the depth of that turning—or that refusal—determines the quality of one's existence. What Isaac is pressing upon us is this: life is the slow formation of our capacity for God. Salvation is not merely forgiveness; it is vision. Judgment is not an external sentence; it is the unveiling of what the soul can bear. Humility is not preparation for heaven—it is already participation in its light. And the tragedy of sin is not punishment imposed from without, but the shrinking of the heart's ability to receive the One who gives Himself entirely. In St. Isaac's vision, God remains eternally simple, undivided, and radiant. The question that decides everything is not how much God gives, but how much we have allowed ourselves to be healed, emptied, and enlarged to receive Him. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:04:59 susan: Hi I'm trying to transition from liturgy or hours on the phone to the 4 volume books.  Can anone tell me what week we are currently in?  tx 00:05:20 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Humility Real? - how heart reacts when another wounds us Is our understanding of the Kingdom and its light childish or rooted in mature faith Do we desire the kingdom or look for an in-between state Do we teach others before we are healed? Enemy is subtle - vainglorious to focus on sin or temptation. Should focus on virtue. Resolve and labor tied together Virtue must be practiced otherwise we are like a fledgling without feathers Humility, fervor, tears can be lost through negligence Affliction should ultimately give way to hope. Should not seek ways to avoid the cross Begin with courage.  Don't divide the soul but trust God absolutely 00:17:12 David Swiderski, WI: https://www.usccb.org/resources/2026cal.pdf 00:18:49 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 172, # 11, first paragraph 00:40:28 Ben: Anna; It seems to me that since Charity isn't something that we lose in heaven, that the glory of each soul will somehow communicate it's self to each other soul in such a way that we will each delight in the glory of the other. 00:41:40 Elizabeth Richards: It is so hard to invest and trust fully when our experience human relationships always disappoint (for me). It was easier when I was younger! 00:42:40 Elizabeth Richards: It I can be hard not to be protective in my relationship with God 00:44:05 Elizabeth Richards: The paradox is that I need Christ's strength & grace to have a vulnerable relationship with Him! 00:47:26 David Swiderski, WI: Youth is a struggle of acquiring- knowledge, career, house, family and growing older sometimes is a struggle of learning to let go until there is nothing of us to cling to but God.. (A saying from my Grandfather)  He also said more concisely we come into this world and leave the same way no teeth, bald and in diapers. 00:50:26 Nypaver Clan: Father, Do you have a good, detailed examination of conscience from the Desert Fathers? 00:50:33 Sr Barbara Jean Mihalchick: Replying to "Youth is a struggle ..." Do any of the Saints approach the circuitous routes of  the spiritual life and vocation with a holy sense of humor??? 00:50:58 Maureen Cunningham: Sometimes it feels like That God is treating me the same as my adversary s 01:01:20 Angela Bellamy: Is the joy simultaneous with the sorrow entangled forever? or will the joy win? 01:01:59 Art: Going back to paragraph 12 where Isaac speaks of “each according to the clarity of his eyesight” this reminds me of something from the margin of the Roman missal.  It says, “They will receive grace [at Mass] in the measure of their faith and devotion, visible to God alone.”  So it's as if at mass we are already experiencing this part of heaven.  There we are all in the same place, one abode, one place, one dwelling, yet each seeing “each according to the clarity of his eyesight” and absent any feelings of envy toward any other. 01:04:43 David Swiderski, WI: https://saintnicholas-oca.org/files/catechetical-resources/Self-Examination-before-Confession-From-Way-of-a-Pilgrim.pdf 01:19:47 Nypaver Clan: Father, you're awesome!

Dr. Alexander Harb and Kris McGregor explore The Kingdom of the Heart: Meditations from the Christian East, his new book that gives both spiritual and theological insight into Eastern Christian spirituality through the lens of the Desert Fathers and the Philokalia. The post IP#508 Dr. Alexander Harb – The Kingdom of the Heart: Meditations from the Christian East on Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

In this episode of The Catholic Talk Show, Ryan, Ryan, and Fr. Michael explore the most extreme monastic saints in Church history, examining how silence, solitude, fasting, and radical withdrawal from the world shaped their pursuit of holiness—and what modern Catholics can still learn from them today. 00:00 The Essence of Spiritual Retreat and Monasticism 05:52 The Importance of Rest and Reflection 11:16 The Desert Fathers: A Journey into Solitude 16:51 Extreme Monasticism: Stylites and Anchorites 22:49 Modern Monasticism and Urban Hermits 28:30 The Call for Discipline in Modern Life 31:51 The Role of Asceticism and Fasting 35:37 Exodus 90: A Path to Freedom 39:03 Creating Sacred Spaces and Routines 49:55 Embracing Silence and Presence 53:22 Conclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A reading of reflections and poems of Saint Symeon taken from various sources and translations including:~ The Book of Mystical Chapters: Meditations on the Soul's Ascent from the Desert Fathers and Other Early Christian Contemplatives, Translated by John Anthony McGuckin~ The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, by Stephen Mitchell~ The Fire rises in Me - English version by Ivan M. GrangerSaint Symeon the New Theologian (949 -1022 AD) was an Eastern Orthodox monk and poet who was one of the three saints canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and given the title of "Theologian." "Theologian" was not applied to Symeon in the modern academic sense of theological study; the title was intended only to recognise someone who spoke from personal experience of the vision of God. One of his principal teachings was that humans could and should experience theoria (literally "contemplation," or direct experience of God).Symeon was born into the Byzantine nobility and given a traditional education. At age fourteen, he met Symeon the Studite, a renowned monk of the Monastery of Stoudios in Constantinople, who convinced him to give his own life to prayer and asceticism under the elder Symeon's guidance. By the time he was thirty, Symeon the New Theologian became the abbot of the Monastery of Saint Mamas, a position he held for twenty-five years. He attracted many monks and clergy with his reputation for sanctity, though his teachings brought him into conflict with church authorities, who would eventually send him into exile. Symeon is recognized as the first Eastern Christian mystic to share his own mystical experiences freely. Some of his writings are included in the Philokalia, a collection of texts by early Christian mystics on contemplative prayer and hesychast teachings. Symeon wrote and spoke frequently about the importance of experiencing directly the grace of God, often talking about his own experiences of God as divine light. Another common subject in his writings was the need of putting oneself under the guidance of a spiritual father. The authority for many of his teachings derived from the traditions of the Desert Fathers, early Christian monks and ascetics. Symeon's writings include Hymns of Divine Love, Ethical Discourses, and The Catechetical Discourses.Photography: George Digalakis ~ The Sound of Silence  / georgedigalakisphotography  https://www.digalakisphotography.com/Music: "Let My Love Be Heard" by Jake Runestad. Performed by the Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir.   • Let My Love Be Heard - Jake Runestad  Cousin Silas - Slow Rotations https://cousinsilas1.bandcamp.com/With thanks to Pat for his kind permission to use his music for this channel.