Important Early Church Father; Christian saint
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Bourbon Review: Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Heritage Barrel Topic: Deacons Follow us on all your podcast platforms and: Instagram: @manhoodneat X: Manhood Neat (@ManhoodNeat) / X Youtube: Manhood, Neat Podcast - YouTube Reach out: manhood.neat@gmail.com Show Notes: History of the Role of Deacons Biblical Origins: The role traces back to the early church in Acts 6:1-7, where the apostles appointed seven men to handle practical needs amid church growth. This addressed complaints about neglected widows in food distribution, allowing apostles to focus on prayer and preaching. By the time of Paul's letters, deacons are a formal office (e.g., Philippians 1:1). Early church fathers like Ignatius of Antioch (c. 100 AD) referenced deacons as servants alongside bishops and presbyters. "In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, 'It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them'" (Acts 6:1-3, NIV). John Calvin on the early church structure: "As we have stated that three classes of ministers are set before us in Scripture, so the early Church distributed all its ministers into three orders. For from the order of presbyters, part were selected as pastors and teachers, while to the remainder was committed the censure of manners and discipline. To the deacons belonged the care of the poor and the dispensing of alms." While not explicitly called "deacons" in Acts, this is seen as the prototype. John Calvin in Geneva reformed the diaconate, emphasizing care for the poor through institutions like the general hospital. Who Can Be a Deacon Biblical Qualifications: 1 Timothy 3:8-13 outlines character requirements, emphasizing integrity over skills. Deacons must be tested and proven blameless. "Deacons, likewise, are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons" (1 Timothy 3:8-10, NIV). "A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well" (1 Timothy 3:12, NIV). Key Verse: Categories: Personal (dignified, not double-tongued, not greedy); Spiritual (hold faith with clear conscience); Family (husband of one wife, good manager of home). John Calvin on testing: "Those men are to be chosen who are approved by their past life in such a manner that, after what may be called full inquiry, they are ascertained to be well qualified." Additionally: Similar to elders but without teaching requirements (Titus 1:7-9 for comparison). Full of the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3). Charles Spurgeon on deacons' character: "If deacons cannot be trusted they ought not to be deacons at all, but if they are worthy of their office they are worthy of our confidence." What They Do in/for the Church Core Role: Deacons are servants who provide practical support, freeing elders for spiritual leadership. They meet material needs, promote unity, and handle logistics. Key Verse Quote: From Acts 6:2-4: "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables... We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word" (NIV). John Piper on deacons' purpose: "It would seem, then, that the deacon office exists to assist the leadership of the church by relieving the elders of distractions and pressures that would divert them from the ministry of the Word and prayer and the general, visionary oversight of the church." Specific Duties: Manage benevolence (aid to poor), facilities, finances; address complaints; support missions and community service. They act as "shock absorbers" for church harmony. Charles Spurgeon on faithful deacons: "The deacons of my first village pastorate were in my esteem the excellent of the earth, in whom I took great delight. Hard-working men on the week-day, they spared no toil for their Lord on the Sabbath; I loved them sincerely, and do love them still." Benefits to the Church: Prevent division (Acts 6), enable gospel growth, and model Christ-like service (Philippians 2:5-8). Are Deaconesses Biblical? Biblical Evidence: The debate centers on 1 Timothy 3:11 and Romans 16:1. Phoebe is called a "deacon" (diakonos) of the church in Cenchreae. "In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything" (1 Timothy 3:11, NIV). This may refer to deacons' wives or female deacons. "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae" (Romans 16:1, NIV). Key Verses: John Piper on women deacons: "Probably yes. There are four observations that incline me to think that this office was held by both men and women. 1. The Greek word for deacon can be masculine or feminine in the same form." Arguments For: Women can serve as deacons since the role is service-oriented, not authoritative (unlike elders). Early church history includes deaconesses for tasks like baptizing women. From the era of John Chrysostom (third-century Constitutions of the Holy Apostles): “For deaconesses were appointed, not to soothe God by chantings or unintelligible murmurs, and spend the rest of their time in idleness; but to perform a public ministry of the Church toward the poor, and to labour with all zeal, assiduity, and diligence, in offices of charity.” John Calvin on including women: "This meant, as one of the church's essential ministries, it had to call men and women to serve in the spiritual office of deacon." Arguments Against: 1 Timothy 3 specifies "husband of one wife" (v. 12), implying men; "women" in v. 11 likely means wives. No explicit "deaconess" term exists, and eldership is male-only.
Send us a textAll humor aside, a man has a daunting task in doing for his wife what the marriage relationship calls for. John and Sofia read excerpts from a remarkable text by St. John Chrysostom and discuss its practical implications for every day life.https://life-craft.org/
We're joined with Gwyneth Thompson Briggs, illustrator of the children's book, A Very Little Office of Compline: Night Prayer for Children, Jason Gale, VP of Content and Production at TAN Books, talks about Lectio Divina with the Spiritual Masters: The Gospel of Matthew with St. John Chrysostom and Tim Hill, head coach at Well-Ordered Family, talks about TAN Books' new app: TAN Digital.
Luke 7:11-16 (The Widow of Nain) At the gates of Nain, the procession of death meets the Lord of Life—and death loses. Christ turns the widow's grief into joy, revealing that every tear will one day be transformed into the eternal song of alleluia. A "by-the-numbers" homily - enjoy the show! --- This was an encounter between two forces: death and the very source of life. We know how this encounter always turns out. Life seems so fragile (war, disease, accidents, violence) and we seem doomed to die. What happened (Jesus brought the dead back to life) Focus briefly on three parts of this Gospel reading: the procession, the grief of the mother, and how it ended. The funeral procession. How we do funerals. Preparation for it. Psalms. Preparation of the body. Funeral service(s). Burial. The movement of the person from one list in our daily prayers to the other. Nine-day prayers. Forty-day prayers. Annual prayers. Often with koliva or a special bread. The grieving mother. Do not weep. “Blessed are those who mourn.” Jesus Himself, always in the Spirit, wept at the death of Lazarus. Do not weep “like those who have no hope…” (I Thessalonians). Repent of the sin that leads to unhealthy tears; and that repentance requires that we live knowing that we may never have another chance on this side of a funeral to mend a relationship. Tears of honest grief are cathartic, as are tears of outrage at the absurdity of living in a world where death is so prevalent. But let those tears flow in the knowledge that as outrageous, ignoble, and offensive as death is; that our tears of sorrow are being turned, as we sing in the funeral service, into the song “alleluia!” And that is how I want to conclude... How it ended. This was an encounter between two forces: death and the very source of life. Who won? And who won when death took a man captive and found that it, instead, it was forced to encounter God? Who won? It was no real contest! As we hear from St. John Chrysostom on Pascha: Christ-God annihilated death! In a world that was made and is governed by the source of Life, death place is temporary, a consequence and concession to our sin – sin which itself is, again through Christ, only temporary. It is holiness and life that endures forever. Conclusion. That is the side we have chosen: we reject sin and we reject death. We have intentionally chosen the side of holiness and of life. It seems as though our relationship with life is so vulnerable – to sickness, to violence, to sudden catastrophes; but in the only reality that matters in the end, it is quite the opposite. It and all its associated grief, anxieties, traumas, and pain are products of this world, doomed to end when it is remade in glory. Again, we have intentionally chosen the side of life. Let's live it as it was meant to be lived, not in fear of death but in the joy of the One who has through death defeated death and who desires us to live well both now and into eternity.
Our second John of Series 17 has been better known, and profoundly revered, in the eastern half of Christianity than in its western (Roman) half, though both halves esteem his life of holiness and brilliance as a pastor and speaker and writer, designating him a Doctor of the Church. He was so designated in the year 1568 with three other giants of holiness and intellect: St. Basil the Great (239-379 CE) St. Gregory of Nazianzus (330-390 CE) St. Thomas Aquinas, OP (1225-1274) About St. John Chrysostom we find remarks such as: “But at the center of his being is a dynamic and courageous faith that deserves to be praised. And feared. The fact is, John's life and preaching not only inspire, they also convict. There was a fire in John's gut; he loved Jesus Christ and had little patience with Christians who did not lay every ounce of body, mind, and soul at Jesus' feet. As much as I'm drawn by his spiritual fire, I have to admit, I'm hesitant to get too close lest I get singed.” (Mark Galli in 1994) And in the learned Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 4th edition: “He is, furthermore, among the fathers of the church, the one who has best understood the difficulties, the trials of an authentically lived Christian life, whether in the monastery or in the world. His apostolic activity took place in the middle of a society which was not at all in harmony with the demands of Christianity. Despite everything, his message, with its charge of love for God and of love for people, has reached even us today in light of its gospel message.”(Malingrey & Zincone in 2014)We will get to know John through a series of seven sermons (388-389CE) that he preached on the biting parable of Jesus recorded in Luke16:19-31 - about a rich man and about a grindingly poor man who cowers at his front door, Lazarus by name. Welcome to the Night School.
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent talk about pride (or, rather, vainglory).The King of Comedy (1982 film) — LetterboxdWishful Thinking by Frederick BuechnerThere Will Be Blood (2007 film) — LetterboxdWhiplash (2014 film) — LetterboxdSoli Deo Gloria — WikipediaJohn Chrysostom — Wikipedia“This Is Water” by David Foster Wallace (YouTube)“This Is Water” by David Foster Wallace (Amazon)Glittering Vices by Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoungJesus and the Victory of God by N. T. WrightThe Weight of Glory by C. S. LewisRaiders of the Lost Ark (1981 film) — Letterboxd
Drawing upon St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop Averky examines this teaching from St. Paul and how modernists and ecumenists can and do twist it to their liking.
A sermon preached at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in St. Alban's, West Virginia on the Seventeenth Sunday after PentecostFocus Text: Luke 17:5-10 (specifically vv. 5-6)Just before this passage, Jesus is instructing his apostles on sin, faith, and duty. Particularly important is what Jesus says about offering forgiveness to those who repent of their sin against you: as many as seven times in a day if they sin against you and repent seven times in a day (don't take the number in a woodenly literal sense - forgive as many times as someone repents).It is in response to this that the apostles cry out to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” Jesus' response? Mustard seeds and mulberry bushes… WHAT?!We need to always remember the sever ways of reading scripture. Here it is crucial to read the text in the allegorical sense — a spiritual way of reading focused on symbolic connections — and also the anagogical sense — spiritual or mystic reading of scripture.The Church Fathers help us to better understand the symbolic meaning of the mustard seeds and mulberry tree in a way that may surprise us. This sermon draws on sermons and commentaries by St. Augustine of Hippo, St. John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Alexandria, and even rabbinic Jewish tradition to understand the symbolic meaning of these plants — what it means to have mustard seed faith and the meaning of uprooting a mulberry tree and planting it into the sea. This helps us to better understand how Jesus is responding to the apostles' cry to increase their faith.A little faith is all it takes to do incredible things, even uproot the mulberry trees (the temptations of the devil, the passions, vices, and habitual sins) and cast them into the abyss. And when we cry to God for help in faith, God will always increase our faith. Grace always precedes and follows us as we walk in faith as disciples of Jesus Christ. Divine Grace makes it possible for us to do what we cannot do on our own — but for God all things are possible. God adds to our faith when we cry out for strength, for aid, for faith. This helps us to do the impossible, even to forgive those we wish not to forgive; to root out evil from within us; to face our fears; to heal from grief; to face terminal illness with dignity, grace, and unwavering faith; to release control and trust in the Lord.Cry out to God to increase your faith. He'll do it every time.
Title: Love One Another Text: Acts 28:11-16 FCF: We often struggle remaining self-focused even with our Christian brothers and sisters. Prop: Because hospitality and brotherly love in the church is needed by all in abundance, we must love one another like Christ loved us. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 28. In a moment we'll begin reading in verse 11 from the New English Translation. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Since chapter 27, Luke has been telling us the maritime adventure story of Paul on his way to Rome. The greater story of Paul going to Rome actually began all the way back in Acts chapter 19 when Paul decides to go to Jerusalem on the leading of the Holy Spirit. So, we have been in this final narrative of the book of Acts for quite some time now. Although it has only been 7 months for us to learn about Paul's journey to Rome, it has already taken Paul about 3 years having arrived in Jerusalem around AD 57 and now having wintered in Malta, arriving in Rome in AD 60. Today we will see the completion of this adventure and see the providence of God to use His church to bring Paul safely to Rome. Please stand with me to focus on and give honor to the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Our Father in heaven. Your name is of more value than any name that has ever been or ever will be. May Your Kingdom permeate this world so that Your will reigns in the hearts of all people. We ask as Your children that Your Spirit might feed us today on Your Holy Word and help us to love one another as Your Son has loved us. Father do not allow us to be overtaken with the temptation to love ourselves or to be self-focused. But deliver us from the deceptions of the Evil One who walks about like a roaring lion waiting to feast on us. Instead, let us take up Your armor to extinguish his fiery darts. We seek all these things from You, because to You belongs the Kingdom, the power, the glory, forever and ever. We pray in Jesus' name – Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] The Puritan Richard Sibbes once said, “No man can love a saint as a saint but a saint.” In other words, the only way it is possible for a Christian to be loved as a Christian ought to be loved, is if he or she is loved by another Christian. The English Evangelist of the Great Awakening George Whitefield said, “As soon as the love of God was shed abroad in my soul, I loved all, of whatsoever denomination, who loved the Lord Jesus in sincerity of heart.” Truly being a follower of Christ requires and naturally produces unconditional and self-sacrificing love for others who are followers of Christ. This… is what we will see today. Let's start in verse 11. I.) Hospitality and brotherly love should abound in the church, so we must love one another as Christ loved us. (11-14) a. [Slide 3] 11 - After three months we put out to sea in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the “Heavenly Twins” as its figurehead. i. And so, the final leg of the journey to Rome begins. ii. After wintering on Malta for 3 months the passengers of the Alexandrian grain vessel which was no more, no doubt split up between various ships on Malta to go to various destinations. iii. But Paul, his companions, the soldiers, Julius the centurion, and the rest of the prisoners all board another Alexandrian ship headed for Rome. iv. This ship had wintered in Malta, arriving well before the storm no doubt. v. But then Luke includes a final detail about the ship, and for a casual 21st century western reader of the text, it would very easily slip past unnoticed. vi. Luke records that the ship had on the bow a figurehead. Now this could be carved wooden images or perhaps an engraved or painted image. We are not exactly sure. But regardless, Luke dutifully records that on the bow were “The Heavenly Twins.” vii. Which should lead us to ask two basic questions. viii. First, who are the Heavenly twins? And second, what is the significance of Luke mentioning this? 1. [Slide 4] So, who are the Heavenly twins? a. In Greek mythology the Heavenly twins, or The Sons of Zeus, are two heroes named Castor and Pollux. b. The story goes that their mother Leda was seduced by Zeus who posed as a swan. On the night she conceived her children her husband was with her too. c. She produced 2 children hatched from an egg. d. Castor was the son of the human father and Pollux was the son of Zeus. Yet they were identical twins. e. Both sons were renowned for their prowess in battle. They were patron deities of navigation and protection of travelers and are represented in the constellation Gemini. f. This answers the question as to why they would be included on a sea faring vessel. g. The way the story goes… The twin brothers abducted two sisters, and because of this two of the women's cousins came after Castor and Pollux. Pollux killed his pursuer but Castor was not so lucky. h. Zeus killed the man who killed Castor and then gave Pollux a choice. i. Pollux was his son and asked if he would rather stay with him on Olympus forever or share his immortality with his brother. j. Pollux chose to share his immortality and he and Castor alternated days being either immortal or bound in the realm of the dead. 2. [Slide 5] So, why does Luke mention this? What is the significance of this figurehead? a. Is Luke simply recording details to reinforce the reliability of his information? i. Adding this detail would mean that a person could go and look up this ship in the future to confirm the story was true. ii. In fact, some older commentators suggest that this was actually the name of the ship or even the owner of the ship. But that is not a very common interpretation. iii. Assuming it isn't the name of the ship or the owner of the ship, mentioning this figurehead would not have been a great way to increase reliability, since so many ships which sailed the Mediterranean would have a figurehead of the Castor and Pollux. iv. Furthermore, not many people would question the believability that Paul and his companions sailed safely to Italy from Malta. v. It would have been the fact that they all survived a Nor'easter that would have been the far-fetched maritime tale. vi. No. I don't think this is an instance where Luke is detail dropping to increase the believability of his story. b. Is Luke praising Castor and Pollux? i. Another possibility is Luke recognizing some kind of authority of these gods to actually impact the world around them. ii. We know that Paul and his companions arrive safely in Rome and even, as we'll see, experience a favorable south wind to make their travel swift. iii. If Luke is praising these gods for getting Paul to Rome, then we probably need to dismiss the entire book of Acts and Luke from our cannon of scripture or we need to radically change our monotheistic view to recognize that other gods should be looked to for various things and not Yahweh alone. iv. So no, I do not think that Luke is saying that the success of their trip was due to Castor and Pollux blessing them. v. If anything, Luke might be making a somewhat comical comparison to these impotent gods of paganism and how they are really only able to save these sailors when the weather is good and only Yahweh can save His people through bad weather and storms. c. [Slide 6] Is Luke including this detail to further contrast the state of unbelieving Gentiles and unbelieving Jews? i. Theophilus is the recipient of Luke's two scroll tome. ii. Luke begins his gospel expressing that the things he writes are to reinforce what Theophilus has come to believe. iii. Theophilus is probably not the true name of the person Luke is writing to. More than likely Theophilus is a gentile who probably knew quite well who the Heavenly Twins were. He also was probably relatively high up in the Roman government, and has come to know Christ as Savior and Lord. iv. As such, Luke has tried to emphasize a few themes in the book of Acts. v. One of these themes is that Christianity is not a direct threat to the Roman Empire. 1. Over and over again, although Christianity is at the center of unrest throughout the empire, Luke has shown that it is actually the unbelieving Jews who are stirring up trouble because they will not accept their Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. 2. Unlike the zealots and the Jews in Judea at the time of his writing this book, Christians are not actively opposing Roman rule. 3. In fact, the Christians are generally peaceful and submissive toward the Roman government. 4. Christian beliefs and ideology stand opposed to the paganism of Rome in many ways… but not in every way. vi. Pagan gentiles share some common practices with Christians that unbelieving Jews seem to lack. 1. The story of Castor and Pollux emphasizes the brotherly love and hospitality valued in Roman culture. 2. Values that are directly associated with paganism. 3. Luke connects the Maltese brotherly love to this figurehead which stands for the same thing. 4. And soon he'll be talking about Christians who show similar love and hospitality. 5. But by the end of the book of Acts, the unbelieving Jews do not afford the gentiles a similar love. 6. In fact, they are absolutely appalled at the thought that the Jewish Messiah would be offered to Gentiles. 7. Which leads us to another reason Luke would include this detail. vii. Paul has not allowed his Jewish sensibilities to prevent him from giving the gospel to the Maltese or from getting to Rome to give the gospel to Emperor Nero. 1. Throughout the three months on Malta, Paul certainly ate with gentiles. 2. And more than likely, he ate whatever was set in front of him. 3. Meaning that Paul did not follow the Jewish dietary laws while on Malta. 4. Now he boards a ship with obvious idols at the bow. 5. These practices would have been repudiated by every good Jew. Indeed, to even eat with gentiles (even if the food was kosher) would have been culturally taboo and somewhat illegal, especially in Judea. 6. Remember, Paul is headed to Rome because of the Jews' hatred of gentiles being welcomed into the Nazarene sect of Judaism known now as The Way or Christianity. 7. Paul forgoes these sensibilities to do what the Lord Jesus had commanded him to do. 3. So, to take a long answer and make it very short, Luke includes this detail to continue his comparison between three groups of people. 4. Unbelieving Jews, unbelieving gentiles, and Christians. 5. And his point is clear. 6. In many ways, unbelieving gentiles are more receptive to the truth of the gospel, and closer to the teachings of Jesus, than unbelieving Jews are. 7. This seems to conform to Paul's point that he has already made in his letter to the Romans that the Gentiles coming to Christ in droves are part of God's plan to make the Jews jealous. 8. We are praying, even still today, that there would be an awakening among the Jews to the one whom they have pierced. 9. So, what's next on the trip? b. [Slide 7] 12 - We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. - 13 - From there we cast off and arrived at Rhegium, and after one day a south wind sprang up and on the second day we came to Puteoli. i. Largely we merely see itinerary here. ii. [Slide 8] The band of travelers make their way through the Strait of Messina. They land first in Syracuse on Sicily. Then on to Rhegium in Italy. iii. After staying there a day, a south wind favored their travel and they made it to Puteoli the next day. A trip which would have probably taken a little longer. c. [Slide 9] 14 - There we found some brothers and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome. i. And so here we have the comparison and contrast between Christians and the Maltese people. ii. How are they similar? Both groups welcome Paul and his companions and the soldiers and the other prisoners to stay with them. iii. They were shown hospitality as strangers. iv. Publius entertained them for 3 days and the Maltese villagers took them in after they were shipwrecked. v. Here we see a subtle difference. vi. Publius was a leading man. A man who probably had a good deal of wealth. vii. Luke doesn't mention anything about the station of these individuals. He only says that they were brothers. They were believers. viii. And they hosted Paul, his companions, Julius, the soldiers and the other prisoners, for an entire week. ix. Julius would have had the right and responsibility to requisition a room and provisions from the cities they went to, but this would have no doubt been a tedious task and the rooms they got would have no doubt been quite unpleasant. x. Discovering people who willingly desired to host them, without force, for an entire week, would have been a perplexing but welcome surprise. xi. Lengthy stays like this among pagans would have been generally discouraged. Two or three days was the typical threshold for social etiquette. xii. Indeed, to commit to an entire week's stay would have been very rare and reserved only for family or very close friends. xiii. But we get the impression that these Christians are not following some social convention or cultural requirement – but rather this is the heart of Christians welcoming and caring for other Christians. xiv. As though they are very close friends or family. xv. So, we can see and understand that the pagan sense of hospitality is rooted in social norms and moral examples of their somewhat morally ambiguous gods. But the Christian form was rooted in mutual love as we are one in Christ and follow His perfect example to love others. xvi. And now after a long maritime adventure, Luke rather modestly reports how Paul arrives in Rome. Luke isn't saying this as though Paul had already arrived. Rather he is saying this as a way to close out the sea travel and indicate that they approach Rome by land on the Appian Way, the main road leading to the great city of Rome. d. [Slide 10] Summary of the Point: In a world where culture seemed to value hospitality and brotherly love, we might wonder what Jesus might mean by His statement to His disciples that the world will know that they are His disciples by their love for one another. Certainly, if our love for one another merely parallels the love that pagans show each other, then the world would not see us as any different. But by way of direct comparison to the Maltese unbelievers' hospitality and care, we see the brothers in Puteoli taking in and caring for Paul and his companions for an entire week. This shatters the social convention and proves that something is indeed different about the way Christians exercise hospitality and brotherly love toward one another. Indeed, hospitality and brotherly love in the church should be in abundant supply. And as our culture devalues these traits or limits them to family and friends, it becomes even easier for God's people to separate themselves from the culture and love one another abundantly. For this is what we must do. We must love one another. How? As Christ has loved us. Transition: [Slide 11 (blank)] So we see that loving one another is a normative practice in Christ's church that should be so abundant that the world recognizes it as peculiar and different than what they can find anywhere else. It is a love based on connection in Christ which transcends and goes deeper than all the normal things that usually bind people together. But is this something that only weak Christians need? Do only weak Christians need to be loved and cared for abundantly? Let's take a look at the last couple verses of Paul's journey to Rome. II.) Hospitality and brotherly love is needed by all in the church, so we must love one another as Christ loved us. (15-16) a. [Slide 12] 15 - The brothers from there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. When he saw them, Paul thanked God and took courage. i. So, the brothers here are referring to brothers from Rome. Rome was referenced in the last verse. ii. [Slide 13] We see on the map behind us that in reference to Rome and Puteoli the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns are roughly ¾ of the way to Rome. iii. The Forum of Appius is about 43 miles from Rome while the Three Taverns was about 33 miles away. iv. No doubt these brothers were either two separate groups of believers or 1 large group that went to meet Paul. v. The first group stopped at Three Taverns knowing that Paul would certainly travel through there on the Appian Way to Rome. vi. The second group went on to meet him at the Forum of Appius. vii. But what are these places? viii. They are two famous way stations along the Appian way as one traveled to and from Rome. ix. The Forum of Appius is really not a Forum at all. It is actually a market town where people rested during their travels. x. The Three Taverns is another rest stop along the Appian Way which included shops, booths, and inns. Tavern for us indicates a bar – but that was not the meaning at this time. xi. [Slide 14] When Paul saw these Christian brothers, he thanked the Lord that he was being received to Rome with such love and care. xii. He also took courage for the time he would remain here knowing that he would certainly be provided for and have the ability to connect with the church in Rome. Something he had desired to do for quite some time. xiii. Notice that Paul the apostle who this entire trip has trusted God to get him to Rome… thanks God and takes courage at the sight of Christian brothers. xiv. Even Paul, though he had the promise of God, took comfort in the fact that there were people he could see, hear, touch, and speak with that would care for him and see him to Rome. b. [Slide 15] 16 - When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. i. And so, Paul's journey to Rome officially comes to a close. ii. He arrives in the city and is permitted to rent a house for himself. iii. He would be kept under guard of a single soldier. But he would enjoy a significant amount of freedom in the city of Rome while he awaited his meeting with Caesar Nero. iv. We'll see a bit of that freedom next time in the book of Acts. c. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: So once again we see highlighted for us the brotherly love of these fellow Christians who traveled 43 miles to meet with and escort Paul safely back another 43 miles to Rome. But unique in these last couple verses is the need Paul had for Christian brothers to surround him and see him safely to Rome. Paul trusted God without question. During the storm, he may have been one of the few who kept on believing God's Word. But now, on his last leg of 120 miles from Puteoli to Rome, Paul finds great comfort and courage in Christian brothers surrounding him and caring for him. If PAUL needs this kind of hospitality and brotherly love, it seems like no one in the church would be without this need. So, since the weakest to the strongest of us need love from one another… we must love one another as Christ loves us. Conclusion: So, CBC, what have we learned today that informs or corrects our beliefs and guides and shapes our lifestyles. Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 17] In chapter 28 Luke has shown us the general hospitality and care that unbelieving pagans were capable of. But since beginning the church on Malta, Luke has transitioned to showing us the necessary and abundant hospitality and brotherly love of the body of Christ. First with the Maltese sending Paul away with wealth and provisions. Then with the brothers in Puteoli putting Paul and his companions and even Roman soldiers and other prisoners up for a week. Then with these brothers who traveled over 40 miles to ensure that Paul and his companions arrived safely in Rome. So, we see how necessary abundant hospitality and brotherly love is to the church. We also see that every member of the church needs this necessary and abundant love from time to time. In seasons of doubt, lack, and hardship – this love is especially necessary – even by those who we would say are spiritually… strong. Strength does not mean invulnerability. The obvious application for both of these truths today, is that we as believers must love one another as Christ has loved us. This implies not only that it is necessary that we love one another but that we must love one another abundantly. But let me apply these teachings and applications a little more specifically this morning. 1.) [Slide 18] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that abundant brotherly love is required in the body of Christ. a. Jesus told His disciples that He gave them a new commandment. That they should love one another. b. Now that in and of itself is not a new commandment at all. c. In fact, that is a command given in the Old Testament Mosaic Law. d. Jesus affirmed that law during his ministry when the Pharisees were trying to set him up for failure by asking what is the greatest Old Testament law. e. He said to love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and the second is like it (or similar in importance and value) which is to love your neighbor as you already love yourself. f. Then He said that on these two laws hang all the law and the prophets. g. So why did Jesus call His command new? h. His command no longer required for His disciples to love one another as they already loved themselves. His command required His disciples to love one another as He loved them. i. To be plain, Jesus said to love other disciples of Christ unconditionally and self-sacrificially. j. Then Jesus goes on to say that if we love each other this way – the world will know we are His followers. k. Real, abundant, unconditional, self-sacrificing love is absolutely required of all the members of the body of Christ. l. So much so that if you are not loving your brother, the apostle John points out that you cannot love God. For how can you love God whom you haven't seen if you can't love your brother whom you have seen? 2.) [Slide 19] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that strong Christians do not need abundant brotherly love from other Christians. a. Another way we might say this is that our real, abundant, unconditional, and self-sacrificing love for other believes is not selectively applied to any category of person. b. All Christ followers need this love. Who among us does not need the love of Christ? Any hands? c. If we are to love one another like Christ loved us – does Christ truly love His bride? Is there any of His sheep that He has despised? d. The goats He will turn away to be sure. But will any of the sheep His Father has given to Him be lost? e. My friends, this pastor needs Christians loving him. f. Your Elders need Christians loving them. g. Our missionaries need Christians loving them. h. Paul, an apostle, thanked God and took courage from the hospitality and brotherly love given to him by the believers in Rome. i. God should have been enough for him. God should be enough for all of us. j. But Paul needed assurances. God gave him the love of other believers. k. We all need the love of Christ to flow through us. l. These truths give us one application and one warning. m. First, by application… 3.) [Slide 20] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must love one another as Christ loved us. a. If you are actually a Christian, you should love other Christians the way Christ loved you. Without question. Without excuse. Without pause. Without complaint. b. That is why you are here. c. You aren't here to have your career. d. You aren't here to be parents. e. You can have these goals but it isn't your primary purpose here. f. You are here to build the Kingdom and lay up treasures in that kingdom that cannot be destroyed. g. Think of it this way, you will spend the rest of your eternal life with these people. h. You might as well start loving them now! i. And now is when we get to practice loving them the way Christ loved us. In the New Kingdom there will be no sin, which means that to love unconditionally will actually be quite easy. j. It is very difficult to love other believers when they are selfish. When they are immature. When they hurt you. When they are acting sinfully. When they don't deserve it or don't think they need it. When they love you conditionally, it is very hard to love them unconditionally. k. But we get to be refined in fire in this life. We get to love when it is hard now. l. And this is how people will know that we are Christians. Because in spite of all our differences and in spite of whether someone has earned it – we still love them. m. That is weird. REALLY weird. n. Our culture tells us to write people out of our lives who treat us this way. o. Jesus says to love them. p. Our culture calls them toxic. q. Jesus says to love them. r. Our culture says you have to protect yourself. s. Jesus says to love them selflessly and sacrificially. t. Now part of love is rebuke. As Christians they don't get a free pass to live this way forever… and that is the warning… 4.) [Slide 21] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must not become self-focused or self-serving in our love for one another. a. Because abundant, unconditional, self-sacrificing love is required by all believers, we must not allow our love to become self-serving or self-focused. b. Imagine we have two cables attached to posts stretching out in a V shape. c. Unconditional, self-sacrificing love is when two people stand on either of these cables and lean on each other to walk toward the end. d. But when one of us becomes self-focused or self-serving, when one of us stops giving love and only seeks to take love… what happens? e. It is like if one person stopped leaning in and began to shift their weight back to protect themselves from falling face first. f. What does that produce? What hurts does that cause? g. I will suggest to you two hurts come from this. i. First, the Christian who has become self-serving and self-focused will feel as though others are not loving them the way they had before. 1. When you lean in on someone else, you feel all their weight against you. But when you pull back it seems like they aren't leaning in the way they should. 2. The more self-seeking and self-focused we become in the church, the less we will appreciate the love others offer to us. 3. In an effort to care for ourselves and protect ourselves, we actually end up ensuring that we won't feel loved or cared for. 4. And that might lead to bitterness and resentment. ii. Second, the Christian who is loving unconditionally will be hurt in one of two ways. 1. Either we will also become self-focused or self-serving in our love… since this Christian has stopped loving us unconditionally, we will stop loving them unconditionally. 2. OR, we will fall flat on our faces and wonder what happened. We will become gun shy about loving someone unconditionally in the future because we know the hurt that can be caused when that relationship is not characterized by mutual unconditional love. h. Can you imagine what we would do if Jesus loved us like this? i. We must love one another. We must do so unconditionally and in a self-sacrificing way. j. Because the moment we make it about what we get rather than what we give… we will hurt ourselves and others. 5.) [Slide 22] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God has provided Spirit indwelled human ministers to encourage and care for us. This is the necessity of the local church. a. We ought only to need the Lord. b. But we are weak. c. And God knows our weakness. He knows that although He is enough, that we would need Spirit indwelled flesh and blood to come alongside us and love us. d. That is why He built His church. e. When it works the way God designed it… we have a perfect relationship where we lean in on one another and we can walk this life all the way to its end… together. f. And God's grace can give us the strength to love each other in this way. g. And this is the greatest argument for the local church. h. As believers in Christ, we are all part of the universal church. i. But the universal church which is spread throughout the world and throughout time, doesn't know my hurts and failings. The universal church doesn't see me in my weakness. The universal church can't tell that my countenance has fallen. j. And I can't meet the needs of the universal church. Those needs are too great for me. k. But here… as a local assembly… we can know each other… well. l. And without derision and without judgment we can cling to one another for help when we are at our weakest. m. People who insist that it is normal to do church from their couch. People leaning heavily into their immediate family rather at the expense of gathering with their local church. n. You need to hear me. Your couch will burn up. And your family relationships won't exist any longer in the New Kingdom. o. You know what will? p. The church. q. The late Voddie Baucham said, “Church membership is the most important aspect of lifestyle evaluation. Let that statement sink in for a minute. I'm arguing that the most important thing for a family shepherd to do—when he's evaluating how he's leading his family—is to ensure they're healthy members of a healthy church. This is more important than his assessment of their financial status, their use of time, where and how they live, what they drive, where and how their children are educated, or any other lifestyle issue. None of those things is as significant as church membership." r. The local church is a gift to us and we cannot survive without it. s. Which brings me to the nature of the church and its reflection of the gospel… 6.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The church is completely different than any other organization or group because we love one another deeply, many times in spite of our differences. a. Any human made organization can engineer connections and friendships around common interests. b. In fact, many churches do this on purpose thinking that they are helping people in the church to form lasting relationships which will make sure they stay at the church. c. But all they do is segregate the body of Christ into likeminded interest groups that are essentially separate churches operating within a larger church. d. The body of Christ is different than any other human organization in that we may be completely different people. e. We may have different interests, different hobbies, different social statues, different ethnicities, different cultures, different upbringings. f. We might be in different places in life, either a kid, a young adult, a young married couple, a young married couple with kids, a middle aged married couple with older kids, a middle aged couple with grown kids, an older couple with adult children, an older couple with grand children, widows, widowers, single and never married, and the list goes on… g. And in spite of all these differences… we are still here together… worshipping God. h. Why? i. Because of Jesus. j. He connects us more deeply and more fully than any other common interest we may share. k. And indeed the intergenerational nature and diversity of the church is essential. We don't need to be divided into what earthly circumstance we have in common. Instead, we must be united based on what we all have in common. l. That is Christ has saved us from our sins! m. If we are united with others around our common interests we may as well be a club. A VFW. A fraternal order. Why? n. Because that is what everyone does. o. But to intentionally disregard common interests and unite together under the commonality of Christ… is to truly grasp what it means to be the church. p. To have such deep unconditional and self-sacrificing love for someone who isn't your age, who doesn't like the things you do, who isn't in the same place in life that you are, who isn't your family… THAT… is WEIRD! q. And that is what Jesus meant when He said they will know you are my disciples by your love for one another. r. The 12 disciples were made up of i. Fishermen ii. Tax collectors iii. Zealots iv. Some were family, being brothers v. Some were from Galilee, others from other places vi. Some of them were fiery vii. Some were skeptical viii. Some were warm and winsome ix. Some were given an elevated status x. Some were wealthy when they were called to follow Jesus xi. Most were poor s. They were a diverse crowd to be sure… t. But you know what… u. All but one of them were tortured and killed for preaching Jesus Christ crucified, risen, and coming again. v. And all of them suffered for the name of Jesus. w. What does that mean? x. It means that this entity known as the church… is no man-made thing. Because it shouldn't work. We don't have enough in common to love each other this way. y. Yet… we do. z. If you desire to know this gospel that binds us all together in love – Speak to an Elder today. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the church father John Chrysostom. Lord, help us never to distance ourselves from you. Instead, let us hold tightly to the care of our souls, and to love each other. Let us not injure other members of our own body, as that would be insane. But let us be kind to others even more as we see them feeling poorly. Though we often see many persons physically suffering from difficult or incurable illness, we never stop offering possible remedies. What is worse than painful arthritis in the foot or hand? Would we just cut off the limbs? Not at all! We do everything possible to relieve the pain, even if we cannot cure the disease. Let us do the same for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Even if they have an incurable disease, help us to still tend to them, and let us bear one another's burdens. That way, we fulfill the law of Christ, and obtain the promised good things, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Benediction: May He Who has revealed to every nation His everlasting righteousness, Who sits enthroned in ageless splendor, Rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace. Until we meet again – go in peace and in love for one another.
When the Word Takes Root: Lessons from St. John Chrysostom Today's Homily occurs on the Feast of St. John Chrysostom . . . . . . and connects the Gospel parable of the Sower with the saint's life and mission. The parable illustrates that the Word of God is abundantly sown, yet its fruitfulness depends on the disposition of the hearer . . . whether hardened, shallow, distracted, or open and rich soil. St. John Chrysostom is presented as an example of “good soil”: rooted deeply in prayer, scripture, and surrender before bearing abundant fruit through eloquent preaching, pastoral reform, and courageous witness. His fearless proclamation, even against imperial power and corrupt clergy, led to exile and suffering, yet his words continued to strengthen the Church. Remembered as the “Golden Mouth,” his lasting fruitfulness demonstrates that true preaching flows from a heart firmly rooted in Christ. The Homily concludes by reminding the faithful that Christ, the Divine Sower, continues to sow himself in the Eucharist, and each believer is called to cultivate soil that allows his Word to take deep root and bear lasting fruit. Listen to the Meditation Media. Listen to When the Word Takes Root: Lessons from St. John Chrysostom --------------------------------------------------------------------- Art Work The Byzantine emperor Nicephorus III receives a book of homilies from John Chrysostom; the Archangel Michael stands on his left (11th-century illuminated manuscript): Used with permission from Wikipedia.
St. John Chrysostom, Pt. 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson Born: 347 AD, Antioch, Turkey Died: September 14, 407 AD, Comana Pontica Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor explore the ministry of St. John Chrysostom during his time as Archbishop of Constantinople. Known as “Golden Mouth” for ... Read more The post St. John Chrysostom, Pt. 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Dr. Matthew Bunson discusses the life, times and teachings of St. John Chrysostom pt 1 Born: 347 AD, Antioch, Turkey Died: September 14, 407 AD, Comana Pontica The post St. John Chrysostom, Pt. 1 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.
Evening Prayer for Saturday, September 13, 2025 (Eve of the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, or the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity [Proper 19]; John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople and Teacher of the Faith, 407).Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter):Psalm 38Habakkuk 1Matthew 11Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com.Click here to support The Daily Office Podcast with a one-time gift or a recurring donation.
Morning Prayer for Saturday, September 13, 2025 (Proper 18; John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople and Teacher of the Faith, 407).Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter):Psalms 32, 361 Kings 5Hebrews 4:1-13Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com.Click here to support The Daily Office Podcast with a one-time gift or a recurring donation.
The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time by Mr. Clement Harrold. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor Obligatory Memorial First Reading: First Timothy 1: 15-17 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 113: 1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7 Alleluia: John 14: 23 Gospel: Luke 6: 43-49 Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com For more details about our 2025 Deacon's Conference, please visit www.stpaulcenter.com/deacons
St. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)
Friends of the Rosary,Today, September 13, as we continue praying for Charlie and Erika Kirk and their two children, we honor a doctor of the early Church, St. John Chrysostom (347-407), and remember the fifth apparition of Our Lady in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917.We also prepare ourselves for the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, the glorious sign of our victory, tomorrow, Sunday.When we make the Sign of the Cross, we fix our minds and hearts on God, keeping us closer to God, and giving our entire self to God — mind, soul, heart, body, will, thoughts.During trials and temptations, our strength and protection is the Sign of the Cross. At Baptism, we are sealed with the Sign of the Cross, signifying the fullness of redemption and that we belong to Christ.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkMessage to Erika Kirk posted yesterday, after her emotional message, on behalf of the Rosary Network community:Dear Erika, you are a very courageous woman, a true witness of Christ Jesus. Your lovely husband is very proud of you and your kids. Many souls will start the pilgrimage of faith and convert themselves because of your words and charitable work. We, the faithful in the U.S., share your unbearable pain.Today, we honor the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mother of Jesus and Queen of the Universe feels your suffering and prays and intercedes for you and your children. Please trust in her intercession and pray daily her Holy Rosary. She will guide you in the storm.Erika, we love you and your family very much. Our heartfelt prayers are with you. Please continue spreading the merciful love of Christ through your family, a lovely domestic Church. Ave Maria.In Christ, Mikel and Maria Blanca.• September 13, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET
Today the Church honors a great saint of the Eastern Church, St. John Chrysostom. This great bishop had a lot of great things to say about prayer. Hear some of them on today's reflection from Fr. Kubicki.
Saturday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, 349-407; his name is a tribute to his preaching, meaning "golden-mouthed"; he reluctantly became bishop of Constantinople; but his zeal led him to decisive action, including deposing bishops who had bribed their way into office; he called for concrete steps to share wealth with the poor; Theophilus, the bishop of Alexandria, and the Empress Eudoxia were determined to discredit John; the empress finally had him exiled, where he died Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/13/25 Gospel: Luke 6:43-49
The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time by Mr. Clement Harrold. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor Obligatory Memorial First Reading: First Timothy 1: 15-17 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 113: 1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7 Alleluia: John 14: 23 Gospel: Luke 6: 43-49 Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com For more details about our 2025 Deacon's Conference, please visit www.stpaulcenter.com/deacons
Good morning! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Andrew Petiprin, author of The Faith Unboxed, to discuss why the Church is not a club. Other guests include Mike Aquilina to discuss the feasts of St. John Chrysostom and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross this weekend, and Fr. Hezekias Carnazzo from the Institute of Catholic Culture and Fr. Jonathan Duncan from the Bone Church Revival podcast to preview the Sunday Mass readings. Plus news, weather, sports, and more… ***** A Prayer for Priests Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests.Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments. Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.Set their souls on fire with love for your people. Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom. Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen. ***** Fr. Carter Griffin, author of Forming Families, Forming Saints Dr. Benjamin Reinhard, author of The High Hallow: Tolkien’s Liturgical Imagination Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Psalm 21Psalm 92Reading 1: Sirach 39Reading 2: From a homily by St. John Chrysostom, bishopSt. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975
In this episode, Fr. Anthony examines the nature of ultimate reality—God, gods, and the arche'—through Scripture and the Fathers. With insights from Journey to Reality, he shows how God transcends all categories and draws us into worship and transformation. Enjoy the show! ------ Ultimate Reality: God, gods, arche' Fr. Anthony Perkins; 10 September 2025 Text: Zachery Porcu, PhD. 2025. “Chapter 2 – Ultimate Reality” in Journey to Reality; Sacramental Life in a Secular Age. Ancient Faith Publishing. Verses to Frame the Discussion Exodus 24:10. And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. Exodus 33:11. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent. Isaiah 6:5. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” HE IS GREATER EVEN THAN THIS (SOME FUN WITH AN “INCONSISTENCY” Exodus 33:17-20. And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “I pray thee, show me thy glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD'; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live.” St. Ambrose: “Who shall see my face and live?” Scripture said, and rightly so. For our eyes cannot bear the sun's rays, and whoever turns too long in its direction is generally blinded, so they say. Now if one creature cannot look upon another creature without loss and harm to himself, how can he see the dazzling face of his eternal Creator while covered with the clothing that is this body? St. Gregory of Nyssa: He would not have shown himself to his servant if the sight were such as to bring the desire of the beholder to an end, since the true sight of God consists in this, that the one who looks up to God never ceases in that desire. For he says, “You cannot see my face, for man cannot see me and live.” Scripture does not indicate that this causes the death of those who look, for how would the face of life ever be the cause of death to those who approach it? On the contrary, the divine is by its nature life-giving. Yet it is the characteristic of the divine nature to transcend all characteristics. Therefore he who thinks God is something to be known does not have life, because he has turned from true being to what he considers by sense perception to have being. Job 38:19-20. “Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? 1 Timothy 6:16. I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; and this will be made manifest at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. John 1:18. No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known. On the resulting religion: Revelation 9-11. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, “Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding[a] the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. St. John Chrysostom. The Spirit is God, and we are raised to the level of the apostles, because we shall all behold him together with uncovered faces. As soon as we are baptized, the soul beams even more brightly than the sun because it is cleansed by the Spirit, and we not only behold God's glory, we also receive from it a kind of splendor. Segue to the book chapter (theosis requires a repentant mind) Religion should be more than our consumer society would lead us to believe it is. “What is the nature of reality?” What does it all mean? Mankind wants to know, and he has tried to provide answers. Many involve a mysterious higher power we call God. The problem with the word “God.” [Psalm 94:3. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.] [Isaiah 45:5.. I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.] Zachary Porcu's solution: Arche' Other solutions? Capital “G” God. “I AM”. Unmoved Mover. Light. True God. Tian, Brahman, Absolute. What is the Arche' like? (P. 25; J) Life (essence). Light (essence) Arche compared to gods, angels, men, and rocks. Last paragraph of chapter; So then, when we ask about whether there is a God in this sense, we are not asking whether there is some specific superhuman entity that orders or governs the universe. That is thinking far too small. We are asking about the arche' of all being: the source, principle, the thing that is being itself. This is the highest of all questions; there is nothing the answer does not affect. NOTE: The question of whether the God of the Old Testament was the arche' or a demiurge was settled decisively: God was, is, and always shall be perfect and uncreated.
A Bigger Life Prayer and Bible Devotionals with Pastor Dave Cover
This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination. Genesis 2:7 NIV “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Acts 17:25 NIV “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” John 20:21-22 NIV Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” A Shorter Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ ... have mercy on me.” The earliest attested references to a form of the Jesus Prayer appear in a letter traditionally attributed to John Chrysostom (AD 407). In a “Letter to an Abbot,” John Chrysostom makes mention of using "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy" (and also the plural variant "…have mercy on us") as a form of unceasing prayer. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Dr. Constantinou begins a new series, Introduction to the New Testament. She explains why the Bible must be seriously studied, where the word "Bible" came from, and why, according to St. John Chrysostom, it is unfortunate that the Bible even exists. So why does it exist?
Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life with Pastor Dave Cover
This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination. Genesis 2:7 NIV “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Acts 17:25 NIV “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” John 20:21-22 NIV Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” A Shorter Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ ... have mercy on me.” The earliest attested references to a form of the Jesus Prayer appear in a letter traditionally attributed to John Chrysostom (AD 407). In a “Letter to an Abbot,” John Chrysostom makes mention of using "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy" (and also the plural variant "…have mercy on us") as a form of unceasing prayer. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Today is day 250 and we are studying A Rule of Prayer: Corporate Worship. 250. How is the Daily Office observed? The Daily Office is primarily designed for corporate prayer. It may also be used by individuals or families, in public or in private, in whole or in part. (Psalm 22:22–27; Acts 10:9–16; Hebrews 10:24–25; Revelation 7:9–12) We will conclude today with A Prayer of St. John Chrysostom found on page 26 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
A Bigger Life Prayer and Bible Devotionals with Pastor Dave Cover
This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination. Acts 17:25 NIV “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:28 NIV “For in him we live and move and have our being.” Colossians 1:16-17 NIV “...All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” The Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The earliest attested references to a form of the Jesus Prayer appear in a letter traditionally attributed to John Chrysostom (AD 407). In a “Letter to an Abbot,” John Chrysostom makes mention of using "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy" (and also the plural variant "…have mercy on us") as a form of unceasing prayer. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life with Pastor Dave Cover
This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination. Acts 17:25 NIV “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:28 NIV “For in him we live and move and have our being.” Colossians 1:16-17 NIV “...All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” The Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The earliest attested references to a form of the Jesus Prayer appear in a letter traditionally attributed to John Chrysostom (AD 407). In a “Letter to an Abbot,” John Chrysostom makes mention of using "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy" (and also the plural variant "…have mercy on us") as a form of unceasing prayer. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Friends of the Rosary,The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, whose memorial is celebrated on September 15.Another important feast on September 14 is the Triumph of the Holy Cross, the instrument of our salvation.September is a month that falls during the liturgical season of ordinary time (formerly Time After Pentecost), which is represented by the liturgical color green, the symbol of hope.The main liturgical feasts are:St. Gregory the Great (September 3)Nativity of Mary (September 8),St. Peter Claver (September 9),Holy Name of Mary (September 12),St. John Chrysostom (September 13),Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14),Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15),Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian (September 16),St. Robert Bellarmine and Hildegard of Bingen(September 17)St. Januarius (September 19),St. Andrew Kim and Companions (September 20),St. Pio (September 23),Sts. Cosmas and Damian (September 26),St. Vincent de Paul (September 27),Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (September 29) andSt. Jerome (September 30).The commemorations of St. Matthew (September 21) and Sts. Wenceslaus and Lawrence Ruiz and Companions (September 28) fall on a Sunday and are superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of September 2025 are for relationships with all of creation. Inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.In September, we follow the life of Christ and Mary through the Gospels, and focus on the teachings and parables of Jesus and what it means for us to be a follower of Christ.During Ordinary Time, we can focus more on the saints and imitate their holiness as followers of Christ.Finally, the months of August, September, October, and November are part of the harvest season, and as Christians, we recall God's constant protection over his people and give thanks for the year's harvest.Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• September 2, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET
Psalm 131Psalm 132Psalm Reading 1: Jeremiah 7Reading 2: From a homily on Matthew by St. John Chrysostom, bishopSt. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975
SummaryIn this episode, Rita Saikali explores the Gospel of St. Matthew, focusing on the themes of hypocrisy, self-reflection, and the importance of inner transformation. Through the lens of St. John Chrysostom's commentary, she emphasizes the need for accountability in our actions and thoughts, urging listeners to seek virtue over materialism. The conversation also addresses societal roles, the consequences of sin, and the call to live a life of purity and love, ultimately highlighting God's mercy and the transformative power of faith.Take Aways The Gospel of St. Matthew emphasizes the importance of inner purity over outward appearances.Hypocrisy can be deeply rooted in our behavior, requiring regular self-examination.True growth in faith involves recognizing and addressing our own sins and shortcomings.The call to love and mercy should guide our actions, not mere legalistic adherence to rules.Societal issues today reflect the same hypocrisy seen in the past, urging us to act justly.Women and men both play crucial roles in shaping societal values and behaviors.Spiritual adultery occurs when we prioritize worldly desires over our relationship with God.The pursuit of virtue should take precedence over material wealth and superficial beauty.God's mercy allows for transformation and healing from our sins.We must be vigilant in our actions and thoughts, as they reflect our true selves.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Gospel of St. Matthew01:28 Understanding Hypocrisy in Faith03:57 The Call for Self-Examination10:30 The Importance of Inner Purity12:56 The Consequences of Spiritual Neglect18:10 The Role of Sin in Our Lives22:27 The Need for Repentance and Change25:25 The Impact of Lust and Temptation32:28 The Value of Virtue Over Wealth36:08 The Prophecy of Christ's Death
The fathers speak with one voice concerning the passion of anger: it blinds the eyes of the soul and expels the grace of the Spirit. St. Cassian tells us that even a “just cause” for anger blinds no less than an unjust one; whether gold or lead is pressed over the eyes, sight is equally obstructed. So too when anger burns, whether cloaked in righteousness or openly irrational, the light of the Sun of Righteousness is veiled from us. The words cut to the quick: we are not to excuse or harbor even a trace of anger. For Christ Himself declared that “whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of judgment” (Mt. 5:22). St. John Chrysostom tells us that scribes added the phrase “without a cause” to soften the command, but the Lord's intention was uncompromising: to root out the seed entirely, lest it grow into the frenzy that enslaves the heart. For the hesychast this teaching is clear: isolation is no refuge from anger. Cassian admits to raging at sticks of wood or the stubbornness of flint that would not spark quickly enough. The desert does not strip away anger; rather, it exposes it. If we think that by fleeing from brothers we escape the trial of forbearance, we deceive ourselves. Without the correction of life in common, passions grow unchecked, and even inanimate things can draw forth our wrath. Thus, for both monk and layman, anger must be confronted at its root. What, then, of those living in the world, immersed in the irritations and burdens of ordinary life? The fathers offer no easier path for them. Anger in the household, in work, in traffic, in all the frictions of daily existence—these, too, are occasions for forbearance, the training ground of meekness. The same Christ who commands the desert hermit commands also the parent, the spouse, the worker: “Be angry, and sin not” (Ps. 4:4). Turn anger not against neighbor or circumstance, but against the thoughts that seek to enslave. St. Maximos is clear: fasting and vigils restrain bodily desires, but anger is cured only by kindness, charity, love, and mercy. This is the practical labor of every Christian, monk or lay: to return insult with silence, to meet disturbance with meekness, to smother wrath with prayer. The fathers remind us soberly that chastity, poverty, vigils, and every hardship will avail nothing if anger reigns in the soul on the Day of Judgment. For anger drives out the Spirit; where wrath abides, peace cannot dwell. And he who is without peace is also without joy. Thus the path is narrow. Anger is a pit, and blessed is he who jumps over it, pulling the gentle yoke of Christ to the end with meekness. This is no less true for those in the city than for those in the desert. Whether at the dinner table, in the workplace, or in the monastery, each moment of provocation is an invitation to humility, to accuse oneself rather than another, to seize the opportunity for compunction rather than resentment. If we endure, grace will come. What seems at first an impossible command—to eradicate anger entirely—becomes, by the Spirit, an easy yoke. For the fathers remind us: all things are possible to the one who bends low in humility, entrusting his passions to Christ who alone can heal the soul. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:13:39 Tracey Fredman: I miss seeing Lori. I hope she's doing well. 00:16:52 Adam Paige: It's Greek, he writes in Greek 00:18:54 Adam Paige: Some of his books are available digitally, but not Flying over the Abyss 00:19:41 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 272 St. John Cassian 00:20:30 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 272 E 00:44:26 Jacqulyn: Living on a ranch, I totally understand that feeling! 00:45:02 Erick Chastain: Is the worsening of the logismoi in the wilderness as opposed to when you are out in the world dependent on whether one is an introvert/extrovert? 00:45:13 Jacqulyn: Yes, I do! But the sheep keep me focused! 00:45:37 Bob Čihák, AZ: I get angry at myself, but not for long. 00:52:17 Anthony: Lately I've been encouraged by St Francis, who instead of getting wrathful with himself called his erring self "Brother Ass." 00:56:35 Hey Oh! : Augustine said that anger is like an unwanted guest. Once we let it in we don't know how long it will stay or what it will do in our home (hearts). 00:57:39 Rick Visser: It seems that in contemporary psychology there is a strong tendency not to deny the anger that exists in us. We must allow it, not repress it. 00:58:12 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "It seems that in con..." with
The tender balance between God's work in us and our active response to Him forms the heart of Paul's message in Philippians 2:12-18. Diving deep into this rich passage, we explore what it truly means to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" while recognizing that "it is God who works in you."What does it look like to handle your spiritual calling with reverence? The Greek words Paul uses paint a vivid picture—phobos (fear) describes carrying something precious with extreme care, while tromos (trembling) acknowledges our dependence on divine guidance for tasks beyond our natural abilities. This isn't about being terrified of God, but about approaching our responsibilities with holy awareness.Have you noticed how easily we slip into complaining? Paul, writing from a Roman prison cell, challenges us to do everything "without complaining or disputing." In our contemporary culture, where ranting attracts attention and validation, Christians are called to stand apart through grateful attitudes and loving responses. Early church father John Chrysostom even compared complaining to blasphemy—it implicitly questions God's goodness and provision.Whether you're leading a ministry team, managing household responsibilities, or navigating workplace challenges, this message reminds us to approach every task with reverence and gratitude. The deeper our relationship with God grows, the more naturally our actions align with His purposes—not to gain approval from others, but because His will has genuinely become our own.My hope is that this podcast helps grow your faith and equips you to accomplish your dreams and goals!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookFollow me on TikTok
Psalm 10Psalm Psalm 12Reading 1: Jeremiah 1Reading 2: From a homily by St. John Chrysostom, bishopSt. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano's Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
In the 300s, "the whole world groaned and was astonished to find itself Arian", as St Jerome put it. And the brilliant and courageous Athanasius replied, "Is the world against Athanasius? Then Athansius is against the world." Athanasius contra mundum! It's a remarkable story... the secular ruler of the world convening the Church's bishops... a charismatic and influential bad guy rousing half of the Church to his side... indomitable heroes like Athanasius, Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, John Chrysostom, and others defending the Faith at all costs... St Nicholas punching Arias in the face... This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, and Bishop Caggiano dives deeply into the Council on Let Me Be Frank - the history, the theology, the lasting impact on our Faith... I really enjoyed this conversation, and I'm sure you will too! Interestingly, I once read that the phrase "not one iota of difference" comes from the Arian heresy and the Nicene Creed... the Greek letter "i" (iota) is the difference between homoousios (consubstantial) and homoiousios (similar substance)... Email List www.veritascatholic.com Other Veritas Shows The Tangent: https://thetangent.podbean.com/ The Frontline With Joe & Joe: https://thefrontlinewithjoeandjoe.podbean.com/ Restless Catholic Young Adults: https://restlesscatholicmedia.podbean.com Daily Gospel Reflections: https://dailycatholicreflection.podbean.com/ Socials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veritascatholic/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/veritascatholic
In this episode, Rita Saikali explores the Gospel of St. Matthew, focusing on the teachings of Jesus regarding wealth and the kingdom of heaven. She emphasizes the importance of trust in God, the dangers of greed, and the true nature of spiritual wealth. Through the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, Rita encourages listeners to reflect on their attachments and pursue true riches that lead to eternal life.TakeawaysIt is harder for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.For God, all things are possible, including salvation.Those who give up earthly attachments will receive greater rewards.Trust in God is essential for overcoming life's challenges.Spiritual growth is a gradual process, not a one-time event.Greed leads to emptiness and suffering.True riches are found in spiritual wealth, not material possessions.Daily choices shape our spiritual journey and growth.Letting go of unnecessary desires is crucial for spiritual health.God may withhold opportunities to protect our souls.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Gospel of St. Matthew02:00 Understanding Wealth and the Kingdom of Heaven05:53 The Role of Trust in God09:38 The Journey of Spiritual Growth13:36 The Dangers of Greed and Attachment17:17 The True Nature of Riches21:12 The Pursuit of Spiritual Wealth25:02 Conclusion and Reflection on True Riches
St. Isaac's counsel confronts the modern temptation toward self-promotion, verbal dominance, and the illusion of expertise. In a time when our culture prizes quick answers, visible influence, and a polished public persona, his words cut against the grain. He reminds us that the deepest authority is not rooted in rhetoric or clever disputation, but in the quiet radiance of a virtuous life. Humility, expressed in meek speech, modest bearing, restraint in judgment, and continual learning, guards the soul from the injury of familiarity and the snares of pride. For those in the spiritual life today, this means resisting the lure of proving ourselves in debates, curating our image for approval, or speaking beyond what we have truly lived. It is an invitation to clothe our knowledge in tears and fasting, to let the wisdom of the Church shape our vision, and to guard our minds from curiosities that puff up rather than purify. Such a way seems “small” in the eyes of the world, yet it opens the heart to the grace of God, the only true teacher. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:10:58 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 145. Paragraph 20 00:12:39 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 145, mid-page # 20 2nd paragraph on page 00:13:11 Zack Morgan: no 00:24:51 Anthony: This goes so much against the grain of the Classical Greek world: being a public person and a public corrector after the manner of Socrates 00:40:14 Anthony: I found the spirit of blasphemy is contagious from people who proclaim they are righteous but take delight in showing the faults of others. I wish I could shake it off. 00:40:25 Una: Any practical suggestions for those of us whose knees are shot and can't do prostrations anymore? 00:45:55 Ben: I think St. Seraphim of Sarov said something about continual prayer supplying for the inability to fast. Could one hope that the same could be said about an inability to perform other ascetical works, like prostrations? 00:54:02 Ren Witter: How does one discern when one's conscience differs from widely held beliefs in the Church because it is malformed, and when it differs but is in fact formed well? I am thinking of immediate, small things obviously, but also St. John Chrysostom, who experienced exile from the institutional Church, and who had such confidence in his own conscience that he could say “they have the churches, but we have the truth” ? 00:55:18 Anthony: Replying to "Any practical sugges..." There's something about prayer being the highest ascetical work. Maybe in Evergetinos. 00:59:28 Mary
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.John 16:7-1121 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.James 1:21-25CONVICTION AND COMFORT7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.John 16:7-1126 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,John 14:26 (NIV)26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,John 14:26 (CSB)26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,John 14:26 (KJV)HOW DOES THE COMFORTER COMFORT US?8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.John 16:7-11Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.Proverbs 3:5The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?Jeremiah 17:9Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.Proverbs 28:268 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.1 Peter 5:8MOVIE CLIP***10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers[a] has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.Revelation 12:108 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:John 16:8elegchō: declare (someone) to be guilty of a criminal offense by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law.“The Spirit is the ‘advocate' or helper of those who believe in Jesus, their counsel for the defense. But in relation to unbelievers, to the godless world, he acts as counsel for the prosecution.”F.F. BruceBefore the convicting work of the Holy Spirit one may say, I make a lot of mistakes. Nobody's perfect. After the convicting work of the Holy Spirit one may say, I'm a lost rebel, fighting against God and His law – I must rely on Jesus to get right with God.David Guzik13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…John 16:138 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.1 Peter 5:8THE ACCUSER LEADS US WITH COMFORTTHE COMFORTER LEADS US WITH TRUTHTHE ACCUSER LEADS WITH COMFORTThe devil will sometimes come to men's souls as a false comforter.Charles SpurgeonIn the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.2 Samuel 11:1THE COMFORTER LEADS US WITH TRUTH“The Holy Spirit never comes merely to make us feel good; He comes to make us holy, and that requires conviction before comfort.”A.W. Tozer“When the Holy Spirit comes, He is like a refiner's fire. He burns away the dross, but never destroys the gold; He convicts to cleanse, and cleanses to comfort.”Charles Spurgeon5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man!2 Samuel 12:5-7“When He rebukes, He wounds only to heal; when He pierces the conscience, it is to pour in the balm of comfort.”John Chrysostom
I sit down with my old friend from the Paul VanderKlay discord days, Dave W., to discuss the upcoming South Estuary conference and dive deep into the differences between "Light Woo" and "Dark Woo." We explore the nature of evil as a parasitic force and contrast the path of self-empowerment with the Christian concept of Theosis.Register for Dave's conference, Southestuary, here: https://www.southeastuary.com/Midwestuary : https://www.midwestuary.com/Dave's convo with PVK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnxGugpTJZg&t=1744sPeople MentionedPaul VanderKlay ( @PaulVanderKlay ) , Jordan Hall, Jordan Daniel Wood, JD Lionheart, Michael Martin, Nate Hile ( @grailcountry ) , Shari, Yoseph Razin, Chris Green, St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Isaac the Syrian, Origen, St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. John Chrysostom, Rod Dreher, Vin Armani, John Vervaeke ( @johnvervaeke ) , Ashley Lande, Scott Adams, Augustine, Plotinus.
St Isaac the Syrian's words strike with such power and seek to draw us away from what we desperately cling to as human beings - vainglory. Our focus upon ourselves, our particular needs and desires, makes us gather “abominable treasures“ for ourselves that defile our hearts. But more than defiling our hearts, such a vainglory prevents us from experiencing the love and mercy of God in all of its fullness. Thus, Saint Isaac does not hold back in emphasizing the need to purify the heart from all vainglory and pride. His words crash upon the heart like a hammer against an anvil. It is better for us to free ourselves from the shackle of sin than to free slaves from slavery. It is better for us to make peace with our soul than it is to teach about bringing peace among men. It is good to speak about the things of God but it is better for us to make ourselves pure for Him. To speak humbly and to be seen as uncouth by others is better than speaking eloquently about things that we only know as hearsay or that are writings of ink. What St. Isaac is seeking to have us contemplate is the transformative power of God‘s grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit within our hearts. It is God‘s love and mercy that transforms the repentant heart and it is that same love and mercy that transforms the world; even if it remains hidden in obscurity or in poverty. What value is there in a person preaching or teaching about God when through his negligence his soul remains sickly? What gain is there to teach others or lead them to the knowledge of God and then to fall away from hope in God? We begin to see through St. Isaac's writings how we have obscured the gospel. In doing so we have not only weakened its message but we have also lost sight of the presence of God within the sorrows and afflictions of life. It is through the Cross that we have been redeemed and when there is fidelity and trust in the Lord, when we are humbled by life, it is then that His power is made perfect. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:19:39 Gwen's iPhone: Blessed Transfiguration Father 00:24:55 Myles Davidson: What is the distinction between vainglory and pride? 00:27:53 Jamie Hickman: Was the hedgehog reference from John Chrysostom? Love it...just not familiar with it 00:29:24 Jamie Hickman: ah yes, thank you, Father 00:32:24 Anthony: I have a feeling St Isaac is reflecting on his short time as an active bishop, which he fled. 00:33:39 Myles Davidson: Replying to "ah yes, thank you, F..." Cassian's Conference 10.11 00:34:03 Jamie Hickman: Reacted to "Cassian's Confere..." with ✍️ 00:36:18 Jamie Hickman: Mary your vocation to purify your heart is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this. 00:45:51 Anthony: This is the difference of the frankness of a "Rocky" instead of the glibness of Apollo Creed 00:47:57 Rebecca: Sometimes a humble spirit can become a source of pride and vainglory…. 00:49:18 Rebecca: …as in the false self co-opts the experience of the ‘humble spirit'. 01:02:38 Russ's iPhone: Lewis- Pain is Gods divine megaphone to rouse us from our spiritual slumber, or pain is Gods divine drill into the human heart. 01:07:23 Ren Witter: I feel like a lot of the time, the same circumstances that can humble can also lead to intense anger and resentment. What is the difference between the person who allows themselves to be humbled, and the one who responds with resentment and anger? 01:08:55 Anthony: I plenty of times start with anger and have to put it aside. Maybe that is humility. Over and over again. 01:09:47 Anthony: We have to remember we are humans, not the mythical Vulcans 01:10:47 Mary
A teaching by Alexander Breytenbach. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ruahchurch.com
Meditations from Sts. Francis de Sales, John Chrysostom, and Augustine
Meditations from St. John Chrysostom, and Frs. Houdry, Nepvue & Bretville on how we ought to value our soul as Christ values it
Reflections on the dangers of earthly wealth from St. John Chrysostom, J.B. Masillon, and St. Basil
This is part 4 of a 9 part series. For the full series you can go here.Long ago it is written that God said, “Remember” - yet today mankind has forgotten. Through the many clever schemes of the devil in history, most of the world has been deceived into believing tradition over truth. And what's more, a time is soon coming when the choice will have to be made between obeying the word of God or obeying the word of the devil.TIMESTAMPS:* 00:00 - Synod of Elvira* 07:38 - Augustine* 25:50 - Peter Heylyn* 31:49 - Francis White* 40:12 - John Kitto* 45:44 - Timothy of Alexandria* 51:38 - Gregory of Nyssa * Asterius of Amasea* 58:18 - John Chrysostom* 1:09:46 - Kenneth Strand* 1:56:39 - Thomas Morer* 2:03:27 - Political Changes & Constantine* 3:29:10 - Wrap-Up * 3:41:40 - The Church Fathers This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe
Dr Adam Koontz recommends books about preaching. Books mentioned - Aristotle's Poetics and Rhetoric Book 4 of Augustine's On Christian Doctrine Reinhold Pieper's Evangelical Lutheran Homiletics J. Michael Reu's Homiletics H. Grady Davis's Design for Preaching Gerhard Aho's The Lively Skeleton John Broadus's Treatise on the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons Jean Claude's Essay on the Composition of a Sermon The Heart of the Yale Lectures The sermons of John Chrysostom and Martin Luther Visit our website - A Brief History of Power Dr Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church Music thanks to Verny
The Exodus Way E11 — After Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension, his followers grew into a movement known simply as “The Way”—a new exodus people delivered from sin and death, following the narrow way of Jesus through the wilderness of our present world and awaiting entry into a promised new creation. The Apostle Paul is a central figure in this movement, commissioned by the risen Jesus to spread the good news of the new exodus to the nations. He planted churches in several Roman cities and wrote letters to congregations of Jewish and Gentile believers. Paul was a Jewish man steeped in Israel's Scriptures, which is why we see him infusing Exodus language and imagery into his letters to the early Church. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Paul's letters to the churches in Corinth, Galatia, and Rome, discovering how Paul saw the death and resurrection of Jesus, the life of the Christian, and the larger story of creation as a cosmic exodus.View all of our resources for The Exodus Way →CHAPTERSRecap of Where We've Been (0:00-3:01)Exodus Imagery in 1 Corinthians 5 (3:01-14:03)Exodus Language in Galatians (14:03-31:41)The Cosmic Exodus in Romans 8 (31:41-44:33)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistles of St. Paul to the Corinthians by John ChrysostomPaul and His Story: (Re)Interpreting the Exodus Tradition by Sylvia KeesmaatYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Lilo” by The Field Tapes & Middle School“Loving Someone You Lost” by The Field TapesBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.