Podcasts about fathers

Most fathers are trying to win at work while losing the most important battle at home. Daniel Smith reveals why the real solution is not more success, but a deliberate path into biblical manhood, fatherhood, and presence.After 14 years in law enforcement, including time as an FBI special agent, Daniel's life changed when he saw the cost of being absent from his wife and three sons. That turning point led him to build Voyage Rights, a ministry designed to restore rites of passage and help fathers intentionally guide their boys into manhood. In this conversation, he and Pastor David Mendonca unpack what's missing in modern fatherhood, why so many men remain stuck in passivity, and how the church can do a better job of forming boys into strong, faithful men.You'll discover:Why a father's presence matters more than gifts, income, or good intentionsThe simple, repeatable rhythm Daniel uses to disciple his sons day to dayHow rites of passage create clarity, confidence, and responsibility in boysWhy men need brotherhood, not isolation, when work takes them away from homeHow churches can build ministries that actually draw men in and keep them engagedDavid and Daniel also break down the “Mighty Men Path,” including pre-puberty discipleship, post-puberty initiation, and the long-term journey beyond a one-time event. They talk honestly about father wounds, single-parent challenges, spiritual attack, and why prayer, Scripture, and forgiveness are essential for breaking generational cycles.This episode is for fathers, stepfathers, mentors, pastors, and any man who knows he's called to more than passive survival. If you want practical encouragement and a clearer vision for leading your family well, this conversation will challenge you to step up and keep walking.Daniel Smith is the founder of Voyage Rights, a ministry focused on restoring rites of passage for fathers and sons. He also serves as kids ministry director at Freedom Church and helps lead men's discipleship through 11th Hour Alliance.

Today’s Topics: Joshua Charles joins Terry for Friday with the Fathers 1) Gospel – Matthew 25:1-13 – Jesus told His disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.  Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'  While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.  Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'  But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Saint Augustine, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day2, 3, 4) Terry and Joshua discuss Early Father of the Church: Saint Augustine.  Though the great Saint has been claimed by many as a proto-protestant, nothing could be farther from the truth as Saint Augustine was entirely Catholic and a Bishop of the Church

There is something almost relentless about the teaching of the Fathers on watchfulness. They will not allow us to imagine that there comes a point in the spiritual life when vigilance is no longer necessary. Age does not free us from it. Knowledge does not free us from it. Years of prayer do not free us from it. Even great spiritual gifts do not free us from it. “As long as you are in the body, do not leave your heart unguarded.” Until the last breath. At first this can sound severe. The image given by Abba Isaiah is striking: he is like a sparrow tied by the foot. It may fly upward and imagine itself free, but the cord remains. A single tug can bring it back to the earth. Likewise, the Fathers tell us that the enemy waits at the crossroads, lays traps along the path, makes use of small thoughts and seemingly insignificant compromises, and patiently seeks an opening into the heart. Yet if we read these sayings merely as a catalogue of demonic strategies, we have misunderstood their purpose. The Evergetinos is not trying to make us fascinated with evil. Nor are the Fathers trying to produce souls that are perpetually looking over their shoulders, anxiously examining every movement of the heart. They are teaching us watchfulness because they desire something infinitely greater for us. They want us to discover how precious the heart is to God. Indeed, hidden within these rather frightening descriptions is one of the most beautiful statements in the entire passage. The enemy himself is forced to confess concerning the monks: “You and your fellow-servants have a good Master, Who speaks to you gently and watches over you as His own children.” A good Master. One who speaks gently. One who watches over us as His own children. This is the heart of the teaching. We guard the heart because God guards the heart. Our vigilance is meant to become a participation in His vigilance over us. The commandments, prayer, repentance, the remembrance of God, the cutting off of thoughts—all of these are expressions of a divine solicitude that surrounds the human person. God desires to protect within us that which He has created for Himself. He desires that nothing should enter the heart that diminishes its freedom, darkens its vision, wounds its capacity for love, or turns its desire away from Him. The Fathers therefore teach us to recognize temptations, but recognition is not the end. We do not study the passions in order to become experts in the passions. We learn their movements so that we might become free to love. This distinction is everything. One can become extraordinarily knowledgeable about the spiritual life and still remain outside of its mystery. Abba Isaiah goes so far as to say that a man might possess knowledge, perform miracles, endure hardships, and yet still find himself vulnerable. None of these things constitutes the final security of the soul. Only love does. And so the passage unexpectedly opens into the words of the Apostle: “Love never faileth… but beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Here the teaching reaches its true center. The Fathers are not leading us toward an ever more sophisticated fear of temptation. They are leading us toward perfect love. Watchfulness exists for love. Asceticism exists for love. The guarding of the heart exists for love. Repentance exists for love. Even the fear of God, rightly understood, is gradually drawing the soul toward that love in which fear itself is transformed. This is why the smallest thoughts matter. Not because God is fastidious or because the Christian life consists in anxiously avoiding infractions. The smallest things matter because love notices what interferes with communion. When one loves another deeply, one becomes sensitive to anything that introduces distance. So too with God. The vigilant heart begins to recognize thoughts of resentment, vainglory, judgment, self-pity, lust, anger, curiosity, or self-will not simply as violations of a rule but as movements that draw the heart away from the One whom it loves. The Fathers repeatedly tell us that great falls ordinarily begin very quietly. A thought is entertained. Then revisited. Then befriended. What first appeared insignificant gradually acquires familiarity, and familiarity acquires power. “The Devil disdains small sins; yet without them, he cannot lead man into greater sins.” But precisely the opposite is also true. Small acts of fidelity gather strength. A thought rejected for Christ. A moment of irritation surrendered. A judgment withheld. A temptation met immediately with the Jesus Prayer. A movement of vainglory quietly ignored. A moment of fear answered by trust. A suffering borne without abandoning God. These things too form habits of the heart. Grace upon grace. Fidelity upon fidelity. Love answering Love. This is why the teaching about vigilance should never leave us preoccupied with the enemy. Abba Makarios does not continue his journey thinking about the devil. He gives thanks to God and goes on his way rejoicing. That detail is extraordinarily important. The fruit of true watchfulness is not anxiety. It is thanksgiving. It is the growing realization that we are being kept. The Elder who asked to see the demons surrounding men discovered something similar. He saw them “like bees,” gnashing their teeth. Yet among them stood the Angel of the Lord rebuking them. The revelation was not given so that the Elder might become terrified by the number of demons. It revealed something far greater: the mercy of God was already there. Before we perceive the danger, God sees it. Before we understand the temptation, God knows it. Before we cry out, He has already drawn near. This is why the proper response to our weakness is not self-reliance but the prayer Abba Isaiah places continually upon our lips: Help me. Have mercy upon me. Perhaps this is one of the deepest lessons the desert has to teach us. Watchfulness eventually reveals not how strong we are but how utterly dependent we are upon God. The vigilant man discovers more and more clearly that he cannot preserve himself. And strangely, this discovery becomes peace. St. Isaac the Syrian understood this profoundly. The knowledge of one's weakness is itself a doorway into the knowledge of divine mercy. When a man begins to understand how fragile he is, he ceases trusting in himself and casts himself upon God. Then prayer becomes less an accomplishment and more a cry of the heart. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Not because God is reluctant to give mercy. Because mercy is already rushing toward us. This also changes the meaning of constancy. We remain vigilant until death not because God stands waiting for us to make one final mistake. We remain vigilant because love desires to remain with the Beloved until the end. The question becomes less, How do I avoid falling? And more: How do I remain with Him? This is the deeper meaning of guarding the heart. To remain. To abide. To keep the inner door turned toward Christ. To allow nothing to become more compelling than His presence. There will always be thoughts. There will always be temptations. There will always be some cord around the foot of the sparrow as long as we remain in this present life. The Fathers are remarkably sober about this. There is no moment when we may say, “Now I am beyond danger.” But neither is there a moment when we are beyond mercy. And perhaps that is what gives watchfulness its tenderness. We do not stand guard alone. The One who tells us to watch is Himself watching over us. The One who tells us to guard the heart has already claimed that heart as His dwelling. The One who warns us against the snares of the enemy does so because He desires our freedom infinitely more than we do. He does not expose the traps in order to frighten His children. He exposes them because He loves His children. And gradually the spiritual life becomes less and less a struggle to defend ourselves and more an abandonment to this love. We discover that the safest place for the heart is not in its own vigilance, strength, knowledge, or experience. It is in Him. So until the last breath we watch. Until the last breath we repent. Until the last breath we cry out. Until the last breath we refuse the thought that would carry us away. But beneath all of this there is something deeper and quieter: we allow ourselves to be drawn. Drawn by mercy. Drawn by beauty. Drawn by the gentleness of the good Master. Drawn by the One who has watched over us as His children from the beginning. And perhaps, in the end, perfect watchfulness is simply this: to love Him so deeply that the heart no longer wishes to go anywhere else. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:24:33 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 59, first paragraph on page, above #9 00:27:52 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 59, #10 00:31:33 James Hickman: The tug doesn't seem to be with the most tremendous force either, for the feeling or illusion of freedom or thinking in pride that we have overcome our vices, we get a tiny jerk on the rope and get caught off guard, falling hard. I see in my own life, I think a certain sin is behind me and then seemingly out of nowhere a tiny tug sends me hurling down, crashing and burning. 00:32:26 Forrest: Reacted to "The tug doesn't seem to be with the most tremendous force either, for the feeling or illusion of freedom or thinking in pride that we have overcome our vices, we get a tiny jerk on the rope and get caught off guard, falling hard. I see in my own life, I think a certain sin is behind me and then seemingly out of nowhere a tiny tug sends me hurling down, crashing and burning." with

There are passages in St. Isaac that can sound almost impossible to modern ears. His words on vigil are among them. “Do not imagine,” he tells us, “that among all the works of monastics there is any practice greater than night vigil.” We hear such words and immediately think of sleep deprivation, bodily exhaustion, long hours of psalmody, standing in darkness while the rest of the world sleeps. We wonder whether such a practice belongs to another age, another kind of human being, perhaps even another understanding of the spiritual life. But this is precisely where we can misunderstand Isaac. Vigil becomes incomprehensible when it is separated from desire. If we begin with asceticism, vigil appears severe. If we begin with love, it begins to make sense. The lover understands the night. There are moments when we do not want an evening to end because we are with someone we love. There are conversations in which we cease looking at the clock. A mother remains awake beside a sick child without calculating the sacrifice. Someone awaiting the return of the beloved listens for every sound in the night. Love changes our experience of time. And so it is with the saints. They did not remain awake because they despised sleep. They remained awake because they had discovered Someone for whom it was worth losing sleep. This is the secret of vigil. “That I May Be With You” The Fathers understood the spiritual life far less as the fulfillment of religious obligations than as the awakening of desire. Beneath fasting, silence, solitude, tears, prostrations, psalmody, and vigil lies a single movement of the heart: I want God. Not merely His gifts. Not consolation. Not religious experiences. Not even virtue considered as a possession. God Himself. This is why St. Isaac describes the mind of the one who keeps vigil as becoming light and buoyant, taking flight “as it were on wings.” The ascetic is not merely staying awake. Something within him is being released. During the day the mind is scattered among a thousand things. We speak. We answer. We plan. We remember. We anticipate. We defend ourselves. We attend to necessities. Even when these things are good, the heart becomes divided among them. Then comes the night. The voices diminish. The demands cease. The world grows quiet. And the soul discovers again the One whom it has been seeking beneath everything else. This is why vigil was so precious to the Desert Fathers and remains so in the teaching of the great modern elders. It creates a space in which the heart can become undivided. The night says: There is nowhere else I need to go. There is nothing I need to accomplish. There is no one before whom I need to justify myself. There is only God. And I am here. The Recovery of Wonder Yet there is something even deeper in Isaac's teaching. Vigil is not merely about attention. It is about wonder. Isaac tells us that the one who perseveres in vigil begins to “gaze upon” heavenly realities. His language is deliberately extravagant: the soul comes to possess “the eyes of Cherubim.” What does this mean? It means that purification changes how we see. The tragedy of fallen existence is not simply that we commit sins. It is that we gradually cease to be astonished by God. We become accustomed to everything. Accustomed to the Gospel. Accustomed to the Eucharist. Accustomed to the name of Jesus. Accustomed to the Cross. Accustomed even to the astonishing claim that the Creator of heaven and earth desires communion with us. And when wonder disappears, desire soon weakens with it. The Fathers knew that the heart must be awakened again. This is one reason vigil has such power. In the silence of the night, familiar words can suddenly become new. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God…” We may have spoken those words ten thousand times. Yet in the stillness something can happen. Jesus. The Name becomes luminous. God is here. God sees me. God desires me. God has called me into existence that I might share His life. And suddenly prayer is no longer something we are performing. It is encounter. Wonder gives birth to desire, and desire gives birth to greater attention. Then the soul begins to understand why the saints stayed awake. The Vigil of the Lover This is why we must be careful not to turn Isaac's teaching into another spiritual program. Stay awake longer. Say more psalms. Sleep less. Accumulate hours. Isaac himself warns against precisely this distortion. A person may endure “prolonged psalmody,” weariness of the tongue, and “night-long standing,” and yet receive little fruit because the mind is elsewhere. The body is standing before God while the heart is wandering through the world. Isaac asks, with characteristic directness: Why sow so much seed if we continually prevent it from bearing fruit? Vigil without attention becomes habit. Vigil without desire becomes endurance. Vigil without love becomes religious achievement. And religious achievement can quietly feed the very ego that asceticism is meant to dismantle. The true vigil begins somewhere deeper. Stay with Me. This is the invitation hidden within the night. Christ in Gethsemane asked His disciples, “Could you not watch with me one hour?” Perhaps every vigil is, in some mysterious way, our answer to that question. Yes, Lord. I will stay. Not because I am strong. Not because I am an ascetic. Not because I want to imagine myself among the saints. I stay because You are here. Why Vigil Requires the Day This also explains something that Isaac emphasizes strongly and that can easily be overlooked. The vigil cannot be separated from the way we live during the day. If we spend the day deliberately filling the mind with noise, agitation, curiosity, argument, distraction, and endless encounters, we should not be surprised if those same things accompany us into prayer at night. Isaac therefore insists that the monk who desires the fruit of vigil must guard himself from unnecessary disturbance during the day. This is not contempt for the world. It is custody of the heart. The Fathers understood something about human consciousness that our age desperately needs to rediscover: what we give ourselves to leaves traces within us. Everything enters the heart. Images. Conversations. Arguments. News. Resentments. Fantasies. Fears. The opinions of others. The desire to be seen. The need to respond. The mind carries these things into silence. Thus vigil actually begins long before nightfall. It begins with how we guard the heart throughout the day. The School of Freedom This is one reason the disappearance of vigil from much contemporary Christian life is significant. We have not merely lost an ascetical practice. We have lost one of the great schools of desire, attention, and freedom. The modern world teaches us to flee silence. It places a device in our hand capable of filling every empty moment. It trains the eyes to seek novelty and the mind to expect constant stimulation. The Fathers move in precisely the opposite direction. Be still. Remain. Watch. Wait. Listen. Do not flee the emptiness. Because eventually you may discover that it was never empty. Someone was waiting for you there. The purpose of vigil is not to prove that we can conquer the body. It is to become free enough to recognize the presence of the Beloved. “I Sleep, but My Heart Is Awake” The goal, then, is ultimately something greater than remaining physically awake. The goal is wakefulness of heart. “I sleep, but my heart is awake,” says the Bride in the Song of Songs. There is the mystery. The deepest vigil eventually becomes a state of the soul. A person begins to live before God. The Jesus Prayer continues beneath thought. The remembrance of God becomes increasingly continuous. The heart waits for Him. Looks toward Him. Listens for Him. Desires Him. This is the angelic quality Isaac sees in vigil. The angels do not merely “stay awake.” They exist in ceaseless attention to God. Their life is beholding. And Isaac dares to say that through vigil the human person begins to participate in this same movement. The eyes of the heart open. Wonder returns. Desire intensifies. Prayer deepens. The mind grows light. And gradually the soul discovers that the ascetical life is not fundamentally a life of deprivation. It is a life of fascination. The Night Is Not Empty Perhaps this is what we most need to recover from Isaac. We will never understand the asceticism of the Fathers if we begin with what they gave up. We must begin with what they saw. They saw a Beauty before which the beauties of the world grew pale. They tasted a sweetness that made lesser consolations seem small. They discovered a Love so immense that solitude became communion, silence became fullness, fasting became hunger for God, and vigil became the refusal to leave the presence of the Beloved. This is why the teaching on vigil belongs so naturally beside the language of desire and wonder. The ascetic does not remain awake merely because a rule commands it. He has glimpsed something. And because he has glimpsed it, he wants to see more. Wonder awakens desire. Desire gathers the scattered heart. The gathered heart becomes attentive. Attention becomes prayer. And prayer becomes communion. Then something remarkable happens. What once appeared burdensome becomes precious. The night that once seemed long becomes too short. Silence that once frightened us becomes the place we long to enter. And the prayer that once seemed an obligation becomes something from which we are reluctant to depart. The saints kept vigil because they discovered that the night was not empty. The Beloved was there. And once the heart knows this, the deepest question is no longer: Why would anyone remain awake to pray? It becomes: How could love not want to remain? --- Text of chat during the group: 00:18:08 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 222, Homily 20 00:23:28 David Swiderski: The last time we discussed this and sleeping 8 hours straight and for most of time people at least in Europe slept "2" times I went back to my Grandfather's diary and it appears the wood stoves in Northern Wisconsin only lasted 4hrs and you would need to get up and feed the fire so they naturally did vigils and took advantage of the break in sleep. In Spain and Latina America they have a nap in some areas due to the heat (2 hour lunch) and are up till 1 or 2 am. It seems modern western society is a new adaptation of what was a practice for hundreds of years. 00:25:10 Ryan Ngeve: Father what is one to do if these practices and deprivations make us more agitated/irritated and downcast, especially towards  others, as they tend to do? 00:39:01 Gwen's iPhone: my cat does! 00:39:24 James Hickman: Is it safe to call vigils a means to the end, which is nearness to the Lord, such that a super practical means to find closeness with the Lord is this watching for him when there are fewer distractions (not that we are safe from distractions in the night, but that the many combating us in the day are perhaps different in kind or number than those distractions of the night)? 00:42:15 Rod Castillo: I pray my daily rosary at 2 am.  It's the only time the house is quiet enough to allow me to devote myself completely to it. 00:43:46 James Hickman: Reacted to "I pray my daily rosary at 2 am.  It's the only time the house is quiet enough to allow me to devote myself completely to it." with

There is something almost frightening about the stories preserved for us in the Evergetinos. They are frightening not because they portray extraordinary wickedness, but because they reveal how quietly the heart can change. The monk described by Palladios is not a beginner. He is a man of profound silence and prayer, one who has surrendered himself so completely to God that even the necessities of his bodily life have been entrusted to Providence. His life has become contemplation. Prayer is his delight. God provides for him in a miraculous manner. He has tasted something of the life of the age to come. And yet the beginning of his fall is almost imperceptible. He sleeps a little longer. His prayer becomes somewhat shorter. His attention wanders. Earthly concerns begin to occupy a little more space within him. Thoughts once immediately rejected are permitted to remain for a moment. Nothing, at first, seems catastrophic. That is precisely the warning. The Fathers understood that the great falls of the spiritual life rarely begin as great falls. They begin with small permissions. Something formerly guarded carefully is treated casually. Something that once troubled the conscience is dismissed as insignificant. A thought is entertained rather than rejected. Prayer is postponed. Vigilance relaxes. A little comfort is allowed to become necessary. The heart whispers that such things hardly matter. But they matter because the heart matters. There is something extraordinarily precious hidden within the human person: the place of communion with God. The Fathers speak of guarding the heart so insistently because they know what has been entrusted to us. Grace has entered there. The Name has been received there. Desire for God has been awakened there. A fire has been kindled that does not originate in ourselves. The spiritual life, therefore, is not primarily the anxious avoidance of infractions. It is the guarding of a treasure. This changes how we understand vigilance. We do not guard ourselves because God is waiting to punish the smallest mistake. We guard ourselves because love is delicate. Communion can be obscured. Desire can cool. The eye of the heart can become clouded. What has become luminous through prayer can gradually become opaque again. The evil one understands this very well. He does not always attempt to tear a person immediately away from God. With someone who has given himself deeply to prayer, such an assault might be too obvious. Instead, he waits. He works through what appears negligible. A little negligence. A little self-confidence. A little relaxation of watchfulness. A thought that seems harmless enough to entertain. The enemy is patient because he knows that a heart need not renounce God explicitly in order gradually to lose sight of Him. Palladios gives us an extraordinary image of this darkening in the bread. At first the monk receives heavenly bread, pure and provided by God. As his interior life becomes disordered, the bread appears grimy and gnawed. Later it is almost entirely spoiled. What is happening visibly to the bread corresponds to what is happening invisibly within the monk. The gift has not ceased to be gift, but his capacity to receive it has become corrupted. The tragedy is not simply that temptation has appeared. Temptation comes to everyone. The decisive moment comes earlier: he notices the diminishment and does not respond to it. He regards the first symptoms as trivial. This is one of the most penetrating insights in the story. The monk does not suddenly decide to abandon his vocation. He fails to take seriously the cooling of his love. The Fathers would have us become sensitive to precisely this. When prayer becomes burdensome, notice. When mercy toward another begins to disappear, notice. When resentment becomes pleasurable, notice. When the imagination begins feeding upon something we would once have rejected, notice. When silence becomes uncomfortable and distraction increasingly necessary, notice. When we begin excusing in ourselves what once brought us immediately to repentance, notice. Not because every movement of weakness is a catastrophe, but because small movements reveal the direction in which the heart is turning. The story attributed to St. Maximos makes the warning still more sobering. The young monk possesses astonishing spiritual authority. Even wild animals obey him. Those around him naturally interpret such gifts as evidence of sanctity. St. Anthony is less impressed. He sees a ship filled with precious cargo and says, in effect: Yes—but will it reach the harbor? Everything is contained in that image. Grace received is not yet grace preserved. Virtue acquired is not yet virtue safely possessed. Spiritual gifts are not guarantees. Years of asceticism are not guarantees. Miracles are not guarantees. The harbor is reached only through perseverance. This is why Maximos interprets the command to “turn away from evil, and do good” as something more than the avoidance of sin. We must fight to diminish the passions; we must labor to acquire the virtues; and then—we must remain awake in order to preserve what has been given. He connects this with Adam's vocation in Eden: to cultivate and to keep. The heart is a garden. Grace cultivates it with us. Prayer waters it. Tears soften its soil. The remembrance of God makes it fruitful. Virtue slowly becomes something beautiful and living within us. But the garden must also be kept. Perhaps this is why the Fathers can appear severe about things modern people consider insignificant. Their severity is not necessarily born from fear. At its deepest, it arises from wonder. They know what the heart can become. They have seen human beings filled with God. They have seen the mind made luminous through prayer, the passions transfigured, the hardened heart made merciful, and ordinary human beings become bearers of the Holy Spirit. Having seen such things, they cannot regard anything that gradually extinguishes that life as trivial. The treasure is too precious. And yet neither story finally teaches despair. Palladios' monk awakens. Remarkably, his awakening comes while he is teaching others. He hears himself speaking truths that he has ceased to live, and suddenly sees himself. The contradiction becomes unbearable. He runs back into the desert, casts himself upon the ground, and repents. God receives him. The angel's words are filled with mercy: “God has accepted your repentance and has had mercy on you.” Something has nevertheless changed. The miraculous bread does not return. His remaining years are marked by mourning. This is not because God refuses forgiveness. Rather, the story preserves the terrible seriousness of freedom. Forgiveness is complete, yet our choices are real. Grace is not magic, and repentance does not make our history unreal. The Fathers hold together what we so often separate: immense mercy and immense seriousness. Never despair. But never presume. Never imagine that a fall places you beyond the mercy of God. But never imagine that what darkens the heart is therefore insignificant. The Christian life is lived between these truths. Perhaps the most important question, then, is not simply, Have I committed some great sin? It may be much quieter: What is happening to my desire for God? Is the flame growing brighter or dimmer? Is prayer becoming more truthful or merely habitual? Is my heart becoming softer or harder? Am I becoming freer to love, or increasingly absorbed in myself? Have I begun calling “small” those things that slowly make me forget the One whom I love? The evil one is willing to wait. He knows that great falls can grow from tiny seeds of forgetfulness. We too must learn to wait—but differently. We remain before God. We keep the heart. We cultivate the garden. We guard the treasure. And when we discover even the smallest cooling of love, we do not panic and we do not despair. We turn again toward Christ. Immediately. Simply. Humbly. For vigilance, rightly understood, is not living in terror that we might lose God. It is living with the knowledge that nothing is more precious than having found Him. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:08:19 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 61 Section C 00:14:06 Jacqulyn Dudasko: I received my books today! Even had a bit of time to start reading!

There is a sentence here from St. Isaac that overturns almost everything we are inclined to think about asceticism: You suppose these things were ordained simply to oblige you to labor. We imagine the vigil primarily as something difficult. Sleep is surrendered. The body is constrained. Psalms are prayed while the world sleeps. Nature protests and the monk remains standing before God. Looked at from the outside, it appears to be an extraordinary act of discipline. But Isaac tells us that if this is all we see, we have not yet understood the vigil. The question is not how much a man can endure for God. The question is what begins to happen within the heart of a man who desires God enough to seek Him in the night. Something is born there. This is why Isaac speaks so fiercely about the following day. The tragedy would not simply be that we failed in some ascetical rule. The tragedy would be that we received something precious and then lived carelessly enough to lose it. Seeking the One Who Has Already Come to Us The night vigil is born from desire. The monk rises because Someone is there. This is what distinguishes Christian asceticism from mere religious exertion. We are not trying to force our way toward an absent God. We are responding to the God who has already drawn near, already called us, already awakened desire within us. The Beloved has come seeking us. And eventually the heart begins seeking Him. There comes a moment in the spiritual life when prayer is no longer adequately described as obligation. The language of duty becomes too small. A man discovers within himself a hunger for silence because silence allows him to hear more clearly. He desires solitude because solitude removes the thousand competing claims upon his attention. He rises in the night because there are hours when the world has become quiet enough for the heart to recognize what it has always desired. Isaac knows this experience. This is why he speaks of Scripture as well. Reading is not merely preparation for prayer or the acquisition of religious knowledge. Scripture “sows” something within the soul. It gathers the scattered mind. It irrigates prayer. It plants the remembrance of God. It makes the understanding subtle enough to perceive things that previously escaped it. Scripture, silence, prayer, vigil—all begin converging upon the one thing necessary. Christ Himself. And once the heart begins to taste this, the whole ordering of life must change. The Day Must Become the Guardian of the Night Here Isaac becomes extraordinarily demanding. What sense is there, he asks, in sowing throughout the night only to scatter the seed during the day? We stand before God in darkness, struggling to gather the mind. Perhaps after a long while the thoughts settle. Something softens. The Name descends more deeply. Scripture opens itself in a way that cannot easily be explained. A stillness appears that we could never manufacture. Then morning comes. And we throw ourselves back into dispersion. Conversation. Curiosity. News. Opinions. Tasks that did not need to be done. Encounters that did not need to occur. Words that did not need to be spoken. The endless grazing of the mind among things. Isaac's question is devastatingly simple: Why would you do this? Why labor through the night to gather what you willingly scatter during the day? This reveals something essential about the monastic heart. Vigil cannot be isolated from the rest of life. There cannot be one life before God and another life afterward. Isaac says that we must place “no wall of separation” between the night and the day. That phrase is astonishing. The stillness of the night is meant to flow into the day. The remembrance of God cultivated in darkness must become the hidden atmosphere in which we move beneath the light of the sun. The silence of the cell must follow us. The Name must remain near. Our encounters, our speech, our work, even the manner in which we allow ourselves to think must begin to be governed by one question: Will this help me remain with the One whom I have found? This is not narrowness. It is love. Love Makes a Man Careful When something becomes precious to us, we become careful around it. This perhaps explains Isaac's asceticism better than almost anything else. The Fathers guard the senses because something precious has been entrusted to the heart. They guard speech because words can disturb what silence has gathered. They flee unnecessary encounters because the mind can quickly become populated by images, arguments, memories, anxieties, and judgments. They restrain curiosity because the heart cannot gaze simultaneously in every direction and remain simple before God. From outside, such a life may appear severe. From within, it is tenderness. A man in love does not experience every renunciation as deprivation. Some things simply become less interesting because something infinitely more beautiful has appeared. This is why the ascetical life is so counterintuitive. We ordinarily construct our days around what must be accomplished and then attempt to fit prayer somewhere within them. Isaac reverses the order. Order the day around what must not be lost. What if the most important thing that happened today occurred while the world was sleeping? What if the deepest work was not something we accomplished but the quiet gathering of the heart before God? What if the purpose of tomorrow were, in part, simply not to lose it? Then discernment changes. We begin asking not merely whether something is sinful, permissible, useful, interesting, or productive. We begin asking whether it preserves the heart's capacity for God. This is a much more demanding question. “You Would Have Embraced Jesus' Bosom” And then Isaac says something almost unbearably beautiful. Had the monk allowed his daytime life to correspond to the meditation of the night, had he placed no division between them, Isaac says that “in a short time you would have embraced Jesus' bosom.” Here the entire meaning of vigil is unveiled. Not achievement. Not spiritual heroism. Not mastery over sleep. The bosom of Jesus. Communion. Intimacy. Rest in the Beloved. Everything else exists for this. We constrain ourselves because we desire freedom from everything that prevents love. We become silent because we desire to hear. We remain awake because we desire to see. We read because we desire the mind of Christ. We guard ourselves because we have discovered something worth guarding. Even the night itself becomes sacramental in this sense. The darkness strips things of their urgency. The machinery of the world slows. The identities we carry during the day become less important. There is less to perform and less to defend. There is simply the creature before the Creator. The beloved before the Beloved. And the Name. Lord Jesus Christ. The New Life Begins in the Night Isaac finally speaks of those who desire “knowledge of the new life.” That is what vigil opens before us. A new life. Not merely a more disciplined version of the old one. Perhaps this is why the call to stillness can become stronger rather than weaker as the spiritual life deepens. The field of vision narrows. Things once regarded as indispensable reveal themselves as secondary. Activities that once seemed important begin to feel strangely weightless. Even good works must find their proper place. Not because love has diminished. Because desire has become concentrated. One thing is necessary. The night teaches this with a clarity the day rarely permits. And so perhaps Isaac's teaching on vigil reaches far beyond the question of how many hours we sleep. He is teaching us how to construct an entire life around the remembrance of God. Receive the night as gift. Read until the mind is gathered. Call upon the Name. Stand before God when nothing seems to be happening. Remain. And when something begins to awaken within you—some tenderness, some compunction, some clarity, some quiet awareness of the One who has been waiting for you—do not rush away from it. Guard it. Carry it into the morning. Let your speech become quieter because of it. Let your choices become simpler. Let unnecessary things fall away. Let the day itself become an extension of the vigil. For the purpose of the vigil was never simply that we should remain awake. It was that we should awaken. And having awakened, that we should refuse to return to sleep. The Fathers went into the night because they had begun to glimpse the astonishing truth hidden beneath all asceticism: God is worth seeking. God is worth waiting for. God is worth arranging an entire life around. And once the heart has begun to discover Him in the silence, wisdom consists largely in learning not to lose during the day what Love has given us in the night. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:21:49 Ambrose Little: It's supposed to make your head hurt.

What happens when Christian parents become so focused on connection, affirmation, and keeping the peace that they stop leading their children? In this episode of Abraham's Wallet, Steven Manuel and Mark Parrett examine the rise of gentle parenting and ask a difficult question: Can an emphasis on connection and emotional safety actually become a form of parental passivity? Steve and Mark explore what biblical leadership looks like in the home—and why loving your children doesn't mean avoiding boundaries, correction, discomfort, or authority. They discuss the difference between invitation and challenge: building deep relationships with your children while still being willing to direct them, correct them, and hold the line when necessary. The conversation connects modern parenting culture to the biblical example of Adam's passivity in the Garden of Eden and Abraham's calling to command his household to follow the way of the Lord. The goal isn't authoritarian parenting or harsh discipline. It's a form of fatherhood that combines warmth with strength and prepares children to become responsible adults, faithful Christians, and future leaders of their own families. Steve and Mark also get practical, discussing screen limits, bedtimes, curfews, sleepovers, technology, financial responsibility, correcting disrespect and dishonesty, allowing children to experience failure, and how a father's unwillingness to lead can affect his marriage. Ultimately, this episode is about more than parenting techniques. It's about family leadership, biblical authority, resilience, and building a multi-generational legacy that can withstand the pressures of modern culture. In this episode: • The rise of gentle parenting • Christian parenting vs. cultural parenting trends • Why connection alone isn't enough • Invitation and challenge in parenting • Biblical leadership in the home • Adam's passivity in Genesis 3 • Abraham's example of leading his household • Setting healthy boundaries with children • Discipline without harshness or authoritarianism • Why children may actually feel more secure when parents lead • Screen time, technology, bedtimes, and curfews • Teaching children financial responsibility • Correcting disrespect, dishonesty, and bad character • Allowing children to fail while still providing leadership • How parental passivity can affect marriage • Building family identity and generational legacy • Raising resilient Christian children • The Parenthood Primer • Growing Kids God's Way Resources mentioned in this episode: The Parenthood Primer View The Parenthood Primer on Amazon Chapters (00:00:01) - What Adam's Passivity in the Home(00:00:54) - Abraham's Wallet: How to Lead Your Home(00:02:07) - Let's Talk Fafo Parenting(00:06:17) - What Is Gentle Parenting?(00:09:44) - Strict Curfews(00:19:17) - How to Prevent Passivity in Parenting(00:24:38) - How Passive Parents Can Be a temptation(00:30:19) - 7 Rules for Parenting in the Teenage Years(00:33:52) - Pre-Parental Counseling Workbook(00:35:06) - Coming soon: Trust God's Design for the FamilyHelp us equip more biblical bosses!: https://abrahamswallet.com/support AW website | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Today’s Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) William discusses the Early Fathers of the Church, Apostolic, Ante-Nicene, and Post-Nicene

Author and classicist Daniel Mendelsohn was teaching a university class on Homer's The Odyssey, when his elderly father decided to enrol in it.Daniel became fascinated by the stories of the ancient world as a child and grew up to study the classics and then write books and essays to share his knowledge with the wider world.Eventually he began teaching the Ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey, to first year university students at Bard College in New York State.But when his elderly father Jay asked to sit in on the course, it led to a big change in their relationship.This episode was first broadcast in 2020Further informationAn Odyssey: A father, a Son, and an Epic is published by KnopfDaniel's latest book is The Odyssey: A New Translation This episode was first broadcast in 2020.It explores the Ancient World, Homer, The Odyssey, the Classics, translation, poetry, writing, teaching, parents, family, fathers, students, New York State, memoir, Odysseus, hero, storytelling, siblings, Winnie the Pooh, emotions, love, books.

Devin Schadt, author of The Marriage Gap and founder of Fathers of St. Joseph joins Trending with Timmerie: Episode Guide Overcome drifting apart in marriage with 5 things a wife longs for (3:55) How To: Couple’s Date Night – 7 Tips (29:22) Why does marriage feel harder than I expected? (39:59) The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (46:53) Resources mentioned: The Marriage Gap https://sophiainstitute.com/product/the-marriage-gap/?srsltid=AfmBOoqVTajpbP8t1iWh_X3-oat0kyHVWDsVBl9jKNHYDa4IYZ14sNU6 The Fathers of Saint Joseph https://fathersofstjoseph.org/

In today's r/relationship story, OP was about to propose - until their girlfriend's dad suddenly passed away. Now everything's on hold and OP's unsure what to do next.0:00 Intro0:20 Story 13:11 Story 1 Comments / OP's Replies8:32 Story 1 Update11:20 Story 1 Comments / OP's Reply12:52 Story 214:45 Story 2 Comments / OP's Replies16:46 Story 2 Update20:53 Story 323:01 Story 3 Comments 25:52 Story 3 Update Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s Topics: Joshua Charles joins Terry for Friday with the Fathers 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel – Luke 5:12-16 – It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with Him, and said, “Lord, if You wish, You can make me clean.”  Jesus stretched out His Hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it.  Be made clean.”  And the leprosy left him immediately.  Then He ordered him not to tell anyone, but “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”  The report about Him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to Him and to be cured of their ailments, but He would withdraw to deserted places to pray. Bishop Sheen quote of the day Terry and Joshua discuss exorcism by Early Father of the Church

America has a crisis of young men—and Tony Woodlief believes fatherhood, faith, and stronger communities could be part of the answer. On The Karol Markowicz Show, Karol sits down with writer, political scientist, and author Tony Woodlief for a wide-ranging conversation about fatherhood, masculinity, parenting, faith, politics, education, artificial intelligence, and finding purpose in an increasingly disconnected culture. Woodlief explains why he believes too many young men have been left without meaningful friendships, employment, education, or connections to institutions and communities. He discusses the difference between simply being a parent and intentionally being a father, why modern portrayals of masculinity often miss the mark, and what can be done to help men searching for direction and purpose. Karol and Tony also explore his unconventional approach to politics and federalism, including why he believes massive school districts have weakened parents’ control over their children's education and why breaking them into smaller, locally accountable districts could produce better results. Plus, Tony offers his provocative prediction about artificial intelligence and the future of writing and art, explains why AI may expose rather than destroy bad creative work, and shares the simple daily practice he believes can dramatically improve your life: intentional gratitude. It’s a thoughtful conversation about raising children, becoming better men, strengthening families, reclaiming local control, and finding meaning in a rapidly changing America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us Fan MailThank you, Shannon Steadman, for making today's episode possible!!!Your kids won't remember your job title, but they'll remember whether you were there. That's the heartbeat of this conversation with Josh Iadarola, a dad who has lived the hard parts of fatherhood and kept showing up anyway.We start with gratitude and get honest about mental health, anxiety, and the quiet pressure so many dads carry. Josh shares what he's most grateful for as a father, why mental well-being deserves as much attention as physical health, and how vulnerability can become a strength instead of a liability. We also talk about the values he learned growing up in a tight family routine: consistency, discipline, respect, and a work ethic modeled through sacrifice.Then we go deeper into divorce, co-parenting, and the grit required to stay present when life gets complicated. Josh opens up about the commitment he made to his son, the emotional reality of Sunday drop-offs, and what it means to create a positive home even when you're hurting. From there, we shift into blended family life and “bonus kids,” what helped him build trust quickly, and why he sees a bigger family as more love, not more problems. Along the way, we hit practical leadership lessons for the home: respond instead of react, apologize when you miss, and parent each child as an individual with their own needs.We also spotlight Josh's professional world at CoWorx Staffing Services and how they think about staffing, retention, safety, and employee engagement through a service-first model. If you're a working dad trying to lead with humility, curiosity, and steadiness, you'll get plenty to take back to your own household. Subscribe, share this with another dad who needs it, and please leave a review so more families can find these conversations.Support the showPlease don't forget to leave us a review wherever you consume your podcasts!  Please help us get more dads to listen weekly and become the ultimate leader of their homes! 

Nick Scrivens returns to the Art of Fatherhood to explore more into his fatherhood journey. He shares how being a dad is similar to being an entrepreneur. We talk about how he tries to instill lessons about life he has learned with his kids. After that we talk about the ups and downs he has experienced running Fore Fathers. He is very open about all the pitfalls he has experienced along the way. In addition, Nick shares how he learned to pivot to make his business successful. Lastly, we finish the interview with the Fatherhood Quick Five.  About Fore Fathers From the boardroom to the back nine, barbecues to bath time, changing diapers to changing the oil, we offer beautifully designed, thoughtfully tailored, ultra-comfortable, and original polos for Dads of all shapes and sizes. Inspired by what it means to be a father, we celebrate the joys of this adventure with fun and friendly Dad apparel meant to be worn as a Dad badge of honor! Check out all of the Fore Fathers gear at shopforefathers.com.  About The Art of Fatherhood Podcast  The Art of Fatherhood Podcast follows the journey of fatherhood. Your host, Art Eddy talks with fantastic dads from all around the world where they share their thoughts on fatherhood. You get a unique perspective on fatherhood from guests like Bob Odenkirk, Hank Azaria, Joe Montana, Kevin Smith, Danny Trejo, Jerry Rice, Jeff Foxworthy, Patrick Warburton, Jeff Kinney, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Kyle Busch, Dennis Quaid, Dwight Freeney and many more. 

Who is in your circle? Barry explains why every man needs the right “circle”—an intentional brotherhood defined by relationship, influence, accountability, and kingdom purpose.Join the FatherSeekers community! https://www.skool.com/fatherseekersFS FacebookFS InstagramFS YouTubeAsk Barry a question: barry@fatherseekers.orgCHAPTERS00:00 Why Circles Matter01:02 Defining a Godly Circle05:16 Three Circle Observations07:31 Framework 1: Measured11:01 Framework 2: Molded13:10 Framework 3: Modeled17:38 Framework 4: Moderated22:10 Framework 5: Missional26:34 Join the Community27:18 Final Charge and Support--FatherSeekers helps fatherless fathers become better fathers.Get discussion guides, devotionals, and more at FS Website

There is a danger in reading passages such as this one from St. Isaac and hearing primarily a warning: Do not become negligent. Do not allow yourself to grow lax. Guard your solitude. Avoid unnecessary conversation. Do not permit the mind to become scattered. Certainly Isaac is warning us. His language is deliberately severe because he knows how fragile the beginnings of prayer can be. A heart newly awakened to God is like the tender blossom of a fruit tree. It possesses within itself the promise of fruit, but it can still be injured by a sudden frost. The mind that has begun to discover stillness can quickly become dispersed again. The heart that has tasted the sweetness of prayer can become strangely cold. But if we hear only the warning, we may miss something much more beautiful in Isaac's words. The great concern of Homily 19 is not simply that we avoid negligence. It is that we recognize what has been given to us and take hold of it. Isaac is speaking to men and women who have tasted something. They have tasted God. “If fiery thoughts arise in you,” he writes, “through the consuming flame of divine things,” and you “enjoy a taste of God,” then guard what has been given to you. That changes everything. The ascetical life is not primarily the anxious preservation of spiritual discipline. It is the response of the heart to a gift. We guard prayer because we have discovered Someone in prayer. We seek stillness because within stillness we have begun to hear the voice of the Beloved. We withdraw from unnecessary occupations not because created things are evil, but because something infinitely more precious has begun to draw the heart. This is why Isaac can speak so dramatically about the loss of fervor. “Only the man who drinks deeply of this wine, and afterward is deprived of it, only he knows to what misery he has been abandoned.” One cannot miss the language of desire here. The tragedy is not simply that the monk has broken his rule. The tragedy is that he has allowed himself to become separated from something he has tasted and loved. He knows the wine. He remembers its sweetness. And now he thirsts. This is the deeper meaning of vigilance. Negligence Is Forgetfulness Negligence in the spiritual life is rarely simply laziness. At its deepest level it is forgetfulness. The heart forgets what it desires. Isaac tells us that through excessive conversation, unnecessary occupations, sensory dispersion, and involvement in countless affairs, “the object of her desire is blotted out from her mind.” That sentence may be the key to the entire passage. The object of her desire is blotted out. The danger of distraction is not merely that it wastes time. It obscures desire. We begin to forget why we are alive. We may continue doing many good things. We may remain religious. We may fulfill responsibilities. We may even continue praying. Yet somewhere beneath all this activity, the memory of God can grow faint. And once that memory fades, lesser desires begin to fill the empty space. The Fathers understood this with extraordinary psychological depth. The heart cannot remain without desire. If it ceases to be gathered toward God, it will inevitably become scattered among countless lesser things. This is why Isaac says: “Do not multiply your occupations, and you will not find turmoil in your mind, or in your prayer.” He is not preaching inactivity. He is teaching simplicity of heart. The question becomes: What possesses my attention because it possesses my desire? Take Hold of Grace There is another danger, however, subtler than negligence. We may imagine that because everything depends upon grace, we need only wait passively for God to act. Isaac knows nothing of such passivity. When grace visits the heart, take hold of it. When prayer becomes warm, remain there. When tears come, do not hurry away from them. When desire for God awakens, feed it. When silence begins to gather the mind, protect that silence. When the Name of Jesus descends even slightly from the lips toward the heart, treasure it. Not because grace can be possessed or controlled, but because love asks for a response. There is a holy cooperation between divine grace and human freedom. God awakens the heart, and the heart turns toward Him. God gives the thirst, and we begin to drink. God lights the flame, and we cease throwing cold water upon it through negligence. This is why the Fathers can sound simultaneously so uncompromising about asceticism and so utterly dependent upon grace. There is no contradiction. Asceticism is what love looks like when freedom responds to grace. The Stronger Attraction And here we reach something even deeper. Isaac does not ultimately believe that the Christian life is sustained by fear of distraction. It is sustained by attraction. The lesser things of life pull upon us. Conversation pulls upon us. Curiosity pulls upon us. Responsibilities pull upon us. Memories, anxieties, pleasures, opinions, news, recognition, work—all of these exert a gravitational force upon the heart. But there is another gravity. Divine love. And it is stronger. The spiritual life matures when we discover that holiness is not primarily a heroic attempt to tear ourselves away from the world. It is allowing ourselves to be drawn increasingly by the beauty of God. The Psalmist does not cry: My soul has disciplined itself for Thee. He cries: “My soul thirsted for Thee.” Thirst is attraction. Desire is attraction. Love is attraction. The heart has glimpsed the Face for which it was created, and suddenly everything else begins to reveal its proper measure. This is why the saints sometimes appear almost incomprehensible to us. Their detachment can look severe from the outside. But from within, something very different is happening. They are being drawn. Christ has become more beautiful than everything they have relinquished. The Memory of the Wine Perhaps this is why God sometimes permits us to experience the loss Isaac describes. We have known moments when prayer was alive. Moments when the Name of Jesus seemed to contain everything. Moments when silence was not empty but filled with Presence. Moments when tears came without effort. Moments when we knew—not merely intellectually, but existentially—that God was near. And then the heart became cold. We became distracted. We multiplied our occupations. We returned to noise. The temptation is to despair over this. Isaac gives us another way. Remember the wine. The memory of grace itself can become a summons. Not nostalgia for a spiritual experience, but remembrance of the One who gave Himself within it. The coldness reveals the thirst. The absence reveals the desire. And the heart begins again: Where are You? Why have I wandered so far from what my soul desires? When shall I come and appear before Your face? Even our sorrow over having lost the sweetness of prayer can become prayer. “If You Will” There is something here that echoes the great saying of Abba Joseph: “If you will, you can become all flame.” Not because we manufacture the fire. The fire is God. The desire is awakened by God. The grace is given by God. The attraction originates in God. But the human will must consent to being consumed. This is the dignity and trembling mystery of our freedom. Grace comes and says: Remain. And we must choose whether to remain. Love draws and says: Come. And we must choose whether to follow. The flame rises and says: Give yourself. And we must decide whether we will continue protecting the thousand little things that keep us divided, or allow ourselves finally to belong to the One who desires the whole heart. Isaac's severity therefore conceals extraordinary tenderness. He is not telling us merely: Be careful what you lose. He is telling us: Look at what you have found. You have tasted something more precious than everything that distracts you. You have discovered the hidden wine. You have felt the beginnings of the fire. You have heard within yourself the ancient cry: “My soul thirsted for Thee, the mighty, the living God.” Do not be afraid merely of negligence. Be afraid of forgetting what your heart has discovered. And then turn again. Take hold of the grace that has taken hold of you. For beneath all our seeking is a greater seeking. Beneath our thirst is a deeper thirst. Beneath our desire for God is the immeasurably greater desire of God for us. In the end, it is not our weak attraction toward Him that will carry us home. It is the stronger pull of His love. Our task is to cease resisting it. To remain. To consent. And, if we will, to become all flame. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:03:04 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 219, paragraph 2 00:10:34 Janine: Oh great Miles is back! 00:12:04 James Hickman: I came across this today. It's from April 10, so the group might already be familiar. Professor Matthew Minerd a Ruthenian Catholic scholar offers positive reasons for following the approach of The Evergetinos and the Apophthegmata among others as great models of theology for the dialectics and holy anecdotes. https://www.athomist.com/articles/monastic-stories-casuistry 00:12:16 Alan Henderson: Which work is Myles discussing 00:12:40 James Hickman: “Monastic Stories as a Method of Ascetical Casuistry” 00:13:25 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "Oh great Miles is ba..." with ❤️ 00:13:37 Janine: Oh that looks great! Thx James 00:13:38 Myles Davidson: Replying to "Which work is Myles ..." The Brothers Karamazov 00:14:46 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 219, paragraph 2 00:29:41 James Hickman: Driving is stillness lol 00:29:45 Sr Barbara Jean Mihalchick: Matthew Kelly's new book is THE CONTENT DIET 00:30:04 Sr Barbara Jean Mihalchick: Lots of practical helps... 00:30:18 Anna: No TV in my house for over a decade 00:30:35 Jesssica Imanaka: Reacted to "No TV in my house fo..." with

Colossians 3:17-25 ESV 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.   • • • Colossians 4:1 ESV 1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.   • • • 1. Wives and Husbands   • • • Colossians 3:18-19 ESV 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.   • • • Ephesians 5:21 ESV 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.   • • • Colossians 3:17 ESV 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.   • • • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.   • • • 2. Children and Parents   • • • Colossians 3:20-21 ESV 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.   • • • Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.   • • • 3. Employees and Employers   • • • Colossians 3:22-25 ESV 22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.   • • • Colossians 4:1 ESV 1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.   • • • Application: Marriage and family life always work best when we do it God's way!

Sometimes we might find ourselves asking, "Where is God?" David preaches on Genesis 26:1-3 as Isaac and his family are experiencing a very difficult time, God promises that even through Isaac's troubles, He is with him.

What is micro cheating? (3:32) Devin Schadt joins Trending with Timmerie to discuss: Why is physical intimacy a core need for a husband? (23:44) 3 phases of a man. (29:02) Resources mentioned: Devin Schadt – Fathers of St. Joseph https://fathersofstjoseph.org/

Today’s Topics: Joshua Charles joins Terry for Friday with the Fathers 1) Gospel – John 16:20-23 – Jesus said to His disciples:  “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question Me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give you.” Memorial of Saint Isidore Saint Isidore, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Terry and Joshua discuss Early Fathers of the Church on worthy and unworthy reception of the Holy Eucharist

One of the best films ever made had one of the most problematic pieces of special effects. A clunky, robotic shark which broke down more often than it worked. But thank god it did - otherwise we wouldn't have the piece of theatre that is: The Shark is Broken.On this episode, the three stars of the Australian production of The Shark is Broken test their wits against the quiz.Get you tickets to The Shark is Broken here:https://sharkisbroken.com.au/This podcast is made on the land belonging to the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and acknowledge their traditions of sharing knowledge and stories for millennia on this land.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-saturday-quiz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Jay and Amazing Larry continue their deep dive into why women are leaving the church. Using Genesis, they discuss “How did God originally design men and women to function together? How does that initial design inform how women can function in the Christian community?” Frothy Thoughts with the Truth Barista Visit HighBeam Ministry, The Truth Barista Check out the Frothy Thoughts Blog! Check out The Truth Barista Books! Check out The Truth Barista YouTube Channel!

If the angels existed in the presence of God and beheld His divine glory, how could Satan—or any angel—possibly choose to turn away from Him?We explore what the Eastern Church Fathers teach about the nature of angels, their free will, the angelic hierarchy, and the fall of Satan. Nathan​ examines five factors that help explain how beings created in communion with God could nevertheless rebel against Him, including pride, envy,​ intellectual passions, and the possibility of God's pedagogical withdrawal.Along the way, Nathan discusses the nine orders of angels, competing patristic explanations for Satan's rebellion, why some Fathers connect his fall to​ the creation of humanity, and what angelic freedom can teach us about our own relationship with God.======================================Timestamps00:00 How Could an Angel Fall?00:47 What Is an Angel?02:09 Angels as Created Beings03:21 Free Will and Self-Determination04:23 Angels as Ministering Spirits05:10 How Angels Mediate God's Energies07:18 How Creatures Participate in God08:39 The Hierarchy of Angels09:06 The Nine Orders of Angels10:23 What Does the Fall of Angels Mean?13:13 How Could Angels Reject God?15:50 Five Factors Behind the Fall16:38 Not All Angels Experience God Equally17:32 The Intellectual Passions18:33 Pride, Envy, and Satan's Rebellion19:38 Did Satan Fall Because of Humanity?21:15 How Satan Led Other Angels into Rebellion22:39 Divine Hiddenness and Free Will24:56 Do Angels Leave God's Presence?25:17 Why God May Withdraw His Presence26:58 How the Angels May Have Been Tested27:26 Final Thoughts======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:C​an the Devil be Saved? https://youtu.be/1nIJhti5hqw​ ​​Is Rational Unbelief in God Possible? https://youtu.be/J7uP9uFNThY​Is Non-Resistant Unebelief in God Possible? https://youtu.be/9B1G44hywd0​Is God Truly Hidden: https://youtu.be/R4Y0JBZtrRMAll links:The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

From homeless at 17 to social media sensation to world traveler, and now full-time single father, Oliver Kuiz takes us on a whirlwind journey that is far from finished. His unique and tangible experiences have shaped his perspective as a father and approach in educating his son. Oliver KuizChannel: https://www.youtube.com/OliverKuizSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, COMMENT, LIKEIf you're interested in being a guest on For Fathers Podcast, email elliottquintonllc@gmail.com YouTubehttps://youtu.be/qbvyGTsABY4Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/4O8uydPbNRnjlx9uhWXbPjApplehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-fathers/id1514726925Elliott Quinton L.L.C“Passionately eloQuint”Facebook: Elliott QuintonInstagram: elliottquinton_TikTok: elliottquinton_YouTube: PassionatelyeloQuint#travel #travelvlog #forfatherspodcast #eloQuint #podcast #fatherhood #mentalhealth #homeless #homelessness #sondad #dadlifematters #podcaster #menempowerment #proudfather #personaldevelopment #personalgrowth #education

Seeking Divorce Assistance in These Locations? Our Team Can Help!   Riverside: https://bit.ly/4lYPO9o Corona: https://bit.ly/44gJROv Irvine: https://bit.ly/3EvvQSL San Diego: https://bit.ly/4lOg85X Palm Desert: https://bit.ly/4jNWZzc   Founded in 2021, Reel Fathers Rights APC is a Nationally Recognized Family Law Firm that focuses exclusively on representing Men and Fathers in Family Court in California. RFR boasts over 300 years of combined family court experience and was recognized as the top law Firm on the Inc 5000 List for 2025. RFR attorneys have earned dozens of awards and certifications from being named Certified Family Law Speicialist by the State Bar of California to being named Rising Stars by Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch by Super Lawyers. RFR attorneys are equipped to handle everything from contentious Child Custody disputes to high profile, high-stakes divorce, and defense of serious Domestic Violence Allegations. RFR is the go-to attorney for Men and Fathers in California Family Courts. You can learn more about Reel Fathers Rights and their services on our website www.reelfathersrights.com   Mark Reel Jr. is the Founder and CEO of Reel Fathers Rights APC. Since 2021, Mark and RFR have represented thousands of Men and Fathers in California Family Courts. Mark has been named One to Watch by Best Lawyers and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers. He has also been recognized by Inc on their Ince 500 list of fastest growing companies as well as Elite Lawyer and Expertise.com   About this episode In this episode: California family law attorney Mark Reel breaks down Luka Dončić's international custody battle with his ex-fiancée. Mark explains why dueling cases were filed in Slovenia and Los Angeles, how the UCCJEA and “home state” rules decide where custody belongs, and why filing in California was such a high-stakes move financially. He also walks through how child support is calculated for ultra–high income earners, why a $50 million demand may really be about leverage, and why these cases often end in confidential lump-sum settlements rather than massive monthly payments.

Kail Lowry is back! We catch up on everything that's changed since her last visit—from raising seven kids and watching her oldest reach the age she was when she became a mom, to her plans for law school, the pressure of supporting a huge family, and what life looks like with her new boyfriend, Isaac. Plus, Isaac joins us to talk relationships, money, marriage, and what it's really like stepping into Kail's very public world. Shopify: Build your own business with a free trial at https://shopify.com/unplanned Nutrafol: Get $10 off your first month's subscription and free shipping at https://nutrafol.com with promo code UNPLANNEDPOD. Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order of Hiya kids vitamins athttps://hiyahealth.com/UNPLANNED—this deal is only available at this link or find Hiya in Target stores nationwide. Zocdoc: Taking care of your health just got easier - start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/UNPLANNED #sponsored Honeylove: Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to https://honeylove.com/UNPLANNED! #honeylovepod Follow The Unplanned Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/unplanned__podcast/ https://www.tiktok.com/@unplanned_podcast Listen to the pod on Spotify/ Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ToDA4ufQuWuEgMq07zN6t https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unplanned-podcast/id1669604504 Follow Matt & Abby: Abby's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/abbyelizabethoward/ Matt's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/_matt_howard_/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@matt_and_abby Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mattandabb YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@MattandAbby Mascara is sold out! Thank you guys so much! Sign up here for updates on restock: https://www.biswell-beauty.com/ Chapters: 02:02 - Catch up 02:42 - Therapy 04:29 - Breaking off my engagement 08:21 - Cheating 11:38 - Turning pain into profit 13:46 - Cost of custody 22:15 - Having more kids 25:31 - Moving to NC 26:25 - Legal reform 28:08 - Law school 32:09 - Being the breadwinner 36:58 - Cosmetic surgery 39:30 - My Team 44:39 - Losing my father 48:00 - How I'm raising my kids differently 51:15 - Tour 51:54 - Dating with 7 kids 1:09:35 - Audience questions 1:18:00 - Agree or Disagree Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Biblical Alert, we examine concerns surrounding former President Donald Trump's relationship with Turkey and the broader geopolitical implications for Israel and the United States. From a prophetic and biblical perspective, we discuss Turkey's role in the region, the dangers of trusting political appearances, and the spiritual realities that believers must discern.The message then shifts to a strong warning for pastors and Christians about spiritual deception within the modern church. Drawing from Romans 16, we explore how false teaching often arrives wrapped in appealing language, promises of freedom, and contemporary trends, while gradually pulling believers away from sound doctrine and biblical separation. Through Scripture, listeners are challenged to recognize the enemy's "bait and switch" tactics, stand firm in biblical truth, and guard the next generation from deception.Join us for a timely discussion on discernment, doctrine, and the importance of remaining faithful to God's Word in an increasingly confusing world.Key Topics:Trump, Turkey, and concerns for IsraelBiblical perspectives on geopolitical threatsSpiritual deception in the churchThe danger of abandoning biblical doctrineRomans 16 and the call to discernmentProtecting future generations through sound teachingBiblical Alert brings biblical analysis and practical warnings to help believers navigate current events and spiritual challenges through the lens of Scripture.The Voice in the Wilderness does not endorse any link or other material found at buzzsprout.More at https://www.thevoiceinthewilderness.org/

With special guests: Brendan Morris & Stephan Wellink… in conversation with Bill Kable The Thornetts, a band of brothers as Shakespeare might have called them. Today we explore what makes a champion when we hear about a sporting giant from 1960’s Australia, namely Richard, or as he was more commonly known, Dick Thornett. Dick was the youngest in a family of champions. Dick’s oldest brother was John who became the Captain of the Australian Rugby team, the Wallabies. Under John, the Wallabies had a legendary tour of South Africa. The next brother Ken also played Rugby at a representative level but is best known for his Rugby League abilities. Starting his Rugby League career in England he became known as the Mayor of Leeds before he came back to Australia representing Parramatta and Australia in the Kangaroos. Dick is called “the Natural” because he was so good at any sport he turned his hand to. After representing Australia in water polo at the 1960 Olympics in Rome he went on to represent Australia in two very different sports namely Rugby and Rugby League. Podcast (mp3)

There is a great mercy hidden within these unsettling sayings from the Evergetinos. The Desert Fathers do not speak to us about spiritual warfare in order to make us preoccupied with the devil. They speak about it so that we might become sober, humble, and utterly dependent upon Christ. This is one of the great blessings the Desert Fathers continue to offer the Church. They expose what ordinarily remains hidden. Modern man tends to imagine temptation almost exclusively in terms of dramatic moral choices. We think of sin as something obvious placed before the will: Will I do this or will I not? But the Fathers understood the human heart far more subtly. Long before the temptation becomes an obvious choice, something has often already begun moving within us: a thought entertained, an irritation indulged, a desire awakened, an image cherished, a conversation replayed, praise secretly enjoyed, an injury remembered, a judgment formed, prayer postponed. The enemy rarely begins by asking us to renounce God. He asks only that we become slightly inattentive. And so Abba Simon gives us one of the most important sentences in tonight's reading: “Keep watch inside your cell, and keep watch outside it.” The brother cannot understand why he leaves his cell, becomes caught up in the distraction of others, laughs when they laugh, talks when they talk, and then discovers upon returning that the peace he formerly possessed has disappeared. He wants to move between recollection and distraction without consequence. Abba Simon tells him gently but firmly: That is impossible. The heart carries within itself what it consents to. This is why nepsis—watchfulness—is so central to the spirituality of the desert. The Fathers discovered that the cell is not merely a physical room. Ultimately, the cell is the heart. We must learn to inhabit it wherever we are. Solitude without vigilance will not save us, nor will activity necessarily destroy us. What matters is whether the heart remains awake before God. The modern elders say the same. St. Porphyrios continually warned against becoming fascinated with darkness. We do not overcome darkness by staring at it. We turn toward Christ. St. Paisios likewise spoke with great realism about the suggestions of the enemy, yet his emphasis was always upon humility and trust in God. St. Silouan and St. Sophrony understood perhaps most deeply that spiritual warfare is finally a battle over where the heart will abide: in itself or in Christ. This is precisely why these passages must never be read merely intellectually. We can study the taxonomy of temptation and still remain utterly blind to ourselves. Indeed, that may itself become another temptation. The moment I read these sayings and begin identifying the passions of other people, I have already missed their purpose. The proper response is much simpler: There but for the grace of God go I. “Satan Is Not Dead” Perhaps the most sobering saying tonight is the Elder's response to the man who declares, “I am dead to the world.” “You may say that you are dead, but Satan is not dead.” What extraordinary spiritual realism. The Fathers distrust premature declarations about ourselves. I have conquered this passion. I am beyond that temptation. This no longer affects me. I have reached dispassion. I understand myself now. No. The desert teaches us never to presume upon yesterday's victory. This is not because the Fathers are pessimistic about grace. Quite the opposite. They are so convinced of the power of grace that they refuse to confuse grace with human self-confidence. A man who knows his weakness can be extraordinarily strong because he clings to Christ. A man convinced of his strength is already standing dangerously alone. This is why the account of the dying monk is so striking. Satan says, “You have eluded me,” and even then the Elder replies: “I do not yet know whether I have eluded you.” There is no spiritual swagger here. No confidence in accomplishments. No inventory of virtues. Only vigilance until the final breath. The Trembling of Agathon Then comes Abba Agathon. He has spent his life seeking God. Yet as death approaches and the brothers ask whether he is confident that his deeds have been pleasing to God, he answers: “God's judgment is one thing, man's another.” This is not neurotic scrupulosity. It is humility purified of illusion. Agathon knows something we continually forget: we cannot finally stand outside ourselves and judge our own souls. Even our virtues may contain admixtures we cannot perceive. Generosity may conceal a hunger to be needed. Zeal may conceal anger. Orthodoxy may conceal pride. Asceticism may conceal self-reliance. Service may conceal the desire for recognition. Even repentance itself can become subtly self-absorbed. Therefore Agathon places himself entirely before God. And notice how the story ends. He dies in joy. This is crucial. The humility of the Desert Fathers does not lead to despair. It leads to freedom. Agathon has nothing left to defend. Nothing to prove. Nothing to claim for himself. He places everything into the hands of God and ascends “as one who greets his friends and loved ones.” True humility ends in joy because it has surrendered the impossible burden of saving itself. The Vessels of the Enemy The extraordinary vision of Abba Makarios brings all of this together. The devil appears covered with vessels containing different means of temptation. One attacks prayer with drowsiness. Another Scripture with physical discomfort. Another obedience. Another chastity. Another speech. Another appetite. Another humility through pride. Another virtue through vainglory. Another remembrance of eternity through forgetfulness. The image may seem strange to us, but its psychological and spiritual insight is profound. The enemy studies where we are vulnerable. He does not tempt everyone identically. And more importantly, he frequently attacks us precisely where we are seeking God. When we pray, suddenly we become tired. When we seek silence, a hundred apparently urgent thoughts arise. When we begin fasting, food occupies our imagination. When we perform some good work, we begin wondering whether anyone noticed. When God gives us spiritual insight, we subtly begin thinking ourselves spiritually insightful. When we experience grace, we may begin secretly believing that the grace belongs to us. Even virtue can become the material of temptation. This is why Makarios sees vessels around the devil's neck filled with pride and human glory. The enemy does not care whether he captures us through obvious vice or apparent virtue. He cares only that the gaze of the heart moves away from Christ and returns to itself. And perhaps the most frightening vessel is the one containing forgetfulness. The enemy makes “the memory of these things disappear.” Forgetfulness is not simply poor memory. In the language of the Fathers, it is an existential forgetfulness of God. We forget who we are. We forget whose we are. We forget death. We forget judgment. We forget mercy. We forget the Kingdom. We forget the presence of Christ. And once remembrance disappears, almost anything can enter. This is why the Jesus Prayer is so powerful. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” It is remembrance restored. The Name gathers the scattered heart. The Name interrupts the conversation with the logismoi. The Name returns us to Presence. Sitting With the Fathers This is why we need to journey with the Desert Fathers rather than merely read them. Their sayings are not curiosities from an exotic period of Christian history. They are maps of the human heart. We should read them slowly enough that they begin reading us. Where am I inattentive? Where have I become confident in myself? What thought do I repeatedly entertain? Where do I seek human approval? What happens to my heart after certain conversations? What destroys my recollection? What makes prayer difficult? Where has forgetfulness entered? And above all: Where am I relying upon myself rather than Christ? These questions should not produce anxiety. They should produce humility. The Desert Fathers were not obsessed with demons. They were captivated by God. Precisely because they desired God so intensely, they learned to recognize everything that sought to draw the heart away from Him. And they knew they did not fight alone. We live within the communion of the Church. The angels surround us. The saints intercede for us. The Mother of God shelters us. The prayers of the Church carry us. Our guardian angel accompanies us. And the Name of Jesus is placed upon our lips. The evil one may indeed be relentless. But he is not sovereign. Christ is. Makarios can interrogate the devil precisely because Christ has already conquered him. The powers of darkness are exposed because the Light has come into the world. And so vigilance is not fearfully watching for Satan behind every movement of life. Vigilance is keeping the heart turned toward Christ. The safest person spiritually is therefore not the one who thinks, I would never fall into that. It is the one who whispers: Lord, without You I could fall into anything. Keep me. Guard my heart. Give me remembrance of You. Send Your holy angels to protect me. Through the prayers of Your saints, preserve me from deception. And then we understand why we must keep returning to the desert. The Fathers know the terrain. They have watched thoughts arise and disappear. They have suffered temptation. They have fallen and risen. They have learned the terrible danger of self-confidence and the astonishing strength hidden in humility. They take us by the hand and teach us to watch. Inside the cell. Outside the cell. Until our final breath. Not because we are terrified of the darkness, but because we have discovered something infinitely more beautiful that we do not wish to lose sight of: the face of Christ. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:08:04 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Volume 3 page 54 number 3 00:56:55 James Hickman: In the past year or so, certain Catholic exorcists have come under attack for describing a bit of their healing ministry. For instance, some attack the priests for revealing that the devil has told them x, y, or z. The attackers, who only seem to attack the priests behind their backs, say that the priests are either lying or that they've been misled by the devil, for the demons can't be trusted. I trust these priests, and here Abba Macarius is just one more witness to the power of the Church to compel the demons, if it be God's holy will, to share what otherwise we wouldn't know. I suppose I'm sharing this hoping more of us will pray for these exorcists and for priests in general. Abba Macarius, pray for us! 01:04:00 Forrest: The appearance of the Devil in this story reminds me of an earlier hypothesis where a great saint laughed at a group of demons struggling to lift a single feather.  How hard it was for them! Here the Prince of Demons wears many vessels with feathers attached. 01:04:25 Adam Paige: The 35 Doctors of the Church: Revised Edition by Rev. Christopher Rengers, O.F.M. Cap 01:18:27 Rebecca Thérèse: Uriah the Hittite 01:20:25 Julie: Thank you

Send us Fan MailHave you struggled to receive the gift of tongues—or wondered why it seems beyond your reach?The barrier may not be spiritual. It may be mental.In this episode of The Faith of the Fathers, Karl Gessler exposes the “Western rationalist block” that can prevent believers from yielding to the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is more than a missionary tool or an optional spiritual experience. It is a powerful gift for intercession—allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through you beyond the limits of your natural understanding.In this episode, you will discover:• Why your mind is “unfruitful” when you pray in the Spirit—and why that is not a problem• How fear, self-consciousness, and intellectual control can hinder spiritual flow• Why human cooperation is essential for God's will to be accomplished on Earth• How praying in tongues can become a powerful weapon in intercession and deliverance• A remarkable testimony involving an ancestral part being resolved through tongues• Practical steps to receive and release the gift of tonguesKarl concludes with a guided prayer and activation designed to help you move beyond fear, yield to the Holy Spirit, and release the river of Living Water Jesus has placed within you.Don't allow religious traditions, mental resistance, or the fear of looking foolish to keep you from the empowerment God intended for His Church. It is time to move beyond the limitations of the natural mind and pray with the Spirit.Support the show❤️ SHOW YOUR SUPPORT - LINKS BELOW...➡️ Email me: https://www.karlgessler.com/deliverance➡️ DONATE ➡️  Join our team!https://www.givesendgo.com/karlgessle...  / karlgessler  ...

Must a Christian reject modern science to hold a faithful view of Genesis? In Part 1 of this two-part collaborative episode, Dr. Chris Firestone (The Firestone Files) sits down with Dr. Nathan Jacobs (The Nathan Jacobs Podcast) in Nashville to tackle the contentious, heavily polemical debate surrounding creation, Young Earth Creationism, and evolution.Moving past the rigid false dichotomies often found online, Firestone and Jacobs draw from their shared philosophical training and the rich history of the early Church—including the Eastern Church Fathers like St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Irenaeus. They explore how theology categorizes dogma versus theologoumena (theological opinion), how the Alexandrian school of allegorical reading functioned, and whether ancient authors like St. Paul accepted the science of their era without making it a test of orthodoxy.Timestamps00:00 Introduction & Framing the Debate 03:08 Evolution, Creation, and the Modern Online Polemics 05:18 Personal Backgrounds: Hugh Ross, Genesis, and Modern Science 10:25 The High Demand: Does Faith Require Rejecting All Science? 14:15 Moving Beyond the False Dichotomy (Young Earth vs. Evolution) 18:00 The Dogmatism of Secular Science vs. Unyielding Fundamentalism 21:50 Dogma, Heresy, and Theologoumenon (Theological Opinion) 27:18 Protestant Fundamentalist Assumptions in Modern Creationism34:38 Philosophy of Creation: Divine Omnipotence and Divine Deception 42:33 Did Physics and Biology Function Differently Before the Fall? 48:48 Alvin Plantinga, Modal Logic, and Disarming Polemical Objections01:00:18 Substantive Consensus vs. Ancient Scientific Views in the Fathers 01:15:24 Storytelling, Inerrancy, and How the Bible Approached History 01:31:08 The Alexandrian School, Genesis Oddities, and the "Eighth Day"======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:Do the Church Fathers Reject Evolution: https://youtu.be/4BugOwStHqg​Why I Reject Evolution: https://youtu.be/IBwZBDlu8CAGod's Omnipotence Explained: Can God Really Do Anything? https://youtu.be/qEYzy1Wbjcg All links:The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

This week on That Was Us, we're breaking down Season 6, Episode 3: "Four Fathers." As Kevin adjusts to co-parenting, Randall faces the reality that Deja is growing up, and Kate and Toby struggle to stay connected amidst long distance. The episode explores parenthood, changing family dynamics, and the memories that stay with us long after the moment has passed. In this episode, the hosts chat about: Their favorite TV shows they're currently watching Travel habits, airplane comfort, and life on the road Parenting chaos and the challenge of juggling family life Managing fame while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy Celebrating the Emmy nominations for Paradise They also break down the episode, including: - Jack losing Kevin during the family's first trip to the movies and creating a new memory with an at-home sundae night - Jack learning that his mother has died just as the day comes to an emotional close Randall teaching Deja to drive and accidentally hearing - Malik's revealing text over Bluetooth - Beth and Randall realizing Deja is growing up faster than they're ready for - Kate and Toby's growing tension as long distance begins taking its toll - - Toby's heartfelt proposal to buy a Green Egg smoker and create new family memories - Kevin struggling with co-parenting after missing Franny's first steps - Kevin turning to Cassidy as he wrestles with loneliness and finding his place A special fan segment featuring listeners sharing the moment they first realized their child wasn't a little kid anymore And a friendly reminder, you can catch new episodes of That Was Us every Monday, a day early, exclusively on Hulu. Available on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts on Tuesdays like usual! That Was Us is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith. ------------------------- Support Our Sponsors: - See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential! Enroll online today at https://k12.com/thatwasus - Fatty15 is on a mission to support Healthy Aging for All, including all ages and stages of life. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to https://fatty15.com/THATWASUS and using code THATWASUS at checkout. -------------------------

We've got a fresh batch of virgins who can't drive and honestly we'll be lucky if they can even operate a big wheel. Today's AIWHT includes:• In-law squatters with too much audacity• A Clique Babe submission about a boyfriend who needs therapy STAT• Someone who has the gall to put cash on the counter• A dinner party guest who has never heard of etiquette• A couple who doesn't want to give an unborn baby a gift because its Dad sucks• A sister-in-law name calling throwdown Wondering it you were way harsh? Send your AIWHT stories to almostfamelessofficial@gmail.com Thinking of joining the Patreon? You can find a collection of free Patreon content here! Follow Clique Bait on Patreon or wherever you get your podcasts. And follow us on Instagram:@brookesiffrinn @ariciaskidmorewilliams@almostfamelessmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunday morning, August 11, Pastor Mike WigginsFor more information on knowing Christ: https://www.calvarypsl.com/knowing-christ

Brock and Danny talk with board members Kyle Denny and Chris Griffin about the Dads Run 5K — a fun run held at Home Dad Con that raises money for the Fathers Overcoming Adversity Fund. We extend a special thank you to Plan to Run for sponsoring this event.  You can get this episode wherever you listen to podcasts.https://open.spotify.com/episode/77REJhbc0H8YPmnsoUGXQS?si=sOlmsLKvSsW1iHgyWBozuQ#Podcast #AtHomeDad #DadsSupportingDads #Father #Dad #Fatherhood #Brotherhood #Parenthood #fatherhoodmatters  #DadsDontBabysit #HomeDadNet #Dadvocate #HomeDadCon  #chicago #mentalhealthawarenesshttps://www.plantorun.com/

SERIES— Summer in the Psalms: Finding Rest for Our Souls TODAY'S MESSAGE— About the Father's Business TODAY'S QUESTION— Does peace mark your life? This message through Psalms 120 through 122 will help you find peace.

This episode of Biblical Alert examines the contrast between biblical convictions and cultural pressures in today's world. Using examples from competitive sports, changing social values, and personal testimony, we challenge listeners to consider whether they are following God's standards or conforming to the values of the surrounding culture.Drawing from James 1:15-16, the discussion focuses on temptation, sin, spiritual discernment, and Christian maturity. We urge that believers must base their decisions on God's will rather than emotions, public opinion, or societal trends. Through reflections on youthful rebellion and observations about the modern church, the episode raises questions about faithfulness, compromise, and the direction Christians are taking in contemporary society.Key topics include:Biblical teaching on temptation and sinChristian maturity versus emotional decision-makingFaith and culture in modern sportsPersonal testimony and lessons from past rebellionThe church's relationship with worldly influencesChoosing conviction over conformityJoin us as we explore what it means to stand firm in biblical truth and avoid "the way of the losers" by remaining faithful to God's Word.The Voice in the Wilderness does not endorse any link or other material found at buzzsprout.More at https://www.thevoiceinthewilderness.org/

Why do sincere people so often believe things that simply are not true? This homily examines the Orthodox understanding of prelest, or spiritual delusion, and explains how the ascetical life of the Church gradually heals our perception of reality. In an age of curated news feeds and ideological echo chambers, Christ remains the only Truth in whom faith never collides with reality.  Enjoy the show. Matthew 17:14-23 Faith is a wonderful thing—but only if it is faith in the right thing. When I was a boy, I had an idea...[ the sword.] At the time, it made perfect sense to me. I was convinced it would work. I probably defended the idea if anyone questioned it. But then reality got a vote. Wood doesn't care what I believe about it. Physics doesn't change because I'm sincere. The real world eventually reveals whether my idea was true or false. Later, my friends and I had another great idea... [the boat.] This one was even more interesting because it wasn't just my delusion—it was our delusion. We encouraged one another. We reinforced one another's confidence. The more we talked about it, the more certain we became. And then reality got a vote. The boat either floated or it didn't. Reality always gets a vote. This isn't just true of childhood adventures. It is true of every part of life. Every one of us has what we might call a "good idea fairy" living in our head. Ideas occur to us. They seem plausible. We become attached to them. Then something even stronger happens. We begin to define ourselves by them. God created our minds to recognize truth, but after the Fall our minds became vulnerable to self-deception. Once we become attached to an idea, we naturally notice evidence that supports it and explain away evidence that challenges it. Even worse, once our identity becomes wrapped up in that idea, disagreement begins to feel like a personal attack. Our passions become inflamed. We stop asking, "Is it true?" and begin asking, "Is it ours?" The Fathers of the Church had a name for this long before modern psychology existed. They called it prelest—spiritual delusion. Prelest is not simply believing something false. It is the condition in which our desires, our pride, and our passions distort our perception of reality itself. We begin trusting ourselves more than God. We mistake our own thoughts for wisdom, our own feelings for discernment, and our own will for truth. This isn't merely an individual problem. Communities suffer from it too. Families can reinforce one another's delusions. Churches can reinforce them. Businesses can reinforce them. Nations can reinforce them. History is full of tragic examples. Nazism and Soviet Communism were not sustained merely by fear. Millions of people encouraged one another to believe obvious falsehoods. Loyalty was demanded not only to a government but to an entire false vision of reality. Eventually... Reality got a vote. It always does. When our delusions concern engineering, biology, economics, or politics, reality eventually exposes them. You can only pretend that gravity is optional for so long before bridges collapse. You can only deny economic realities for so long before societies begin to unravel. Religion can be trickier. False religion—or even distorted religion—can survive much longer because the consequences are often less immediate. Spiritual delusion has a way of lingering. It can persist for years, even generations. But eventually... Reality still gets a vote. Many of us are Orthodox today because of that very fact. At some point the worldview we had inherited could no longer explain our experience. Perhaps it could not account for the reality of sin. Perhaps it could not account for the reality of grace. Perhaps it offered morality but not healing, rules but not communion, forgiveness but not transformation. Eventually something no longer fit. And God, in His mercy, used that discomfort to draw us closer to the truth. That is all to the good. Because reality is not impersonal. Reality is God's creation. Truth is not something we invent or negotiate. Ultimately, truth is not merely a thing to be discovered at all. Truth is a Person. As Christ Himself says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." And that changes everything. If Truth is a Person, then faith is not merely believing propositions about reality. Faith is entering into communion with the One who is Reality Himself. Now, if I had preached this sermon twenty years ago, I probably would have ended there, encouraging you simply to trust God, receive the Holy Mysteries faithfully, and allow the life of the Church to heal you from the many delusions that constantly threaten the human heart. But today I think I need to go further and give an additional warning. We have created a world that cooperates with our fallen psychology in ways previous generations could scarcely have imagined. Our news is customized. Our entertainment is personalized. Our conversations are curated. Algorithms learn what we already believe—or what we are tempted to believe—and quietly feed us more of it. The Fathers warned us that the passions naturally incline us toward prelest. Our modern technologies have learned to profit from those same passions. They reward outrage, reinforce tribalism, flatter pride, and encourage us to live inside carefully constructed worlds where our assumptions are rarely challenged. Never before has it been so easy to mistake a carefully curated illusion for reality. But reality still gets a vote. Sooner or later the real world intrudes. More importantly, God does. This is one of the reasons the Church is such a gift. Not because Orthodox Christians are incapable of error—we certainly are not. Not because priests are always right—we certainly are not. But because the life of the Church is designed, over time, to heal us of prelest. Scripture corrects us. The Fathers correct us. Confession corrects us. Fasting corrects us. The Divine Liturgy corrects us. Even our brothers and sisters in Christ correct us. Every one of these is a gift from God, gently loosening our grip on illusion and teaching us to see the world as it truly is. The ascetic life is not punishment. It is therapy. God is patiently healing our perception until we begin to see, desire, and love what is truly good, beautiful, and true. And let me say one more thing. If an algorithm brought you here, welcome. We are glad you're here. But understand this: the internet cannot catechize you into Orthodoxy. It can introduce you to Orthodoxy. It can even inspire you to seek the Church. But every one of us—whether we were born Orthodox or discovered Orthodoxy yesterday—comes with misconceptions, ideological baggage, and our own forms of prelest. The Church does not simply confirm our expectations. She patiently purifies them. If you stay long enough, Orthodoxy will disappoint every false image you have of it—and thanks be to God for that. Every disappointment with our fantasies is an invitation to discover Christ as He truly is. And this brings us back to today's Gospel. The disciples could not cast out the demon. Why? Because faith is not simply believing harder. Faith is not positive thinking. Faith is not convincing ourselves that something is true. Faith is trusting Reality Himself. Christ says that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains—not because faith is magical, but because genuine faith unites us to the One through whom all things were made. Every one of us lives by faith. The question is never whether we have faith. The question is whether our faith is placed in something real. Every falsehood eventually collapses under the weight of reality. Every idol eventually disappoints. Every ideology eventually reaches its limits. Every delusion eventually hears reality cast its vote. But Christ never disappoints. He is not merely someone who teaches us the truth. He is the Truth. He is Reality Himself.  So let us place our faith—not in ourselves, not in our tribe, not in our passions, not in the latest certainty of the age—but in Christ. Let us receive with gratitude the healing life of His Church, which patiently frees us from prelest and teaches us to see the world as God sees it. For in Him our faith never collides with reality, because in Him faith finally meets Reality Himself.  

[audio mp3="https://cpcpca.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2026/08/08-09-2026-Sermon-Only.mp3"][/audio] Bible Text: Psalm 106 | Pastor: Pastor Josh Anderson | Series: Summer in the Psalms

In this episode we look at how there's an abundance of teachers in the Church today but also a severe lack of spiritual fathers. This isn't unique to our own time, Paul warned the early Church of the same issue. We look at what separates teachers from fathers and see why it's so important and necessary that we ask God to raise up spiritual fathers in our lives and in the Church and thank Him for the ones we already have in our lives!

Coach Mike speaks directly to the plight of the fathers who feel like they are failing.  Is this really the case?  What if there was one crucial piece he was missing?  Ladies, you need to hear this one also.  Tune in!

In this episode, Fergus sits down with Dr Phil and Tom (both Fathers) to get some advice on my next biggest challenge -  becoming a dad.Our CoachingOur Custom Training Plans:

On today's Extra, Fathers Day Songs, Oskay & Chick's Dads, & Eating Bugs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From not wanting kids, to loving being a mother to one, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes joins The Mom Room this week to talk about motherhood and her new standup comedy special Ugly Baby. She shares her experience going through IVF, getting pregnant at 41, and how her purpose has shifted after having her child. Renee and Anjelah discuss the early stages of motherhood, intrusive thoughts, and share their theories on why postpartum rage towards the father happens. They also relate on wishing that they had done a better job being a support system for their friends and family who have gone through childbirth, now knowing how hard that postpartum stage really is. In addition to touring her standup comedy and recording her new special, Anjelah has her own podcast called Funjelah where she dives deep with her guests, creating a safe space for them to open up about the things they are grateful for in their life. Check out her podcast and special down below!FOLLOW ANJELAH@anjelahjohnsonanjelah.comTHANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Bellesa - Today's episode is sponsored by Bellesa Boutique! Sign up to win a free WhisperVibe™ or free Rose toy with any Whisper™ order!

He was put on child support at just 12 years old.By the time Lionel “TJ” Tillman learned what had happened, he says he was already $24,000 in debt—despite the court determining that he had not reached puberty when the child was conceived.After fighting the case for more than two decades, proving that the process involved extrinsic fraud, and eventually recovering his money, TJ is no longer focused solely on his personal battle.Now, he is taking the system to Congress.In this powerful episode of Inside the Vault with Ash Cash, TJ introduces the proposed Bringing Families Back Together and Child Support Equity Act of 2027—a bill created to promote equal parenting, due process, financial fairness, transparency, and healthier relationships between children and both fit and present parents.Ash and TJ examine some of the most controversial questions surrounding family court and child support:Can someone be held financially responsible without being the biological father?Why are some parents learning about child-support orders only after their wages are garnished?Are government incentives helping families—or rewarding separation?And why should a parent who is actively fighting to be present automatically be treated like an absent parent?TJ also makes one thing clear: this is not a “get out of responsibility” movement. He believes parents who refuse to support their children should be held accountable.His fight is for fairness, equal parenting, proper notice, due process, and a system that puts the well-being of children ahead of conflict between adults.This is not about mothers versus fathers.It is about choosing the children.Watch until the end to learn how you can support the petition, help bring the proposed legislation before Congress, and become part of a national movement to strengthen families.Sign the petition: change.org/childrenneedbothChapters00:00 – He was put on child support at 12 years old 01:08 – Message for entrepreneurs, coaches and business owners 02:05 – Protecting the family is a generational investment 03:04 – The Bringing Families Back Together and Child Support Equity Act 03:55 – “Take care of your children—this is not a free pass” 05:21 – Who is Lionel “TJ” Tillman? 05:38 – Put on child support at 12 and $24,000 in debt 06:32 – Could he have biologically fathered the child? 07:15 – Declared the legal father despite the court's findings 08:53 – Why outdated policies need to change 09:34 – Why TJ is taking the system to Congress 10:12 – Education, policy and prevention 11:18 – Does due process apply in family court? 11:51 – Equal parenting should begin at birth 12:53 – Georgia's legitimation process explained 14:11 – The $755 million child-support incentive claim 15:11 – Why TJ is pursuing federal reform 15:45 – Incentivizing families to stay together 17:25 – No parent should have to fight for their children 17:46 – Fathers ask for joint legal and physical custody 18:34 – How public assistance affected the family structure 19:35 – Who determines whether a parent is fit? 21:18 – Why must parents fight for more time with their children? 22:00 – “You want support, but you don't want support” 22:29 – TJ announces The Family Code podcast 22:39 – The hidden trauma families refuse to discuss 24:02 – Why TJ challenges the child-support system 24:17 – The Fourteenth Amendment and parental rights 26:47 – How claims can be presumed valid until challenged 27:43 – Proper notice before enforcement actions 28:17 – Discovering child support through wage garnishment 30:00 – Finding out on payday that half his check was gone 32:10 – Personal service versus substitute service 33:13 – Vindication after a 22-year fight 34:00 – The forged signature and vacant-house service 35:00 – Paying child support for 11 years 37:26 – Filing an insurance claim against Los Angeles County 38:30 – How TJ finally recovered his money 39:20 – Helping parents challenge their cases 40:15 – Why he refuses to assist irresponsible parents 41:41 – Raising his daughter as a single father 43:00 – Why children may need both parents 44:40 – The child-support-to-prison pipeline 46:47 – Are urban communities being disproportionately targeted? 48:14 – Is TJ trying to weaken child-support laws? 48:34 – Child support should apply to absent parents 49:22 – Equal parental rights and the “noncustodial” label 50:00 – Handling difficult co-parenting and parental alienation 51:10 – Support beyond money: emotional and physical presence 52:00 – Parenting education, therapy and conflict resolution 54:00 – What America could look like if the bill passes 56:47 – How viewers can support the proposed legislation 57:17 – TJ's direct appeal to Congress 58:25 – This is not men versus women 58:36 – Putting children ahead of pride and conflict 59:41 – “This is not an attack on women, men or child support” 1:00:04 – How to connect with TJ and the foundation 1:00:32 – Closing the VaultAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Name Above Every Name Conference Four Becoming Prayer When the Name Becomes Our Life “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” — Galatians 2:20 Over these past conferences we have spoken of receiving the holy Name, guarding the heart, and learning to stand before God with a broken spirit. All of these are necessary. Yet none of them is the destination. The Jesus Prayer is not an achievement. It is not even the highest form of prayer. It is a road. It leads somewhere. Or rather, it leads to Someone. Its purpose is not that we should become occupied with prayer. Its purpose is that we should become occupied with Christ. Everything else is secondary. ⸻⸻⸻ When the Fathers speak of unceasing prayer, they do not imagine a person anxiously repeating words every moment of the day. Such an understanding would quickly become exhausting. Rather, they speak of a heart that has learned never to depart from Christ. The words remain precious. They accompany us throughout our life. Yet gradually the relationship they express becomes more important than the words themselves. The prayer begins on our lips. It descends into the mind. It finds rest in the heart. Finally, it becomes the atmosphere in which we live. Not because we are continually conscious of it. But because Christ has quietly become the center of everything. ⸻⸻⸻ This is why Archimandrite Zacharias insists that the measure of prayer is not extraordinary experiences. The measure is love. Has the heart become more patient? More forgiving? More merciful? More truthful? More humble? If not, then no matter how many prayers have been recited, the purpose has been missed. The true miracle of the Jesus Prayer is not mystical phenomena. It is the slow transformation of a human being into the likeness of Christ. ⸻⸻⸻ 2 There is a temptation that comes even in the spiritual life. We begin to love prayer more than we love God. We become attached to certain feelings. Certain consolations. Certain moments of peace. When they disappear, we imagine we have lost everything. The Fathers quietly remind us that God sometimes removes sensible consolation so that we may seek Him alone. The Bride must learn to love the Bridegroom more than His gifts. Only then does love become pure. ⸻⸻⸻ One of the most beautiful teachings of St. Silouan, so often repeated by Elder Sophrony and Archimandrite Zacharias, is that the heart gradually becomes capable of embracing the whole Adam. At first we pray for ourselves. Then for those closest to us. Then for those we love. Eventually, grace begins to enlarge the heart. We discover ourselves praying for strangers. For enemies. For those who have forgotten God. For those who have wounded us. For those who have never known love. 3 The circle widens until there are no longer any outsiders. This is not something we accomplish. It is something Christ accomplishes within us. His own love begins to beat within the human heart. ⸻⸻⸻ The Jesus Prayer therefore has a profoundly priestly character. Every baptized Christian is called to stand before God on behalf of the world. We bring before Him those who cannot pray. Those who no longer believe. Those crushed by despair. Those trapped in addiction. Those overwhelmed by grief. Those who have forgotten even their own dignity. We carry them quietly within our hearts. Not because we are strong enough. But because Christ carries them within His. Prayer becomes participation in His own intercession before the Father. ⸻⸻⸻ There is another fruit that often goes unnoticed. The heart becomes grateful. Not merely thankful when life is pleasant. 4 Grateful always. The one who continually invokes the Name slowly discovers that every breath is gift. Every sunrise. Every meal. Every encounter. Every sorrow. Even suffering becomes a place where Christ may be found. Thanksgiving begins to permeate ordinary life. The Eucharist extends into every hour of the day. ⸻⸻⸻ The Fathers speak often of stillness. Many misunderstand this word. Stillness is not merely external silence. Nor is it freedom from activity. Stillness is the quiet confidence that Christ is present. A person may live in a monastery or in a crowded city. He may spend his days alone or surrounded by people. Stillness is possible wherever the heart has learned to remain with Christ. The Jesus Prayer becomes the guardian of this hidden peace. ⸻⸻⸻ As years pass, the prayer itself often becomes simpler. Sometimes the full prayer is spoken. 5 Sometimes only the holy Name. Sometimes no words at all. Only the silent awareness of His presence. The Fathers do not prescribe these movements. Grace teaches each soul according to its need. The important thing is never to abandon humility. The closer we draw to Christ, the more clearly we perceive that everything is gift. Nothing has been earned. Everything has been received. ⸻⸻⸻ Perhaps this explains why the greatest saints seem so ordinary. They do not appear remarkable. They seldom speak about themselves. They rarely attract attention. Having forgotten themselves, they have become transparent to Christ. People leave their presence remembering Him rather than them. This is the hidden victory of the Jesus Prayer. Not that we become known as holy. But that Christ alone becomes visible. ⸻⸻⸻ When we first began this retreat, we asked a simple question. 6 Why this Name? Now perhaps we may answer it. Because within this Name dwells the whole mystery of our salvation. The humility of Bethlehem. The obedience of Nazareth. The compassion shown to sinners. The tears shed over Jerusalem. The Cross. The silence of Holy Saturday. The glory of the Resurrection. The fire of Pentecost. Everything is contained within the Person whose Name we invoke. Each time we whisper, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,” we stand before the whole mystery of the Gospel. Nothing essential is absent. ⸻⸻⸻ Soon this retreat will end. We shall return to our homes. To our families. To our work. To our responsibilities. 7 The hidden battle will continue. Distractions will return. Weakness will remain. But now the holy Name goes with us. It accompanies every step. It enters every conversation. It sanctifies every sorrow. It illumines every joy. Little by little, almost unnoticed, Christ Himself begins to gather the scattered fragments of our lives into a single offering to the Father. This is the true work of the Jesus Prayer. Not escape from the world. But the transfiguration of the heart within the world. ⸻⸻⸻ Let us therefore ask for no extraordinary gifts. Let us ask only for faithfulness. May the Name of Jesus remain upon our lips in times of joy and in times of grief. May it guard us in temptation. Strengthen us in weakness. Console us in loneliness. Humble us in success. Sustain us in suffering. 8 And at the hour of our death, when every earthly support has fallen away, may the holy Name still be found within our hearts—not as a formula we have mastered, but as the living presence of the Friend who has walked beside us all our lives. For in the end, the greatest fruit of the Jesus Prayer is not that we have learned to repeat the Name of Christ. It is that, through His infinite mercy, the Name of Christ has slowly written itself upon our hearts. And when that has happened, prayer has become life, and life itself has become an unending hymn of love to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. Amen. 9

The Fathers never speak of the spiritual life as though it were merely the acquisition of virtues or the mastery of disciplines. At its heart, it is the slow awakening of a human being who learns once again to see. The battlefield is not first the world around us but the hidden kingdom within us. It is there, in the silence of the heart, that every thought seeks entrance, every desire asks for consent, and every movement of the soul quietly bends either toward God or away from Him. It is therefore no accident that this section of the Evergetinos begins with the conscience. The Fathers do not present conscience as a private opinion, nor as a passing feeling of guilt or innocence. They speak of it as “nature's book,” a living text written by the Creator Himself within the human heart. Before there were libraries, before there were theological treatises, before there were even spiritual fathers to guide us, God had already inscribed His law upon the depths of our being. The conscience remains that quiet witness which never ceases to speak, even when every other voice has fallen silent. St. Maximos therefore urges us not to despise it. Every time we ignore that gentle movement toward truth, every time we silence its warnings because they are inconvenient or uncomfortable, we do not simply reject an inner feeling. We reject a gift through which God Himself seeks to lead us. Yet the Fathers also understand that conscience is not formed automatically. Like every faculty of the soul, it can become clouded through neglect, distorted through the passions, or nearly inaudible beneath the constant noise of our own thoughts. Thus prayer and conscience belong together. A purified conscience gives birth to pure prayer, while genuine prayer steadily purifies the conscience. Each heals and strengthens the other until the heart gradually becomes transparent before God. This is why the Fathers place such extraordinary emphasis upon vigilance. The ascetic life is not one of anxious self-analysis but of loving attentiveness. One learns to ask, “From where has this thought arisen? Toward whom does it lead me? Does it draw me toward Christ, toward humility, toward peace, toward love, or does it leave me agitated, suspicious, self-absorbed, fearful, or filled with hidden resentment?” Such questions are not psychological exercises. They are acts of spiritual discernment. How beautiful that the Evergetinos allows us here to hear the voice of St. Synkletike. Her presence reminds us that the wisdom of the desert is not confined to the fathers alone. The mothers stand beside them as equal witnesses to the Gospel lived with radical seriousness. Their lives reveal dimensions of spiritual perception that enrich the whole Church. To hear Synkletike is to hear a mother whose authority has been forged in prayer, suffering, and long experience of the hidden warfare of the heart. Her image of the ship is unforgettable. Storms from without may batter the vessel, yet the greater danger often lies beneath the surface, where unnoticed water slowly fills the hold while everyone sleeps. So too the Christian is often preoccupied with visible temptations, external conflicts, and the sins of the world, while paying little attention to the quiet accumulation of interior movements that slowly weigh down the soul. A single grievance carefully preserved, a subtle spirit of self-importance, an unnoticed judgment against another, a conversation endlessly replayed within the imagination—these may appear insignificant, yet left unattended they become the hidden water that eventually sinks the ship. The modern elders speak with precisely the same realism. St. Sophrony taught that every thought should first be brought before Christ before it is welcomed into the heart. Elder Aimilianos describes the spiritual life as learning to stand watch over the entrance of the heart with peaceful sobriety. Elder Thaddeus reminds us that “our thoughts determine our lives,” not because thoughts possess magical power, but because every thought eventually shapes the disposition of the heart from which all our actions flow. The enemy rarely begins by demanding great sins. He is content to suggest one small thought that is entertained rather than examined, one interior conversation that slowly becomes an identity, one fear that quietly replaces trust in God. The Desert Fathers therefore become extraordinary physicians of attention. They teach us that the first victory is often not found in dramatic acts of asceticism but in recognizing a thought before it becomes a passion. The battle is won while the spark is still small, before it has become a consuming fire. Yet all of this vigilance must be understood correctly. It is never a turning inward born of fear. The goal is not endless introspection. The Fathers are not asking us to become preoccupied with ourselves but to become increasingly available to Christ. We guard the heart because it has become His dwelling place. We examine our thoughts because we desire that His voice, rather than every competing voice, might become the one we recognize most readily. Perhaps this is why Abba Bessarion's final words were that the monk should become “all eyes.” He was not describing suspicion but wakefulness. He envisioned a heart so illumined by grace that nothing enters unnoticed and nothing is judged apart from the light of Christ. In our own age, this teaching may be more urgent than ever. Never has the human heart been so relentlessly surrounded by competing voices, endless images, constant information, and unceasing commentary. Discernment has become one of the greatest ascetical tasks of our generation. We must learn once again to distinguish between the voice of conscience and the voice of shame, between the prompting of the Holy Spirit and the agitation of fear, between divine conviction and the endless accusations of the evil one. Only a heart that has grown quiet through prayer can make such distinctions. And perhaps that is where the Evergetinos gently leaves us. Not with fear of the battle, but with hope. God has not abandoned us to navigate these waters alone. He has placed within us the witness of conscience. He has given us the wisdom of the Fathers and Mothers. He has surrounded us with the prayers of the saints. Above all, He has given us His own Spirit, who patiently teaches us to recognize His voice amid every other voice. The vigilant heart is not merely watchful. It is a heart that has learned whom it is listening for. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:01:11 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 52 saying 5 00:07:28 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/post/coming-soon-the-name-above-every-name 00:08:08 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 52 saying 5 00:12:59 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/post/coming-soon-the-name-above-every-name 00:15:22 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 52 saying 5 00:16:17 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/post/coming-soon-the-name-above-every-name 00:28:30 Una: Can you give an example? 00:28:44 Una: Of acting with conscience in a difficult situation. 00:32:01 Janine:

Most men carry a deep drive to provide, to accomplish, and to be productive — and that is not a bad thing. But Psalm 112 holds out a vision of what a father's life looks like when it is rooted in something deeper than hard work: a fear of the Lord, a delight in His commandments, and a trust that God is the ultimate provider. The man who seeks the Lord in this way is called blessed — and so are his children after him. This is not a passage about quick wealth. It is a picture of the generational fruit that grows when a father leads his family by orienting his own life around God first. More than teaching children how to work hard or use their gifts, a father who fears the Lord and hungers for His Word gives his children one of the greatest treasures they will ever receive. Praying for the fathers in our lives — for their rest, their walk with God, their wisdom and strength — is one of the most powerful things we can do for our families. Today's Bible Verse "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed."— Psalm 112:1-2, ESV Ponder Today A father who fears the Lord gives his children one of the greatest gifts imaginable. More than work ethic, provision, or even good values, a dad whose life is genuinely oriented around God gives his children a model worth imitating and a legacy worth inheriting. The blessings of Psalm 112 flow from the fear of the Lord, not from hard work alone. A man who delights in God's commandments and trusts in His Word positions his family to receive both spiritual and material blessing — not as a formula, but as a fruit of a life surrendered to God. The drive to provide is good — but balance between work and rest matters. God Himself rested on the seventh day. A father who cannot slow down risks running on empty in the very areas his family needs him most: presence, patience, and spiritual leadership. Apart from God's grace, every father is limited. The wisest thing any man can do is lean on the Lord for wisdom and strength in everything he puts his hand to, rather than relying on his own capacity alone. Praying for the fathers in our lives is one of the most powerful things we can do for our families. Whether a father knows the Lord deeply or is still far from faith, interceding for his walk with God, his rest, and his leadership has eternal significance for generations to come. A Prayer for You Today Heavenly Father, we pray for the men in our lives. If the father of our children does not yet know You, we pray that You would draw him to Yourself and give him a hunger for Your Word. We pray that he will learn the importance of rest so that he can be restored. We ask that he would lean upon Your grace in all that You have called him to do. Thank You for being a faithful Father who always provides for our needs. We pray that the father of our children always looks to You first for wisdom and strength as he learns to walk in Your righteous ways and leads his children in the knowledge and love of You. In Jesus' name, Amen. Don't Miss an Episode If today's prayer stirred intercession in your heart for the father or fathers in your life, we'd love to stay connected. Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and more content to strengthen your faith and the families God has placed in your care. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What was Vashti's “no” protecting and what does it teach us about the difference between patriarchal order and patriarchy? Dr. Barbara Morgan Gardner explores the book of Esther, unpacking divine timing, covenant-based leadership, and how a father's example shapes the way his daughters come to know God.YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/tvR7kyKdIkQALL EPISODES/SHOW NOTESfollowHIM website: https://www.followHIM.co FREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF followHIM QUOTE BOOKSNew Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastNTBookOld Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastOTBookBook of Mormon: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastBMBook WEEKLY NEWSLETTERhttps://tinyurl.com/followHIMnewsletter SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followHIMpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastTIMECODE0:00 - Part 1 - Dr. Barbara Morgan Gardner3:40 Welcome Dr. Gardner5:51 Women of Covenant Leadership nonprofit9:07 Come, Follow Me Manual10:58 The Amsterdam Airport story13:41 Tender mercies aren't random14:50 Faith is trust in the Lord's timing16:47 Why we record sacred experiences19:02 The king's feast and Vashti's refusal21:33 Adam and Eve and the pattern24:12 Defining patriarchal order vs. patriarchy27:19 Vashti refuses to be objectified29:28 “She showed moxie”31:38 Every man in his own home33:56 D&C 121 applies to women, too34:41 Dad: “That's my wife”38:23 The king remembers Vashti40:57 Confidence, virtue, and charity42:51 Why prophets speak differently to men and women44:34 Lead the world, don't be led by it46:49 What presiding really means49:46 Barb and Dustin's marriage52:33 Mordecai adopts Esther55:07 Adoption and birthright57:30 Esther becomes queen1:00:01 Daughters should listen to their fathers1:03:43 Fathers, daughters, and the nature of God1:06:17 Boundaries are love1:07:20 The trampoline date story1:10:50 The blind girl on the train1:12:52 End of Part 1 - Dr. Barbara Morgan GardnerThanks to the followHIM team:Steve & Shannon Sorensen: Cofounder, Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish TranscriptsAmelia Kabwika: Portuguese TranscriptsHeather Barlow: Communications DirectorSydney Smith: Social Media, Graphic Design "Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com