Podcasts about Sergius

You've had Pope John ("Drizzly") Cock, are you now ready for Peter Pigsnout? In his episode, we discuss his daring assassination plot, which did not happen, his kicking off of the Great Schism, which did not happen, and his call for the First Crusade... which also did not happen.  Support Pontifacts: Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/pontifactspod Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/pontifactspodcast  Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pontifactspod Amazon Wishlist: https://tinyurl.com/pontifactswishlist (edited)  

In this episode presented by Father Genard, we delve into Acts Chapter 13, exploring the early missionary work of the Church and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Father Genard highlights the Holy Spirit's role in directing the Apostles during worship and fasting, as seen when Saul (Paul) and Barnabas were set apart for ministry to the Gentiles. He reflects on the mystery of God's communication—through revelation or worthy individuals—and connects it to the apostolic tradition of ordination by the laying on of hands, signifying continuity in the Church's leadership. The episode examines Paul's calling, sanctification, and commissioning, emphasizing the transformative power of baptism and the grace bestowed upon him. Father Genard draws parallels to Old Testament practices, such as Joshua's commissioning by Moses, to underline the enduring significance of God using His creation to accomplish divine work. Key events discussed include Paul and Barnabas's journey to Paphos, their encounter with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, and their confrontation with the sorcerer Elymas, who sought to deter Sergius from the faith. Paul's Spirit-filled rebuke of Elymas, resulting in temporary blindness, is presented not as vengeance but as a means to lead him and others, including Sergius, to conversion. This episode underscores the apostolic mission, righteous teaching, and the importance of boldness in faith and repentance. Father Genard concludes by encouraging listeners not to be intimidated by their past but to embrace their identity as God's handiwork, called for good works and sanctified by grace.

This week we have a special guest Sergius Hannan join us to talk about what it's like to go viral on Instagram. Sergius has has multiple reels go viral with one topping 160 million views!! We talk about all the ups and downs and misconceptions of having this happen as a wildlife photographer. Follow Sergius on Instagram at @sergiushannan_photography

A few passages from Fr. Seraphim Rose regarding the canons of the Ecumenical Councils. There are other passages from Fr. Seraphim one should find and read (see link below, for example). This collection presents a good overview of his views. The canons are laid down by the fathers of the Ecumenical Councils, are the teachings of the Holy Spirit, and are the responsibility of bishops and priests to apply and enforce. But they are also profitable for laypeople to know, as long as divine discernment is applied. As Fr. Seraphim says, the canons "have their place", but "we must go deeper into our faith" "if we are to remain in the Church in these difficult times." 0:00 Beginning 0:08 Concerning Canons - Letter dated Oct. 18/31, 1972 to Fr. Alexey Young (excerpt) 2:50 We Must Go Deeper - "Orthodox Christians Facing the 1980's" (excerpt) 3:50 Iconoclast and Met. Sergius - Letter Mar. 25/Apr. 7, 1971 to Daniel Olsen (excerpt) 6:44 Advice for a New Convert - Letter Apr. 20/May 3, 1979 to Barry (excerpt)

In this episode of Entertainment Exposed, hosts Scott Fullerton and David Reddish navigate the chaotic post-election landscape, emphasizing the role of artists in challenging times. David shares his experience attending the Los Angeles opening of 'Back to the Future: The Musical,' discussing its impressive special effects and mixed musical quality. The conversation shifts to the anticipation surrounding the new production of 'Sunset Boulevard' and the upcoming film adaptation of 'Wicked,' exploring marketing strategies and expectations. The hosts reflect on recent musical adaptations, highlighting the successes and failures in the genre. @thegaymagneto David Reddish Author on Amazon Welome to Entertainment Exposed with Left of Str8 Podcasts Special Entertainment Correspondent, David Reddish. Twice a Month David will share some of the hottest and sometimes most controversial stories circulating in Hollywood all from a queer perspective. David has worked in the Entertainment Industry for many years and for the past decade as an author, writer and editor for such sites and Queerty and Wealth of Geeks. David is the author of 4 books, including a trilogy based on the comic con fandom and a historical piece “The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus, A Novel of Truth.” You can contact David through his Instagram: @thegaymagneto Thank you for listening to Left of Str8 Podcasts, Produced by Scott Fullerton. Since 2015, Left of Str8 Podcasts was created for the LGBTQ Community and our Straight Allies. Subscribe on your favorite distributor so you never miss an episode. You can also click the bell icon to be notified when new episodes are available. The video podcasts are on YouTube and Spotify, and the audio podcast is available at all major distributors including: iTunes, iHeart Radio, GoodPods, Amazon Music, Audible, and more. If you like us, please give our episodes a 5 star rating so more people will find them in the Algorithm.

Starting out the first journey. Paul and Elymas the sorcerer. Elymas was blinded and Sergius came to see.

The Decree of the Holy, Great, Ecumenical Synod, the Second of Nice (787 AD). 549   (Found in Labbe and Cossart, Concilia. Tom. VII., col. 552.)   THE holy, great, and Ecumenical Synod which by the grace of God and the will of the pious and Christ-loving Emperors, Constantine and Irene, his mother, was gathered together for the second time at Nice, the illustrious metropolis of Bithynia, in the holy church of God which is named Sophia, having followed the tradition of the Catholic Church, hath defined as follows: Christ our Lord, who hath bestowed upon us the light of the knowledge of himself, and hath redeemed us from the darkness of idolatrous madness, having espoused to himself the Holy Catholic Church without spot or defect, promised that he would so preserve her: and gave his word to this effect to his holy disciples when he said: “Lo! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world,” which promise he made, not only to them, but to us also who should believe in his name through their word. But some, not considering of this gift, and having become fickle through the temptation of the wily enemy, have fallen from the right faith; for, withdrawing from the traditions of the Catholic Church, they have erred from the truth and as the proverb saith: “The husbandmen have gone astray in their own husbandry and have gathered in their hands nothingness,” because certain priests, priests in name only, not in fact, had dared to speak against the God-approved ornament of the sacred monuments, of whom God cries aloud through the prophet, “Many pastors have corrupted my vineyard, they have polluted my portion.” And, forsooth, following profane men, led astray by their carnal sense, they have calumniated the Church of Christ our God, which he hath espoused to himself, and have failed to distinguish between holy and profane, styling the images of our Lord and of his Saints by the same name as the statues of diabolical idols. Seeing which things, our Lord God (not willing to behold his people corrupted by such manner of plague) hath of his good pleasure called us together, the chief of his priests, from every quarter, moved with a divine zeal and brought hither by the will of our princes, Constantine and Irene, to the end that the traditions of the Catholic Church may receive stability by our common decree. Therefore, with all diligence, making a thorough examination and analysis, and following the trend of the truth, we diminish nought, we add nought, but we preserve unchanged all things which pertain to the Catholic Church, and following the Six Ecumenical Synods, especially that which met in this illustrious metropolis of Nice, as also that which was afterwards gathered together in the God-protected Royal City. We believe…life of the world to come. Amen.535 We detest and anathematize Arius and all the sharers of his absurd opinion; also Macedonius and those who following him are well styled “Foes of the Spirit” (Pneumatomachi). We confess that our Lady, St. Mary, is properly and truly the Mother of God, because she was the Mother after the flesh of One Person of the Holy Trinity, to wit, Christ our God, as the Council of Ephesus has already defined when it cast out of the Church the impious Nestorius with his colleagues, because he taught that there were two Persons [in Christ]. With the Fathers of this synod we confess that he who was incarnate of the immaculate Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary has two natures, recognizing him as perfect God and perfect man, as also the Council of Chalcedon hath promulgated, expelling from the divine Atrium [αὐλῆς] as blasphemers, Eutyches and Dioscorus; and placing in the same category Severus, Peter and a number of others, blaspheming in divers fashions. Moreover, with these we anathematize the fables of Origen, Evagrius, and Didymus, in accordance with the decision of 550 the Fifth Council held at Constantinople. We affirm that in Christ there be two wills and two operations according to the reality of each nature, as also the Sixth Synod, held at Constantinople, taught, casting out Sergius, Honorius, Cyrus, Pyrrhus, Macarius, and those who agree with them, and all those who are unwilling to be reverent. To make our confession short, we keep unchanged all the ecclesiastical traditions handed down to us, whether in writing or verbally, one of which is the making of pictorial representations, agreeable to the history of the preaching of the Gospel, a tradition useful in many respects, but especially in this, that so the incarnation of the Word of God is shown forth as real and not merely phantastic, for these have mutual indications and without doubt have also mutual significations. We, therefore, following the royal pathway and the divinely inspired authority of our Holy Fathers and the traditions of the Catholic Church (for, as we all know, the Holy Spirit indwells her), define with all certitude and accuracy that just as the figure of the precious and life-giving Cross, so also the venerable and holy images, as well in painting and mosaic as of other fit materials, should be set forth in the holy churches of God, and on the sacred vessels and on the vestments and on hangings and in pictures both in houses and by the wayside, to wit, the figure of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, of our spotless Lady, the Mother of God, of the honourable Angels, of all Saints and of all pious people. For by so much more frequently as they are seen in artistic representation, by so much more readily are men lifted up to the memory of their prototypes, and to a longing after them; and to these should be given due salutation and honourable reverence (ἀσπασμὸν καὶ τιμητικὴν προσκύνησιν), not indeed that true worship of faith (λατρείαν) which pertains alone to the divine nature; but to these, as to the figure of the precious and life-giving Cross and to the Book of the Gospels and to the other holy objects, incense and lights may be offered according to ancient pious custom. For the honour which is paid to the image passes on to that which the image represents, and he who reveres the image reveres in it the subject represented. For thus the teaching of our holy Fathers, that is the tradition of the Catholic Church, which from one end of the earth to the other hath received the Gospel, is strengthened. Thus we follow Paul, who spake in Christ, and the whole divine Apostolic company and the holy Fathers, holding fast the traditions which we have received. So we sing prophetically the triumphal hymns of the Church, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Rejoice and be glad with all thy heart. The Lord hath taken away from thee the oppression of thy adversaries; thou art redeemed from the hand of thine enemies. The Lord is a King in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more, and peace be unto thee forever.” Those, therefore who dare to think or teach otherwise, or as wicked heretics to spurn the traditions of the Church and to invent some novelty, or else to reject some of those things which the Church hath received (e.g., the Book of the Gospels, or the image of the cross, or the pictorial icons, or the holy reliques of a martyr), or evilly and sharply to devise anything subversive of the lawful traditions of the Catholic Church or to turn to common uses the sacred vessels or the venerable monasteries,536 if they be Bishops or Clerics, we command that they be deposed; if religious or laics, that they be cut off from communion. [After all had signed, the acclamations began (col. 576).]   The holy Synod cried out: So we all believe, we all are so minded, we all give our consent and have signed. This is the faith of the Apostles, this is the faith of the orthodox, this is the faith which hath made firm the whole world. Believing in one God, to be celebrated in Trinity, we salute the honourable images! Those who do not so hold, let them be anathema. Those who do not thus think, let them be driven far away from the Church. For we follow the most ancient legislation of the Catholic Church. We keep the laws of the Fathers. We anathematize those who add anything to or take anything away from the Catholic Church. We anathematize the introduced novelty of the revilers of Christians. We salute the venerable 551 images. We place under anathema those who do not do this. Anathema to them who presume to apply to the venerable images the things said in Holy Scripture about idols. Anathema to those who do not salute the holy and venerable images. Anathema to those who call the sacred images idols. Anathema to those who say that Christians resort to the sacred images as to gods. Anathema to those who say that any other delivered us from idols except Christ our God. Anathema to those who dare to say that at any time the Catholic Church received idols. Many years to the Emperors, etc., etc. 535 Anastasius in his Interpretatio (Migne, Pat. Lat., Tom. CXXIX., col. 458), gives the word, “Filioque.” Cardinal Julian in the Fifth Session of the Council of Florence gave evidence that there was then extant a very ancient codex containing these words; and this MS., which was in Greek, was actually shown. The Greek scholar Gemistius Pletho remarked that if this were so, then the Latin theologians, like St. Thomas Aquinas would long ago have appealed to the Synod. (Cf. Hefele, Hist. Councils, Vol. V., p. 374, Note 2.) This reasoning is not conclusive if Cardinal Bellarmine is to be believed, who says that St. Thomas had never seen the Acts of this synod. (De Imag. Sanct., Lib. ii., cap. xxii.) 536 Constantine Copronymus turned many monasteries into soldiers' barracks. In this he has been followed by other crowned enemies of Christ. Epitome of the Definition of the Iconoclastic Conciliabulum held in Constantinople, A.D. 754.530   The Definition of the Holy, Great, and Ecumenical Seventh Synod. 543   THE holy and Ecumenical synod, which by the grace of God and most pious command of the God-beloved and orthodox Emperors, Constantine and Leo,531 now assembled in the imperial residence city, in the temple of the holy and inviolate Mother of God and Virgin Mary, surnamed in Blachernæ, have decreed as follows. Satan misguided men, so that they worshipped the creature instead of the Creator. The Mosaic law and the prophets cooperated to undo this ruin; but in order to save mankind thoroughly, God sent his own Son, who turned us away from error and the worshipping of idols, and taught us the worshipping of God in spirit and in truth. As messengers of his saving doctrine, he left us his Apostles and disciples, and these adorned the Church, his Bride, with his glorious doctrines. This ornament of the Church the holy Fathers and the six Ecumenical Councils have preserved inviolate. But the before- mentioned demi-urgos of wickedness could not endure the sight of this adornment, and gradually brought back idolatry under the appearance of Christianity. As then Christ armed his Apostles against the ancient idolatry with the power of the Holy Spirit, and sent them out into all the world, so has he awakened against the new idolatry his servants our faithful Emperors, and endowed them with the same wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Impelled by the Holy Spirit they could no longer be witnesses of the Church being laid waste by the deception of demons, and summoned the sanctified assembly of the God-beloved bishops, that they might institute at a synod a scriptural examination into the deceitful colouring of the pictures (ὁμοιωμάτων) which draws down the spirit of man from the lofty adoration (λατρείας) of God to the low and material adoration (λατρείαν) of the creature, and that they, under divine guidance, might express their view on the subject. Our holy synod therefore assembled, and we, its 338 members, follow the older synodal decrees, and accept and proclaim joyfully the dogmas handed down, principally those of the six holy Ecumenical Synods. In the first place the holy and ecumenical great synod assembled at Nice, etc. After we had carefully examined their decrees under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we found that the unlawful art of painting living creatures blasphemed the fundamental doctrine of our salvation—namely, the Incarnation of Christ, and contradicted the six holy synods. These condemned Nestorius because he divided the one Son and Word of God into two sons, and on the other side, Arius, Dioscorus, Eutyches, and Severus, because they maintained a mingling of the two natures of the one Christ. Wherefore we thought it right, to shew forth with all accuracy, in our present definition the error of such as make and venerate these, for it is the unanimous doctrine of all the holy Fathers and of the six Ecumenical Synods, that no one may imagine any kind of separation or mingling in opposition to the unsearchable, unspeakable, and incomprehensible union of the two natures in the one hypostasis or person. What avails, then, the folly of the painter, who from sinful love of gain depicts that which should not be depicted—that is, with his polluted hands he tries to fashion that which should only be believed in the heart and confessed with the mouth? He makes an image and calls it Christ. The name Christ signifies God and man. Consequently it is an image of God and man, and consequently he has in his foolish mind, in his representation of the created flesh, depicted the Godhead which cannot be represented, and thus mingled what should not be mingled. Thus he is guilty of a double blasphemy—the one in making an image of the Godhead, and the other by mingling the Godhead and manhood. Those fall into the same blasphemy who venerate the image, and the same woe rests upon both, because they err with Arius, Dioscorus, and Eutyches, and with the heresy of the Acephali. When, however, they are blamed for 544 undertaking to depict the divine nature of Christ, which should not be depicted, they take refuge in the excuse: We represent only the flesh of Christ which we have seen and handled. But that is a Nestorian error. For it should be considered that that flesh was also the flesh of God the Word, without any separation, perfectly assumed by the divine nature and made wholly divine. How could it now be separated and represented apart? So is it with the human soul of Christ which mediates between the Godhead of the Son and the dulness of the flesh. As the human flesh is at the same time flesh of God the Word, so is the human soul also soul of God the Word, and both at the same time, the soul being deified as well as the body, and the Godhead remained undivided even in the separation of the soul from the body in his voluntary passion. For where the soul of Christ is, there is also his Godhead; and where the body of Christ is, there too is his Godhead. If then in his passion the divinity remained inseparable from these, how do the fools venture to separate the flesh from the Godhead, and represent it by itself as the image of a mere man? They fall into the abyss of impiety, since they separate the flesh from the Godhead, ascribe to it a subsistence of its own, a personality of its own, which they depict, and thus introduce a fourth person into the Trinity. Moreover, they represent as not being made divine, that which has been made divine by being assumed by the Godhead. Whoever, then, makes an image of Christ, either depicts the Godhead which cannot be depicted, and mingles it with the manhood (like the Monophysites), or he represents the body of Christ as not made divine and separate and as a person apart, like the Nestorians. The only admissible figure of the humanity of Christ, however, is bread and wine in the holy Supper. This and no other form, this and no other type, has he chosen to represent his incarnation. Bread he ordered to be brought, but not a representation of the human form, so that idolatry might not arise. And as the body of Christ is made divine, so also this figure of the body of Christ, the bread, is made divine by the descent of the Holy Spirit; it becomes the divine body of Christ by the mediation of the priest who, separating the oblation from that which is common, sanctifies it. The evil custom of assigning names to the images does not come down from Christ and the Apostles and the holy Fathers; nor have these left behind them any prayer by which an image should be hallowed or made anything else than ordinary matter. If, however, some say, we might be right in regard to the images of Christ, on account of the mysterious union of the two natures, but it is not right for us to forbid also the images of the altogether spotless and ever-glorious Mother of God, of the prophets, apostles, and martyrs, who were mere men and did not consist of two natures; we may reply, first of all: If those fall away, there is no longer need of these. But we will also consider what may be said against these in particular. Christianity has rejected the whole of heathenism, and so not merely heathen sacrifices, but also the heathen worship of images. The Saints live on eternally with God, although they have died. If anyone thinks to call them back again to life by a dead art, discovered by the heathen, he makes himself guilty of blasphemy. Who dares attempt with heathenish art to paint the Mother of God, who is exalted above all heavens and the Saints? It is not permitted to Christians, who have the hope of the resurrection, to imitate the customs of demon-worshippers, and to insult the Saints, who shine in so great glory, by common dead matter. Moreover, we can prove our view by Holy Scripture and the Fathers. In the former it is said: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth;” and: “Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath;” on which account God spoke to the Israelites on the Mount, from the midst of the fire, but showed them no image. Further: “They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,…and served the creature more than the Creator.” [Several other passages, even less to the point, are cited.]532 The same is taught also by the holy Fathers. [The Synod appeals to a spurious passage from Epiphanius and to one inserted into the writings of Theodotus of Ancyra, a friend of St. Cyril's; to utterances—in no way striking—of Gregory of 545 Nazianzum, of SS. Chrysostom, Basil, Athanasius of Amphilochius and of Eusebius Pamphili, from his Letter to the Empress Constantia, who had asked him for a picture of Christ.]533 Supported by the Holy Scriptures and the Fathers, we declare unanimously, in the name of the Holy Trinity, that there shall be rejected and removed and cursed out of the Christian Church every likeness which is made out of any material and colour whatever by the evil art of painters. Whoever in future dares to make such a thing, or to venerate it, or set it up in a church, or in a private house, or possesses it in secret, shall, if bishop, presbyter, or deacon, be deposed; if monk or layman, be anathematised, and become liable to be tried by the secular laws as an adversary of God and an enemy of the doctrines handed down by the Fathers. At the same time we ordain that no incumbent of a church shall venture, under pretext of destroying the error in regard to images, to lay his hands on the holy vessels in order to have them altered, because they are adorned with figures. The same is provided in regard to the vestments of churches, cloths, and all that is dedicated to divine service. If, however, the incumbent of a church wishes to have such church vessels and vestments altered, he must do this only with the assent of the holy Ecumenical patriarch and at the bidding of our pious Emperors. So also no prince or secular official shall rob the churches, as some have done in former times, under the pretext of destroying images. All this we ordain, believing that we speak as doth the Apostle, for we also believe that we have the spirit of Christ; and as our predecessors who believed the same thing spake what they had synodically defined, so we believe and therefore do we speak, and set forth a definition of what has seemed good to us following and in accordance with the definitions of our Fathers. If anyone shall not confess, according to the tradition of the Apostles and Fathers, in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost one godhead, nature and substance, will and operation, virtue and dominion, kingdom and power in three subsistences, that is in their most glorious Persons, let him be anathema. If anyone does not confess that one of the Trinity was made flesh, let him be anathema. If anyone does not confess that the holy Virgin is truly the Mother of God, etc. If anyone does not confess one Christ both God and man, etc. If anyone does not confess that the flesh of the Lord is life-giving because it is the flesh of the Word of God, etc. If anyone does not confess two natures in Christ, etc. If anyone does not confess that Christ is seated with God the Father in body and soul, and so will come to judge, and that he will remain God forever without any grossness, etc. If anyone ventures to represent the divine image (χαρακτήρ) of the Word after the Incarnation with material colours, let him be anathema! If anyone ventures to represent in human figures, by means of material colours, by reason of the incarnation, the substance or person (ousia or hypostasis) of the Word, which cannot be depicted, and does not rather confess that even after the Incarnation he [i.e., the Word] cannot be depicted, let him be anathema! If anyone ventures to represent the hypostatic union of the two natures in a picture, and calls it Christ, and thus falsely represents a union of the two natures, etc.! If anyone separates the flesh united with the person of the Word from it, and endeavours to represent it separately in a picture, etc.! If anyone separates the one Christ into two persons, and endeavours to represent Him who was born of the Virgin separately, and thus accepts only a relative (σχετική) union of the natures, etc. If anyone represents in a picture the flesh deified by its union with the Word, and thus separates it from the Godhead, etc. If anyone endeavours to represent by material colours, God the Word as a mere man, who, although bearing the form of God, yet has assumed the form of a servant in his own person, and thus endeavours to separate him from his 546 inseparable Godhead, so that he thereby introduces a quaternity into the Holy Trinity, etc. If anyone shall not confess the holy ever-virgin Mary, truly and properly the Mother of God, to be higher than every creature whether visible or invisible, and does not with sincere faith seek her intercessions as of one having confidence in her access to our God, since she bare him, etc. If anyone shall endeavour to represent the forms of the Saints in lifeless pictures with material colours which are of no value (for this notion is vain and introduced by the devil), and does not rather represent their virtues as living images in himself, etc. If anyone denies the profit of the invocation of Saints, etc. If anyone denies the resurrection of the dead, and the judgment, and the condign retribution to everyone, endless torment and endless bliss, etc. If anyone does not accept this our Holy and Ecumenical Seventh Synod, let him be anathema from the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, and from the seven holy Ecumenical Synods! [Then follows the prohibition of the making or teaching any other faith, and the penalties for disobedience. After this follow the acclamations.] The divine Kings Constantine and Leo said: Let the holy and ecumenical synod say, if with the consent of all the most holy bishops the definition just read has been set forth. The holy synod cried out: Thus we all believe, we all are of the same mind. We have all with one voice and voluntarily subscribed. This is the faith of the Apostles. Many years to the Emperors! They are the light of orthodoxy! Many years to the orthodox Emperors! God preserve your Empire! You have now more firmly proclaimed the inseparability of the two natures of Christ! You have banished all idolatry! You have destroyed the heresies of Germanus [of Constantinople], George and Mansur [μανσουρ, John Damascene]. Anathema to Germanus, the double-minded, and worshipper of wood! Anathema to George, his associate, to the falsifier of the doctrine of the Fathers! Anathema to Mansur, who has an evil name and Saracen opinions! To the betrayer of Christ and the enemy of the Empire, to the teacher of impiety, the perverter of Scripture, Mansur, anathema! The Trinity has deposed these three!534 In this epitome of the verbose definition of the council, I have followed for the most part Hefele. (Hist. of the Councils, Vol. V., p. 309 et seqq.) Now four years old. These are Hefele's words. These are Hefele's words. These are not given in full but are sufficient to give the true gist.

This book gave me an understanding of the queer community that I hadn't found anywhere else.Today we meet David Reddish and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: Angels in America by Tony Kushner.Self proclaimed uber-geek David Reddish is the award-winning author of Sex, Drugs & Superheroes trilogy. The third novel in the series, The Wrath of Comic-Con, came out earlier in 2024. His novel The Passion of St. Sergius & St. Bacchus celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. David is also a noted entertainment journalist having written for such publications as MovieWeb, ScreenRant, Queerty, and Playboy.One of the most honored American plays in history, Angels in America was awarded two Tony Awards for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was made into an Emmy Award-winning HBO film directed by Mike Nichols. This two-part epic, subtitled "A Gay Fantasia on National Themes," has received hundreds of performances worldwide in more than twenty-six languages.Connect with Davidmuck rack: muckrack.com/david-reddish-5instagram: @thegaymagnetoBuy David's books here and at your local bookstores.Our BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of Angels in America here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781559363846Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Find out how to vote at vote.orgHelp get out the vote by going to swingleft.org, voteforward.org, and with the National LGBTQ Taskforce: thetaskforce.orgSupport the show

In this episode of Entertainment Exposed, Scott and David Reddish delve into the fascinating world of queer horror films. They explore David's personal journey into the horror genre, discuss the representation of LGBTQ themes in classic and contemporary horror films, and highlight underrated queer horror films that deserve more recognition. The conversation also touches on psychological horror, gender fluidity, and the evolution of queer representation in the horror genre, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the intersection between horror and queer identity. Welome to Entertainment Exposed with Left of Str8 Podcasts Special Entertainment Correspondent, David Reddish. Twice a Month David will share some of the hottest and sometimes most controversial stories circulating in Hollywood all from a queer perspective. David has worked in the Entertainment Industry for many years and for the past decade as an author, writer and editor for such sites and Queerty and Wealth of Geeks. David is the author of 4 books, including a trilogy based on the comic con fandom and a historical piece “The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus, A Novel of Truth.” You can contact David through his Instagram: @thegaymagneto Thank you for listening to Left of Str8 Podcasts, Produced by Scott Fullerton. Since 2015, Left of Str8 Podcasts was created for the LGBTQ Community and our Straight Allies. Subscribe on your favorite distributor so you never miss an episode. You can also click the bell icon to be notified when new episodes are available. The video podcasts are on YouTube and Spotify, and the audio podcast is available at all major distributors including: iTunes, iHeart Radio, GoodPods, Amazon Music, Audible, and more. If you like us, please give our episodes a 5 star rating so more people will find them in the Algorithm.

In this episode of Entertainment Exposed, hosts Scott and David Reddish delve into the latest controversies surrounding the X-Men 97 series, including the firing of showrunner Beau DeMayo and the allegations of misconduct that have emerged. They discuss the implications of these events on the show's future and the broader entertainment landscape. The conversation then shifts to a review of the biopic 'Better Man,' which chronicles the life of singer Robbie Williams, exploring its unique storytelling choices and the absence of key elements that define Williams' career. The episode highlights the intersection of LGBTQ representation in media and the challenges faced by artists in navigating their identities within the industry. Welome to Entertainment Exposed with Left of Str8 Podcasts Special Entertainment Correspondent, David Reddish. Twice a Month David will share some of the hottest and sometimes most controversial stories circulating in Hollywood all from a queer perspective. David has worked in the Entertainment Industry for many years and for the past decade as an author, writer and editor for such sites and Queerty and Wealth of Geeks. David is the author of 4 books, including a trilogy based on the comic con fandom and a historical piece “The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus, A Novel of Truth.” You can contact David through his Instagram: @thegaymagneto Thank you for listening to Left of Str8 Podcasts, Produced by Scott Fullerton. Since 2015, Left of Str8 Podcasts was created for the LGBTQ Community and our Straight Allies. Subscribe on your favorite distributor so you never miss an episode. You can also click the bell icon to be notified when new episodes are available. The video podcasts are on YouTube and Spotify, and the audio podcast is available at all major distributors including: iTunes, iHeart Radio, GoodPods, Amazon Music, Audible, and more. If you like us, please give our episodes a 5 star rating so more people will find them in the Algorithm.

Evening Prayer for Wednesday, September 25, 2024 (Proper 20; Sergius, Monk and Reformer of the Church in Russia, 1392). Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter): Psalms 69:19-38 Zechariah 5 Matthew 18:15-35 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyofficepodcast/support

Morning Prayer for Wednesday, September 25, 2024 (Proper 20; Sergius, Monk and Reformer of the Church in Russia, 1392). Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter): Psalms 69:1-18 2 Chronicles 12 Hebrews 13 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyofficepodcast/support

'Our righteous Father Sergius was born in Rostov, north of Moscow, about the year 1314. Named Bartholomew in baptism, he was brought up in Radonezh, and at the death of his parents he withdrew to the wilderness to become a monk. It is notable that without having been trained in a monastery, he was of such a spiritual stature as to be able to take up the perilous eremitical life from the beginning, without falling into delusion or despondency. When he had endured with courage the deprivations of the solitary life, other monks began to come to him, for whom he was made abbot against his will. On the counsel of Philotheus, Patriarch of Constantinople, he organized his monks according to the cenobitic life, appointing duties to each. While Anthony and Theodosius of Kiev, and the other righteous Fathers before Sergius, had established their monasteries near to cities, Sergius was the leader and light of those who went far into the wilderness, and after his example the untrodden forests of northern Russia were settled by monks. When Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy was about to go to battle against the invading Tartars, he first sought the blessing of Saint Sergius, through whose prayers he was triumphant. Saint Sergius was adorned with the highest virtues of Christ-like humility and burning love for God and neighbor, and received the gift of working wonders, of casting out demons, and of discretion for leading souls to salvation. When he served the Divine Liturgy, an Angel served him visibly; he was also vouchsafed the visitation of the most holy Theotokos with the Apostles Peter and John. He was gathered to his Fathers on September 25, 1392. At the recovery of his holy relics on July 5th, 1422, his body and garments were found fragrant and incorrupt. His life was written by the monk Epiphanius, who knew him.' (Great Horologion)

In this episode of Entertainment Exposed, host Scott and entertainment correspondent David Reddish delve into the world of queer cinema, discussing the best queer films of the 21st century. They explore significant films like Brokeback Mountain, Mulholland Drive, Tangerine, Moonlight, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, analyzing their impact on LGBTQ representation in film. The conversation also touches on overrated LGBTQ films and the evolution of queer narratives in cinema. @thegaymagneto Welcome to Entertainment Exposed with Left of Str8 Podcasts Special Entertainment Correspondent, David Reddish.  Twice a Month David will share some of the hottest and sometimes most controversial stories circulating in Hollywood all from a queer perspective.  David has worked in the Entertainment Industry for many years and for the past decade as an author, writer and editor for such sites and Queerty and Wealth of Geeks.  David is the author of 4 books, including a trilogy based on the comic con fandom and a historical piece “The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus, A Novel of Truth.”  You can contact David through his Instagram: @thegaymagneto Thank you for listening to Left of Str8 Podcasts, Produced by Scott Fullerton. Since 2015, Left of Str8 Podcasts was created for the LGBTQ Community and our Straight Allies. Subscribe on your favorite distributor so you never miss an episode.  You can also click the bell icon to be notified when new episodes are available.  The video podcasts are on YouTube and Spotify, and the audio podcast is available at all major distributors including: iTunes, iHeart Radio, GoodPods, Amazon Music, Audible, and more.  If you like us, please give our episodes a 5 star rating so more people will find them in the Algorithm. In this episode of Entertainment Exposed, host Scott and entertainment correspondent David Reddish delve into the world of queer cinema, discussing the best queer films of the 21st century. They explore significant films like Brokeback Mountain, Mulholland Drive, Tangerine, Moonlight, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, analyzing their impact on LGBTQ representation in film. The conversation also touches on overrated LGBTQ films and the evolution of queer narratives in cinema. @thegaymagneto Welcome to Entertainment Exposed with Left of Str8 Podcasts Special Entertainment Correspondent, David Reddish. Twice a Month David will share some of the hottest and sometimes most controversial stories circulating in Hollywood all from a queer perspective. David has worked in the Entertainment Industry for many years and for the past decade as an author, writer and editor for such sites and Queerty and Wealth of Geeks. David is the author of 4 books, including a trilogy based on the comic con fandom and a historical piece “The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus, A Novel of Truth.” You can contact David through his Instagram: @thegaymagneto Thank you for listening to Left of Str8 Podcasts, Produced by Scott Fullerton. Since 2015, Left of Str8 Podcasts was created for the LGBTQ Community and our Straight Allies. Subscribe on your favorite distributor so you never miss an episode. You can also click the bell icon to be notified when new episodes are available. The video podcasts are on YouTube and Spotify, and the audio podcast is available at all major distributors including: iTunes, iHeart Radio, GoodPods, Amazon Music, Audible, and more. If you like us, please give our episodes a 5 star rating so more people will find them in the Algorithm.

Father Paul tells the story of a priest from Moscow whose monastic isolation led many others to live a life of solitude, forming forty monasteries across Russia.

In this episode, Scott and David discuss two major entertainment news stories. The first is about the upcoming film 'Queer,' directed by Luca Guadagnino and based on a novel by William S. Burroughs. The film is already generating awards buzz and stars Daniel Craig. The second story is about the controversy surrounding the show 'X-Men 97,' a revival of the 90s Saturday morning cartoon. The showrunner, Beau DeMayo, was fired by Disney Marvel, and there are conflicting reports about the reasons behind his termination. The discussion touches on issues of sexuality, nudity, and workplace harassment. Welome to Entertainment Exposed with Left of Str8 Podcasts Special Entertainment Correspondent, David Reddish. David has worked in the Entertainment Industry for many years and for the past decade as an author, writer and editor for such sites and Queerty and Wealth of Geeks. David is the author of 4 books, including a trilogy based on the comic con fandom and a historical piece “The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus, A Novel of Truth.” David will share inside scoops from the World of Entertainment with 2 podcasts a month. You can contact David through his Instagram: @thegaymagneto Thank you for listening to Left of Str8 Podcasts, Produced by Scott Fullerton. Since 2015, Left of Str8 Podcasts was created for the LGBTQ Community and our Straight Allies. Subscribe on your favorite distributor so you never miss an episode. You can also click the bell icon to be notified when new episodes are available. The video podcasts are on YouTube and Spotify, and the audio podcast is available at all major distributors including: iTunes, iHeart Radio, GoodPods, Amazon Music, Audible, and more. If you like us, please give our episodes a 5 star rating so more people will find them in the Algorithm.

In Acts 13, Paul confronts a Roman governor and a Jewish sorcerer. Both of these men have power. One has magic, the other has politics. But neither of these powers is strong enough to keep the power of God's Kingdom from spreading. Paul demonstrates this Kingdom power, and the gospel continues to spread. As followers of Jesus, we must respond to Jesus as a King who comes to earth announcing a Kingdom. But just like the men that Paul confronts, this Kingdom directly clashes with the kingdoms of the world and the kingdoms of our souls. How do we respond to Jesus' Kingdom? Do we leave the world's kingdom like Sergius? Do we cling to our own rule and reign like Elymas? Are we ready to face the worldly and personal kingdoms in conflict like Paul?

In Acts 13, Paul confronts a Roman governor and a Jewish sorcerer. Both of these men have power. One has magic, the other has politics. But neither of these powers is strong enough to keep the power of God's Kingdom from spreading. Paul demonstrates this Kingdom power, and the gospel continues to spread. As followers of Jesus, we must respond to Jesus as a King who comes to earth announcing a Kingdom. But just like the men that Paul confronts, this Kingdom directly clashes with the kingdoms of the world and the kingdoms of our souls. How do we respond to Jesus' Kingdom? Do we leave the world's kingdom like Sergius? Do we cling to our own rule and reign like Elymas? Are we ready to face the worldly and personal kingdoms in conflict like Paul?

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.An Empress’ Guard Remembers.Then, as sudden as the crash after lightning, the weight was gone.I didn’t immediately react. My mind was a storm of pounding fury, my breath ragged in my ears and my body frozen and tense.After a few heartbeats of nothing, my soldier’s instincts forced me into motion. I lowered my shield, becoming suddenly aware of my shrieking muscles.I groaned, swayed, and would have fallen over had another body not leaned into me.Helena. My shield mate.Her eyes were glazed and her breath was the uneven, gasping hitch of a body pushed beyond all limits.But she was alive.She was here beside me, and together, we steadied each other enough to stand on our own. I blinked my vision into focus and raised my head.We were in a charnel house.Dozens lay dead before us, a carpet of blood and pale bodies that stretched from our feet to the splintered entrance. They’d been gutted and cut open, their insides spilled onto the surrounding stones.And the stench.It was shit and misery and death; a miasma of horror worse than any sort of butcher’s yard. Beside me, Helena coughed, staggered to the side, and retched. I just swayed in place, breathing through my mouth.“They ran away,” a voice rasped. “They all ran away.”It was the Empress. She was just a handful of steps behind us, leaning heavily onto the haft of her spear. Her limbs shook with exhaustion.“Augusta,” I croaked. “Are you hurt?”Blood stained the sweat-darkened purple of her dress. Thick droplets of it that were splattered along her chest and shoulders. It oozed from between her fingers, trickling down from the splintered tip of her spear.“Ah,” she said, seeming to notice herself for the first time. “No. I, I don’t believe any of this is mine. And you?”She reached a hand up to push at the strip of purple that held back her hair, leaving a streak of red behind on her forehead.I didn’t answer, refusing to look down and examine myself. I wasn’t ready to see, so I forced myself to stare down the hallway, distracting myself with thoughts of survival.And indeed, it appeared as if the Empress was correct. Nothing moved within the corridor, and I could hear nothing in the room beyond the shattered portal. The invaders had fled, and not a moment too soon, as I finally noticed that we’d been pushed most of the way back to Theodora’s sitting room.Not far away, Helena groaned. She managed to push herself upright, leaning heavily against the wall, her face wan.“Helena,” I said. “Are you,”I coughed, feeling a wave of bile rise through me. The smell was horrific, made so much worse by the thick summer air and the windless confines of this tunnel. My stomach writhed, but I clamped down on it ruthlessly.Not yet.Helena was covered in blood. Her chest, legs, and sword arm were caked in death, her face and neck splattered with it. I staggered over to her, conscious of the gumminess between my own fingers."I’m fine,” she said, trying to smile. “I’m fine. It’s just, how,”She turned and threw up once again. It was a hacking, heaving sort of retch; the kind that left you shaking. I came to stand beside her, pressing my hip to her side, all I could do without dropping my sword and shield. She leaned some of her weight into me."Leontius,” the Empress said, moving to join us. She lay a hand on the unarmored part of Helena’s hip, providing what comfort she could. “Is it safe to move?”I blinked, stirred, and shook my head. “Not yet. We still don’t know what’s going on in the rest of the palace. This is still the safest place for us.”Theodora nodded, turning her head to gaze down the length of the passageway. An ocean of red dotted with pale islands of green and blue.“It seems remarkable,” she said. “That we survived against so many.”“These weren’t soldiers, Augusta,” I said, exhaling. “They were potters, blacksmiths, dockworkers, They were drunk, pushed onto our swords by those further back. They were badly led, unarmored and most didn’t even have any weapons. They were just,”"People,” Theodora finished for me. “Dead because they believed in something strongly enough to fight for it.”I shifted, my gaze going back to Helena. She was still bent into the wall, her eyes screwed tightly shut and her frame vibrating with repressed feeling. She’d just gone through her first battle, and every single thought and feeling that she’d pushed aside while in the midst of it was tearing into her.My own soul felt raw, overused, and stretched near to the point of snapping. I could feel my own crash coming, though experience let me push it away. For a time, at least.“We believe as well, Augusta,” I said. “In you.”The Empress smiled, though it was one that I’d yet to see wear. It was an expression of unyielding certainty, of iron-hard conviction; the whole of it framed by a profound sense of grief. It was the smile of the lonely farmer taking his axe to the rabid skull of his favorite dog.She stepped forward to kiss my cheek. “I’ll be back with a bucket of water.”The Empress slipped into her private chambers a few moments later, leaving Helena and me alone. My shield mate had managed to straighten herself, though her body still shook. I watched as she breathed deeply, the lines of her face growing looser with every exhalation.She was eventually able to open her eyes and meet my gaze. I felt something crack within me, like the first axe blow that had split the door.It was still her.Though tears traced the lines of her cheeks, and something had changed within the cypress of her eyes, nothing had been lost. I still recognized her. She was still the woman I,“I’m sorry,” she said.“Helena, I, what?”“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’m here weeping like a child. But I’ll get stronger, Leo.”I blinked.“I promise,” she said, looking away. “I won’t hold you back for long. I just, I promise I’ll be stronger.”Then, despite the blood coating my limbs and the charnel house stink of the hallway, I laughed. I laughed, and I laughed and I felt myself draw back from the edge.Helena’s face went scarlet. “Fuck you,” she hissed, turning to march away.“No!” I gasped, lurching to step in front of her. “I’m sorry. It’s not that! It’s,”I devolved into another peel of laughter. And though Helena’s face burned a shade brighter, she didn’t move away.When I finally mastered myself, I stepped a bit nearer to her. I looked into her eyes, my face relaxing into a smile. "Helena, you wonderful, amazing, beautiful, and hopelessly blind woman. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known.”She snorted, though I saw something shine within her eyes. “You weren’t the one crying and puking.”“No,” I agreed. “Not yet.”“It’s coming?”I nodded.She made a small sound, moving nearer to me. “Then, I’ll be here when it does.”The Empress returned a few minutes later with a bucket of water and several strips of clean, white cloth.We dropped our weapons, washing the worst of the blood and sweat from our hands and faces. Helena and I discovered that we’d each suffered a myriad of cuts, and to my horror, the Empress proceeded to tend to our injuries.“Leontius, enough!” She snapped, as I tried to squirm away. She looked ferocious in her still bloody dress, her hands clamping down on me. “You risked your lives for me, the least I can do is clean and wrap your wounds.”“Augusta,” I tried.“Stop,” she said, taking up a clean rag. “I’ll be quick. I have some experience if that reassures you.”I frowned, glancing over to Helena.“At the brothel,” she said. “When the men were too rough; Theodora would patch us up.”“You didn’t have a guard?” I asked. “Or a bouncer?”“Not until Helena grew a little older,” the Empress said, pulling over a clean strip of cloth. “Your arm now, Leontius.”“Augusta, I can handle,” Her glare silenced me, and I meekly held my forearm out for her to inspect."Thank you.” She took my arm, her fingers strong and sure. “Please don’t keep fighting me on this. I’m having difficulty sitting still, to tell you the truth. I keep, well, no matter.”I relaxed, submitting myself to her care. The Empress fell silent, unwilling to explain further. But she didn’t have to, the stiffness in her limbs and the tension at the corners of her eyes mirrored my own.Our day wasn’t yet done.The Empress was most of the way through checking over Helena when I heard the sound of boots on stone. The two women heard it with me, and we moved as one. Helena and I had our shields strapped on in moments, the Empress having collected our swords for us in the meantime.We jogged towards the shattered entrance, my limbs stiff and my heart beating faster.“Mary’s tits!” A voice loudly swore. “It fucking reeks here. Are you sure we’re going the right way, Serg?”“I thought you’d be used to the smell of your own sack by now, Grat?”“Oh, they stink, do they? How about you come lick them clean for me, Niketas?”Helena and I slowed, exchanging incredulous looks. We stopped before reaching the first body, my eyebrows high in disbelief.“Shut your hole, Grat,” I heard Sergius growl. “You too Nik. Shields up, lads, we don’t know what we’re going to find here.”“Why have we stopped?” The Empress said. She’d picked up her broken spear haft. “Are these our men?”“They’re Leo’s friends,” Helena said with a wide grin. “From his legion days. Since when have they been in the palace?”The tension rushed from me in a wave, leaving my body light and trembling. I sucked in a deep breath.“I’ll give ‘em a few licks too, Grat!” I roared. “I’m tired of breathing them in!”I heard a series of startled curses, while behind me, the Empress laughed. There was a stampede of pounding boots and then a squad of armored soldiers appeared in the shattered doorway.“Centenarius!” Sergius laughed. “You’re alive! The Empress?”“She’s here as well!” I called back.The men whooped, cheering and thanking God as Sergius turned back to them. “We found them, boys! Maurice, run back and tell the General. You three, watch the hall.”The two women and I moved back as Sergius led his men in towards us. What followed was coarse laughter, back-slapping, wide-eyed realization, and a whole mess of clumsy bows as the Empress stepped out to introduce herself.Theodora smiled through the men’s stammering apologies. She thanked them each in turn, her voice shifting from a high, courtly accent to the less polished version she’d have grown up with. It was the language these soldiers knew, and the Empress left blushing cheeks and sheepish smiles in her wake.The gates, we were happy to learn, had been sealed. Though, as of yet, nobody knew who had let the rioters in. The mob still rampaged through parts of the palace, though they’d been beaten back from the outer wall. Belisarius was in command of the palace’s fighting men, coordinating squads like Sergius’ that were sweeping through the halls.“And my husband?” The Empress asked.“Safe, Augusta,” Sergius answered. “Last I heard, at any rate. The General was with him when the enemy broke in.”“Thank you, soldier,” she said, laying a palm on his forearm.“A, Augusta!” Sergius stammered, and I grinned to see the grizzled old veteran flush.“Well then, gentlemen,” Theodora said. “I believe that I will leave you here. I’ve got to wash the stink of Gratian’s balls from my skin.”A few of the men snorted, trying to choke down on their laughter. Grat, for his part, looked positively horrified. He mangled a few words, his entire face blazing a scarlet. He hadn’t produced anything more than a gargle before the Empress slipped away with a wink and a small laugh.“Grat,” Sergius said in the moment of silence after her departure. “You’re a fucking idiot.”“It wasn’t me!” Gratian exclaimed, his eyes wide with panic. “Serg, I, Nik, and, the Empress! She,”"Dumber than a sackful of rocks,” Serg said, shaking his head. “Start piling these bodies outside, and the rest of you grinning monkeys can help.”“Oh, don’t be too hard on him,” Helena said. “I was worried that he’d start talking about his phallus again.”Gratian fled, followed by the laughter of his squad mates. Sergius shook his head again, but I saw a smile part the hairs of his worn face.“Aye, well, we can thank the Lord for that.” The old soldier’s gaze shifted to the doors to Theodora’s salon. “The Empress, she really fought with you?”My face twisted into a grimace. “I tried talking her out of it, but I didn’t have time.”“What a woman,” Sergius said, amazed. “And you, Helena, not a lot of stratiotai could have held back so many.”“Leo did most of the work,” she said.Both Sergius and I snorted.“I’m an old soldier, lass. I know what it would have taken to do this.” Sergius suddenly stiffened, saluting her with a fist over his heart. “Stratiotai!”Helena saluted back, her face flushing. I grinned, sure that she was about to squirm with suppressed pride.“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go help the monkeys.”, ,Sergius, however, categorically refused our help.They’d barely fought, he said. And itching to do something after three long days stationed in the palace. This was the least that they could do.Neither Helena nor I had had the energy to argue, and so we’d taken off our helmets, unstrapped our shields, and sat back against the far wall.“I guess that now it’s official,” Helena said.“Hmm?” I answered.We were seated near enough for our legs to touch, my body throbbing with pain and heavy with exhaustion.“After today, we’re officially shield mates.”I tilted my head towards her. “We’ve been shield mates for longer than that.”“Sure, but now we’ve fought together. I held my place at your side.” And despite the horror of what we’d had to do, I heard the fierce pride in Helena’s voice.“I knew you would. I’ve trusted you for a long time.”“Oh yeah?” She said, shifting to rest her sweat-darkened head against mine. “Since when?”I leaned more of my weight into her, resting my shield hand on her thigh. I could feel the eyes of the others drifting towards us as they worked, and could picture their knowing grins.But I didn’t care. I was with her.“Remember the first day we trained together? How difficult you were being?”“Difficult? Is that what it’s called when your gender makes everyone treat you differently?”“Hmm,” I said. “That, or simple laziness.”She swatted me with the back of her hand, swearing as her knuckles rapped on my breastplate. I laughed, squeezing her thigh.“When you swallowed your pride and your anger,” I said. “When you decided to set all that aside and let me train you. That’s when I knew.”She snorted, shaking out her sore knuckles. “Well, all I remember from that day is how much you enjoyed hitting me.”“You don’t remember when I said the words, 'you’re my shield mate’?”“No,” she said. “You must have done something mean to make me forget.”I laughed. She brought her hand down atop mine, and I turned it so our fingers intertwined. Her thumb drew a swirling pattern along my skin, and I let myself get lost in the hypnotic motion.With her here, it felt like I could accomplish anything. Like I might pull myself forward as she had. What might I do, with this woman at my side? Where might I go? What might I build, with her hands working alongside my own?A little tavern by the sea, perhaps.“Helena,” I said.I shifted my hand in hers, and in doing so, my thumb came to rest atop hers, stopping the circle she was making and pulling my vision back into focus.“Leo,” she answered, and I heard the soft smile in her voice.“I,” But my words were cut short, pressed back into me by a sudden weight. Blood, there was blood beneath my nails.I was suddenly reminded of where I was, of what I had done. The charnel stink of the hallway, and the emotions I’d tucked away flooded back into me. I started to shake; my lungs squeezed tight.I couldn’t take my eyes off the blood that still crusted my hand."Leo?” Helena said, shifting so that she could look at me. “Are you ok?”I didn’t answer, freeing her hand from my filthy grip. I shifted from her, pulled away by a crushing weight against my side. I clawed at the pocket beneath my armor, ripping something free.My mother’s letter.I opened it with unsteady hands, revealing a single slip of yellowed parchment and my mother’s blocky letters.My little lion, it said. Come home.I stared at the page, blinking stupidly. Five little words, was that all? I turned the folded parchment over, my fingers smudging its surface.That was it.I felt the mad urge to laugh. Come home? Was I some lost, weeping child who needed the comfort of my mother’s arms?I grit my teeth, reading those words again and again. I ached to tear into the offending letter; to rage and scream and damn my mother to hell.I’d been expecting something like this but,  What the fuck did this mean?I was happy. For the first time in my fucking life, I was happy. I was the Empress’ guard, sitting beside a woman who was nothing but good. With her, I had a vision of a future where I wouldn’t have to kill anymore.I wasn’t fucking lost.“Leo?” Helena whispered.She was beside me, she’d red the letter too. She once again wrap

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.An Empress’ Guard Remembers.Then, as sudden as the crash after lightning, the weight was gone.I didn’t immediately react. My mind was a storm of pounding fury, my breath ragged in my ears and my body frozen and tense.After a few heartbeats of nothing, my soldier’s instincts forced me into motion. I lowered my shield, becoming suddenly aware of my shrieking muscles.I groaned, swayed, and would have fallen over had another body not leaned into me.Helena. My shield mate.Her eyes were glazed and her breath was the uneven, gasping hitch of a body pushed beyond all limits.But she was alive.She was here beside me, and together, we steadied each other enough to stand on our own. I blinked my vision into focus and raised my head.We were in a charnel house.Dozens lay dead before us, a carpet of blood and pale bodies that stretched from our feet to the splintered entrance. They’d been gutted and cut open, their insides spilled onto the surrounding stones.And the stench.It was shit and misery and death; a miasma of horror worse than any sort of butcher’s yard. Beside me, Helena coughed, staggered to the side, and retched. I just swayed in place, breathing through my mouth.“They ran away,” a voice rasped. “They all ran away.”It was the Empress. She was just a handful of steps behind us, leaning heavily onto the haft of her spear. Her limbs shook with exhaustion.“Augusta,” I croaked. “Are you hurt?”Blood stained the sweat-darkened purple of her dress. Thick droplets of it that were splattered along her chest and shoulders. It oozed from between her fingers, trickling down from the splintered tip of her spear.“Ah,” she said, seeming to notice herself for the first time. “No. I, I don’t believe any of this is mine. And you?”She reached a hand up to push at the strip of purple that held back her hair, leaving a streak of red behind on her forehead.I didn’t answer, refusing to look down and examine myself. I wasn’t ready to see, so I forced myself to stare down the hallway, distracting myself with thoughts of survival.And indeed, it appeared as if the Empress was correct. Nothing moved within the corridor, and I could hear nothing in the room beyond the shattered portal. The invaders had fled, and not a moment too soon, as I finally noticed that we’d been pushed most of the way back to Theodora’s sitting room.Not far away, Helena groaned. She managed to push herself upright, leaning heavily against the wall, her face wan.“Helena,” I said. “Are you,”I coughed, feeling a wave of bile rise through me. The smell was horrific, made so much worse by the thick summer air and the windless confines of this tunnel. My stomach writhed, but I clamped down on it ruthlessly.Not yet.Helena was covered in blood. Her chest, legs, and sword arm were caked in death, her face and neck splattered with it. I staggered over to her, conscious of the gumminess between my own fingers."I’m fine,” she said, trying to smile. “I’m fine. It’s just, how,”She turned and threw up once again. It was a hacking, heaving sort of retch; the kind that left you shaking. I came to stand beside her, pressing my hip to her side, all I could do without dropping my sword and shield. She leaned some of her weight into me."Leontius,” the Empress said, moving to join us. She lay a hand on the unarmored part of Helena’s hip, providing what comfort she could. “Is it safe to move?”I blinked, stirred, and shook my head. “Not yet. We still don’t know what’s going on in the rest of the palace. This is still the safest place for us.”Theodora nodded, turning her head to gaze down the length of the passageway. An ocean of red dotted with pale islands of green and blue.“It seems remarkable,” she said. “That we survived against so many.”“These weren’t soldiers, Augusta,” I said, exhaling. “They were potters, blacksmiths, dockworkers, They were drunk, pushed onto our swords by those further back. They were badly led, unarmored and most didn’t even have any weapons. They were just,”"People,” Theodora finished for me. “Dead because they believed in something strongly enough to fight for it.”I shifted, my gaze going back to Helena. She was still bent into the wall, her eyes screwed tightly shut and her frame vibrating with repressed feeling. She’d just gone through her first battle, and every single thought and feeling that she’d pushed aside while in the midst of it was tearing into her.My own soul felt raw, overused, and stretched near to the point of snapping. I could feel my own crash coming, though experience let me push it away. For a time, at least.“We believe as well, Augusta,” I said. “In you.”The Empress smiled, though it was one that I’d yet to see wear. It was an expression of unyielding certainty, of iron-hard conviction; the whole of it framed by a profound sense of grief. It was the smile of the lonely farmer taking his axe to the rabid skull of his favorite dog.She stepped forward to kiss my cheek. “I’ll be back with a bucket of water.”The Empress slipped into her private chambers a few moments later, leaving Helena and me alone. My shield mate had managed to straighten herself, though her body still shook. I watched as she breathed deeply, the lines of her face growing looser with every exhalation.She was eventually able to open her eyes and meet my gaze. I felt something crack within me, like the first axe blow that had split the door.It was still her.Though tears traced the lines of her cheeks, and something had changed within the cypress of her eyes, nothing had been lost. I still recognized her. She was still the woman I,“I’m sorry,” she said.“Helena, I, what?”“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’m here weeping like a child. But I’ll get stronger, Leo.”I blinked.“I promise,” she said, looking away. “I won’t hold you back for long. I just, I promise I’ll be stronger.”Then, despite the blood coating my limbs and the charnel house stink of the hallway, I laughed. I laughed, and I laughed and I felt myself draw back from the edge.Helena’s face went scarlet. “Fuck you,” she hissed, turning to march away.“No!” I gasped, lurching to step in front of her. “I’m sorry. It’s not that! It’s,”I devolved into another peel of laughter. And though Helena’s face burned a shade brighter, she didn’t move away.When I finally mastered myself, I stepped a bit nearer to her. I looked into her eyes, my face relaxing into a smile. "Helena, you wonderful, amazing, beautiful, and hopelessly blind woman. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known.”She snorted, though I saw something shine within her eyes. “You weren’t the one crying and puking.”“No,” I agreed. “Not yet.”“It’s coming?”I nodded.She made a small sound, moving nearer to me. “Then, I’ll be here when it does.”The Empress returned a few minutes later with a bucket of water and several strips of clean, white cloth.We dropped our weapons, washing the worst of the blood and sweat from our hands and faces. Helena and I discovered that we’d each suffered a myriad of cuts, and to my horror, the Empress proceeded to tend to our injuries.“Leontius, enough!” She snapped, as I tried to squirm away. She looked ferocious in her still bloody dress, her hands clamping down on me. “You risked your lives for me, the least I can do is clean and wrap your wounds.”“Augusta,” I tried.“Stop,” she said, taking up a clean rag. “I’ll be quick. I have some experience if that reassures you.”I frowned, glancing over to Helena.“At the brothel,” she said. “When the men were too rough; Theodora would patch us up.”“You didn’t have a guard?” I asked. “Or a bouncer?”“Not until Helena grew a little older,” the Empress said, pulling over a clean strip of cloth. “Your arm now, Leontius.”“Augusta, I can handle,” Her glare silenced me, and I meekly held my forearm out for her to inspect."Thank you.” She took my arm, her fingers strong and sure. “Please don’t keep fighting me on this. I’m having difficulty sitting still, to tell you the truth. I keep, well, no matter.”I relaxed, submitting myself to her care. The Empress fell silent, unwilling to explain further. But she didn’t have to, the stiffness in her limbs and the tension at the corners of her eyes mirrored my own.Our day wasn’t yet done.The Empress was most of the way through checking over Helena when I heard the sound of boots on stone. The two women heard it with me, and we moved as one. Helena and I had our shields strapped on in moments, the Empress having collected our swords for us in the meantime.We jogged towards the shattered entrance, my limbs stiff and my heart beating faster.“Mary’s tits!” A voice loudly swore. “It fucking reeks here. Are you sure we’re going the right way, Serg?”“I thought you’d be used to the smell of your own sack by now, Grat?”“Oh, they stink, do they? How about you come lick them clean for me, Niketas?”Helena and I slowed, exchanging incredulous looks. We stopped before reaching the first body, my eyebrows high in disbelief.“Shut your hole, Grat,” I heard Sergius growl. “You too Nik. Shields up, lads, we don’t know what we’re going to find here.”“Why have we stopped?” The Empress said. She’d picked up her broken spear haft. “Are these our men?”“They’re Leo’s friends,” Helena said with a wide grin. “From his legion days. Since when have they been in the palace?”The tension rushed from me in a wave, leaving my body light and trembling. I sucked in a deep breath.“I’ll give ‘em a few licks too, Grat!” I roared. “I’m tired of breathing them in!”I heard a series of startled curses, while behind me, the Empress laughed. There was a stampede of pounding boots and then a squad of armored soldiers appeared in the shattered doorway.“Centenarius!” Sergius laughed. “You’re alive! The Empress?”“She’s here as well!” I called back.The men whooped, cheering and thanking God as Sergius turned back to them. “We found them, boys! Maurice, run back and tell the General. You three, watch the hall.”The two women and I moved back as Sergius led his men in towards us. What followed was coarse laughter, back-slapping, wide-eyed realization, and a whole mess of clumsy bows as the Empress stepped out to introduce herself.Theodora smiled through the men’s stammering apologies. She thanked them each in turn, her voice shifting from a high, courtly accent to the less polished version she’d have grown up with. It was the language these soldiers knew, and the Empress left blushing cheeks and sheepish smiles in her wake.The gates, we were happy to learn, had been sealed. Though, as of yet, nobody knew who had let the rioters in. The mob still rampaged through parts of the palace, though they’d been beaten back from the outer wall. Belisarius was in command of the palace’s fighting men, coordinating squads like Sergius’ that were sweeping through the halls.“And my husband?” The Empress asked.“Safe, Augusta,” Sergius answered. “Last I heard, at any rate. The General was with him when the enemy broke in.”“Thank you, soldier,” she said, laying a palm on his forearm.“A, Augusta!” Sergius stammered, and I grinned to see the grizzled old veteran flush.“Well then, gentlemen,” Theodora said. “I believe that I will leave you here. I’ve got to wash the stink of Gratian’s balls from my skin.”A few of the men snorted, trying to choke down on their laughter. Grat, for his part, looked positively horrified. He mangled a few words, his entire face blazing a scarlet. He hadn’t produced anything more than a gargle before the Empress slipped away with a wink and a small laugh.“Grat,” Sergius said in the moment of silence after her departure. “You’re a fucking idiot.”“It wasn’t me!” Gratian exclaimed, his eyes wide with panic. “Serg, I, Nik, and, the Empress! She,”"Dumber than a sackful of rocks,” Serg said, shaking his head. “Start piling these bodies outside, and the rest of you grinning monkeys can help.”“Oh, don’t be too hard on him,” Helena said. “I was worried that he’d start talking about his phallus again.”Gratian fled, followed by the laughter of his squad mates. Sergius shook his head again, but I saw a smile part the hairs of his worn face.“Aye, well, we can thank the Lord for that.” The old soldier’s gaze shifted to the doors to Theodora’s salon. “The Empress, she really fought with you?”My face twisted into a grimace. “I tried talking her out of it, but I didn’t have time.”“What a woman,” Sergius said, amazed. “And you, Helena, not a lot of stratiotai could have held back so many.”“Leo did most of the work,” she said.Both Sergius and I snorted.“I’m an old soldier, lass. I know what it would have taken to do this.” Sergius suddenly stiffened, saluting her with a fist over his heart. “Stratiotai!”Helena saluted back, her face flushing. I grinned, sure that she was about to squirm with suppressed pride.“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go help the monkeys.”, ,Sergius, however, categorically refused our help.They’d barely fought, he said. And itching to do something after three long days stationed in the palace. This was the least that they could do.Neither Helena nor I had had the energy to argue, and so we’d taken off our helmets, unstrapped our shields, and sat back against the far wall.“I guess that now it’s official,” Helena said.“Hmm?” I answered.We were seated near enough for our legs to touch, my body throbbing with pain and heavy with exhaustion.“After today, we’re officially shield mates.”I tilted my head towards her. “We’ve been shield mates for longer than that.”“Sure, but now we’ve fought together. I held my place at your side.” And despite the horror of what we’d had to do, I heard the fierce pride in Helena’s voice.“I knew you would. I’ve trusted you for a long time.”“Oh yeah?” She said, shifting to rest her sweat-darkened head against mine. “Since when?”I leaned more of my weight into her, resting my shield hand on her thigh. I could feel the eyes of the others drifting towards us as they worked, and could picture their knowing grins.But I didn’t care. I was with her.“Remember the first day we trained together? How difficult you were being?”“Difficult? Is that what it’s called when your gender makes everyone treat you differently?”“Hmm,” I said. “That, or simple laziness.”She swatted me with the back of her hand, swearing as her knuckles rapped on my breastplate. I laughed, squeezing her thigh.“When you swallowed your pride and your anger,” I said. “When you decided to set all that aside and let me train you. That’s when I knew.”She snorted, shaking out her sore knuckles. “Well, all I remember from that day is how much you enjoyed hitting me.”“You don’t remember when I said the words, 'you’re my shield mate’?”“No,” she said. “You must have done something mean to make me forget.”I laughed. She brought her hand down atop mine, and I turned it so our fingers intertwined. Her thumb drew a swirling pattern along my skin, and I let myself get lost in the hypnotic motion.With her here, it felt like I could accomplish anything. Like I might pull myself forward as she had. What might I do, with this woman at my side? Where might I go? What might I build, with her hands working alongside my own?A little tavern by the sea, perhaps.“Helena,” I said.I shifted my hand in hers, and in doing so, my thumb came to rest atop hers, stopping the circle she was making and pulling my vision back into focus.“Leo,” she answered, and I heard the soft smile in her voice.“I,” But my words were cut short, pressed back into me by a sudden weight. Blood, there was blood beneath my nails.I was suddenly reminded of where I was, of what I had done. The charnel stink of the hallway, and the emotions I’d tucked away flooded back into me. I started to shake; my lungs squeezed tight.I couldn’t take my eyes off the blood that still crusted my hand."Leo?” Helena said, shifting so that she could look at me. “Are you ok?”I didn’t answer, freeing her hand from my filthy grip. I shifted from her, pulled away by a crushing weight against my side. I clawed at the pocket beneath my armor, ripping something free.My mother’s letter.I opened it with unsteady hands, revealing a single slip of yellowed parchment and my mother’s blocky letters.My little lion, it said. Come home.I stared at the page, blinking stupidly. Five little words, was that all? I turned the folded parchment over, my fingers smudging its surface.That was it.I felt the mad urge to laugh. Come home? Was I some lost, weeping child who needed the comfort of my mother’s arms?I grit my teeth, reading those words again and again. I ached to tear into the offending letter; to rage and scream and damn my mother to hell.I’d been expecting something like this but,  What the fuck did this mean?I was happy. For the first time in my fucking life, I was happy. I was the Empress’ guard, sitting beside a woman who was nothing but good. With her, I had a vision of a future where I wouldn’t have to kill anymore.I wasn’t fucking lost.“Leo?” Helena whispered.She was beside me, she’d red the letter too. She once again wrap

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.An Empress’ Guard Remembers.Then, as sudden as the crash after lightning, the weight was gone.I didn’t immediately react. My mind was a storm of pounding fury, my breath ragged in my ears and my body frozen and tense.After a few heartbeats of nothing, my soldier’s instincts forced me into motion. I lowered my shield, becoming suddenly aware of my shrieking muscles.I groaned, swayed, and would have fallen over had another body not leaned into me.Helena. My shield mate.Her eyes were glazed and her breath was the uneven, gasping hitch of a body pushed beyond all limits.But she was alive.She was here beside me, and together, we steadied each other enough to stand on our own. I blinked my vision into focus and raised my head.We were in a charnel house.Dozens lay dead before us, a carpet of blood and pale bodies that stretched from our feet to the splintered entrance. They’d been gutted and cut open, their insides spilled onto the surrounding stones.And the stench.It was shit and misery and death; a miasma of horror worse than any sort of butcher’s yard. Beside me, Helena coughed, staggered to the side, and retched. I just swayed in place, breathing through my mouth.“They ran away,” a voice rasped. “They all ran away.”It was the Empress. She was just a handful of steps behind us, leaning heavily onto the haft of her spear. Her limbs shook with exhaustion.“Augusta,” I croaked. “Are you hurt?”Blood stained the sweat-darkened purple of her dress. Thick droplets of it that were splattered along her chest and shoulders. It oozed from between her fingers, trickling down from the splintered tip of her spear.“Ah,” she said, seeming to notice herself for the first time. “No. I, I don’t believe any of this is mine. And you?”She reached a hand up to push at the strip of purple that held back her hair, leaving a streak of red behind on her forehead.I didn’t answer, refusing to look down and examine myself. I wasn’t ready to see, so I forced myself to stare down the hallway, distracting myself with thoughts of survival.And indeed, it appeared as if the Empress was correct. Nothing moved within the corridor, and I could hear nothing in the room beyond the shattered portal. The invaders had fled, and not a moment too soon, as I finally noticed that we’d been pushed most of the way back to Theodora’s sitting room.Not far away, Helena groaned. She managed to push herself upright, leaning heavily against the wall, her face wan.“Helena,” I said. “Are you,”I coughed, feeling a wave of bile rise through me. The smell was horrific, made so much worse by the thick summer air and the windless confines of this tunnel. My stomach writhed, but I clamped down on it ruthlessly.Not yet.Helena was covered in blood. Her chest, legs, and sword arm were caked in death, her face and neck splattered with it. I staggered over to her, conscious of the gumminess between my own fingers."I’m fine,” she said, trying to smile. “I’m fine. It’s just, how,”She turned and threw up once again. It was a hacking, heaving sort of retch; the kind that left you shaking. I came to stand beside her, pressing my hip to her side, all I could do without dropping my sword and shield. She leaned some of her weight into me."Leontius,” the Empress said, moving to join us. She lay a hand on the unarmored part of Helena’s hip, providing what comfort she could. “Is it safe to move?”I blinked, stirred, and shook my head. “Not yet. We still don’t know what’s going on in the rest of the palace. This is still the safest place for us.”Theodora nodded, turning her head to gaze down the length of the passageway. An ocean of red dotted with pale islands of green and blue.“It seems remarkable,” she said. “That we survived against so many.”“These weren’t soldiers, Augusta,” I said, exhaling. “They were potters, blacksmiths, dockworkers, They were drunk, pushed onto our swords by those further back. They were badly led, unarmored and most didn’t even have any weapons. They were just,”"People,” Theodora finished for me. “Dead because they believed in something strongly enough to fight for it.”I shifted, my gaze going back to Helena. She was still bent into the wall, her eyes screwed tightly shut and her frame vibrating with repressed feeling. She’d just gone through her first battle, and every single thought and feeling that she’d pushed aside while in the midst of it was tearing into her.My own soul felt raw, overused, and stretched near to the point of snapping. I could feel my own crash coming, though experience let me push it away. For a time, at least.“We believe as well, Augusta,” I said. “In you.”The Empress smiled, though it was one that I’d yet to see wear. It was an expression of unyielding certainty, of iron-hard conviction; the whole of it framed by a profound sense of grief. It was the smile of the lonely farmer taking his axe to the rabid skull of his favorite dog.She stepped forward to kiss my cheek. “I’ll be back with a bucket of water.”The Empress slipped into her private chambers a few moments later, leaving Helena and me alone. My shield mate had managed to straighten herself, though her body still shook. I watched as she breathed deeply, the lines of her face growing looser with every exhalation.She was eventually able to open her eyes and meet my gaze. I felt something crack within me, like the first axe blow that had split the door.It was still her.Though tears traced the lines of her cheeks, and something had changed within the cypress of her eyes, nothing had been lost. I still recognized her. She was still the woman I,“I’m sorry,” she said.“Helena, I, what?”“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’m here weeping like a child. But I’ll get stronger, Leo.”I blinked.“I promise,” she said, looking away. “I won’t hold you back for long. I just, I promise I’ll be stronger.”Then, despite the blood coating my limbs and the charnel house stink of the hallway, I laughed. I laughed, and I laughed and I felt myself draw back from the edge.Helena’s face went scarlet. “Fuck you,” she hissed, turning to march away.“No!” I gasped, lurching to step in front of her. “I’m sorry. It’s not that! It’s,”I devolved into another peel of laughter. And though Helena’s face burned a shade brighter, she didn’t move away.When I finally mastered myself, I stepped a bit nearer to her. I looked into her eyes, my face relaxing into a smile. "Helena, you wonderful, amazing, beautiful, and hopelessly blind woman. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known.”She snorted, though I saw something shine within her eyes. “You weren’t the one crying and puking.”“No,” I agreed. “Not yet.”“It’s coming?”I nodded.She made a small sound, moving nearer to me. “Then, I’ll be here when it does.”The Empress returned a few minutes later with a bucket of water and several strips of clean, white cloth.We dropped our weapons, washing the worst of the blood and sweat from our hands and faces. Helena and I discovered that we’d each suffered a myriad of cuts, and to my horror, the Empress proceeded to tend to our injuries.“Leontius, enough!” She snapped, as I tried to squirm away. She looked ferocious in her still bloody dress, her hands clamping down on me. “You risked your lives for me, the least I can do is clean and wrap your wounds.”“Augusta,” I tried.“Stop,” she said, taking up a clean rag. “I’ll be quick. I have some experience if that reassures you.”I frowned, glancing over to Helena.“At the brothel,” she said. “When the men were too rough; Theodora would patch us up.”“You didn’t have a guard?” I asked. “Or a bouncer?”“Not until Helena grew a little older,” the Empress said, pulling over a clean strip of cloth. “Your arm now, Leontius.”“Augusta, I can handle,” Her glare silenced me, and I meekly held my forearm out for her to inspect."Thank you.” She took my arm, her fingers strong and sure. “Please don’t keep fighting me on this. I’m having difficulty sitting still, to tell you the truth. I keep, well, no matter.”I relaxed, submitting myself to her care. The Empress fell silent, unwilling to explain further. But she didn’t have to, the stiffness in her limbs and the tension at the corners of her eyes mirrored my own.Our day wasn’t yet done.The Empress was most of the way through checking over Helena when I heard the sound of boots on stone. The two women heard it with me, and we moved as one. Helena and I had our shields strapped on in moments, the Empress having collected our swords for us in the meantime.We jogged towards the shattered entrance, my limbs stiff and my heart beating faster.“Mary’s tits!” A voice loudly swore. “It fucking reeks here. Are you sure we’re going the right way, Serg?”“I thought you’d be used to the smell of your own sack by now, Grat?”“Oh, they stink, do they? How about you come lick them clean for me, Niketas?”Helena and I slowed, exchanging incredulous looks. We stopped before reaching the first body, my eyebrows high in disbelief.“Shut your hole, Grat,” I heard Sergius growl. “You too Nik. Shields up, lads, we don’t know what we’re going to find here.”“Why have we stopped?” The Empress said. She’d picked up her broken spear haft. “Are these our men?”“They’re Leo’s friends,” Helena said with a wide grin. “From his legion days. Since when have they been in the palace?”The tension rushed from me in a wave, leaving my body light and trembling. I sucked in a deep breath.“I’ll give ‘em a few licks too, Grat!” I roared. “I’m tired of breathing them in!”I heard a series of startled curses, while behind me, the Empress laughed. There was a stampede of pounding boots and then a squad of armored soldiers appeared in the shattered doorway.“Centenarius!” Sergius laughed. “You’re alive! The Empress?”“She’s here as well!” I called back.The men whooped, cheering and thanking God as Sergius turned back to them. “We found them, boys! Maurice, run back and tell the General. You three, watch the hall.”The two women and I moved back as Sergius led his men in towards us. What followed was coarse laughter, back-slapping, wide-eyed realization, and a whole mess of clumsy bows as the Empress stepped out to introduce herself.Theodora smiled through the men’s stammering apologies. She thanked them each in turn, her voice shifting from a high, courtly accent to the less polished version she’d have grown up with. It was the language these soldiers knew, and the Empress left blushing cheeks and sheepish smiles in her wake.The gates, we were happy to learn, had been sealed. Though, as of yet, nobody knew who had let the rioters in. The mob still rampaged through parts of the palace, though they’d been beaten back from the outer wall. Belisarius was in command of the palace’s fighting men, coordinating squads like Sergius’ that were sweeping through the halls.“And my husband?” The Empress asked.“Safe, Augusta,” Sergius answered. “Last I heard, at any rate. The General was with him when the enemy broke in.”“Thank you, soldier,” she said, laying a palm on his forearm.“A, Augusta!” Sergius stammered, and I grinned to see the grizzled old veteran flush.“Well then, gentlemen,” Theodora said. “I believe that I will leave you here. I’ve got to wash the stink of Gratian’s balls from my skin.”A few of the men snorted, trying to choke down on their laughter. Grat, for his part, looked positively horrified. He mangled a few words, his entire face blazing a scarlet. He hadn’t produced anything more than a gargle before the Empress slipped away with a wink and a small laugh.“Grat,” Sergius said in the moment of silence after her departure. “You’re a fucking idiot.”“It wasn’t me!” Gratian exclaimed, his eyes wide with panic. “Serg, I, Nik, and, the Empress! She,”"Dumber than a sackful of rocks,” Serg said, shaking his head. “Start piling these bodies outside, and the rest of you grinning monkeys can help.”“Oh, don’t be too hard on him,” Helena said. “I was worried that he’d start talking about his phallus again.”Gratian fled, followed by the laughter of his squad mates. Sergius shook his head again, but I saw a smile part the hairs of his worn face.“Aye, well, we can thank the Lord for that.” The old soldier’s gaze shifted to the doors to Theodora’s salon. “The Empress, she really fought with you?”My face twisted into a grimace. “I tried talking her out of it, but I didn’t have time.”“What a woman,” Sergius said, amazed. “And you, Helena, not a lot of stratiotai could have held back so many.”“Leo did most of the work,” she said.Both Sergius and I snorted.“I’m an old soldier, lass. I know what it would have taken to do this.” Sergius suddenly stiffened, saluting her with a fist over his heart. “Stratiotai!”Helena saluted back, her face flushing. I grinned, sure that she was about to squirm with suppressed pride.“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go help the monkeys.”, ,Sergius, however, categorically refused our help.They’d barely fought, he said. And itching to do something after three long days stationed in the palace. This was the least that they could do.Neither Helena nor I had had the energy to argue, and so we’d taken off our helmets, unstrapped our shields, and sat back against the far wall.“I guess that now it’s official,” Helena said.“Hmm?” I answered.We were seated near enough for our legs to touch, my body throbbing with pain and heavy with exhaustion.“After today, we’re officially shield mates.”I tilted my head towards her. “We’ve been shield mates for longer than that.”“Sure, but now we’ve fought together. I held my place at your side.” And despite the horror of what we’d had to do, I heard the fierce pride in Helena’s voice.“I knew you would. I’ve trusted you for a long time.”“Oh yeah?” She said, shifting to rest her sweat-darkened head against mine. “Since when?”I leaned more of my weight into her, resting my shield hand on her thigh. I could feel the eyes of the others drifting towards us as they worked, and could picture their knowing grins.But I didn’t care. I was with her.“Remember the first day we trained together? How difficult you were being?”“Difficult? Is that what it’s called when your gender makes everyone treat you differently?”“Hmm,” I said. “That, or simple laziness.”She swatted me with the back of her hand, swearing as her knuckles rapped on my breastplate. I laughed, squeezing her thigh.“When you swallowed your pride and your anger,” I said. “When you decided to set all that aside and let me train you. That’s when I knew.”She snorted, shaking out her sore knuckles. “Well, all I remember from that day is how much you enjoyed hitting me.”“You don’t remember when I said the words, 'you’re my shield mate’?”“No,” she said. “You must have done something mean to make me forget.”I laughed. She brought her hand down atop mine, and I turned it so our fingers intertwined. Her thumb drew a swirling pattern along my skin, and I let myself get lost in the hypnotic motion.With her here, it felt like I could accomplish anything. Like I might pull myself forward as she had. What might I do, with this woman at my side? Where might I go? What might I build, with her hands working alongside my own?A little tavern by the sea, perhaps.“Helena,” I said.I shifted my hand in hers, and in doing so, my thumb came to rest atop hers, stopping the circle she was making and pulling my vision back into focus.“Leo,” she answered, and I heard the soft smile in her voice.“I,” But my words were cut short, pressed back into me by a sudden weight. Blood, there was blood beneath my nails.I was suddenly reminded of where I was, of what I had done. The charnel stink of the hallway, and the emotions I’d tucked away flooded back into me. I started to shake; my lungs squeezed tight.I couldn’t take my eyes off the blood that still crusted my hand."Leo?” Helena said, shifting so that she could look at me. “Are you ok?”I didn’t answer, freeing her hand from my filthy grip. I shifted from her, pulled away by a crushing weight against my side. I clawed at the pocket beneath my armor, ripping something free.My mother’s letter.I opened it with unsteady hands, revealing a single slip of yellowed parchment and my mother’s blocky letters.My little lion, it said. Come home.I stared at the page, blinking stupidly. Five little words, was that all? I turned the folded parchment over, my fingers smudging its surface.That was it.I felt the mad urge to laugh. Come home? Was I some lost, weeping child who needed the comfort of my mother’s arms?I grit my teeth, reading those words again and again. I ached to tear into the offending letter; to rage and scream and damn my mother to hell.I’d been expecting something like this but,  What the fuck did this mean?I was happy. For the first time in my fucking life, I was happy. I was the Empress’ guard, sitting beside a woman who was nothing but good. With her, I had a vision of a future where I wouldn’t have to kill anymore.I wasn’t fucking lost.“Leo?” Helena whispered.She was beside me, she’d red the letter too. She once again wrap

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.The streets had been quiet as we’d passed, oddly subdued. The few people we saw had quickly ducked out of our way, though we were in our tunicae and sandals.Kostas’ place, I was happy to see, was lively. Drunken soldiers weren’t spilling out of the place, but there was enough of a crowd that we had to push our way past a few people. I led Helena to the back, where crusty old Kostas scowled from behind his bar.“Kostas,” I said, leaning against the bar. “I promised this Rhodian lady some pitaroudia. Are you going to disappoint her?”“Rhodian?” He said, suddenly a lot less grouchy looking.“From Lindos,” Helena said.We chatted for a bit, swapping the latest bit of island news that we had while Kostas poured us a couple of flagons of dark wine. The food would be ready in a few minutes, he told us.“She’s paying,” I said, when I spotted Kostas’ young son.The kid was coming back with an empty drink tray. I hooked him by the arm, leading him away. I put a silver coin in his hand, promising him another if he’d fetch something for me.Helena looked at me curiously, but I kept my mouth shut against her silent question.“Centenarius!” I heard a voice call. “Leontius!”I turned, already feeling a grin stretching my features. At a nearby table, five men were waving towards me. They wore happy smiles, their cheeks rosy with wine.“Sergius! You old bastard! What the hell are you doing here?”Sergius, a crusty old stratiotai with more scars on him than most had years, made a show of cupping one ear.“Can’t hear you so good, sir! Come here and whisper it to me.”The men at his table laughed. I did too, shaking my head.“Friends of yours?” Helena asked.“Men from my old cohort,” I said. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”Helena’s body tightened. I saw that same expression flash across her features. Resignation? Consternation? I wasn’t sure. Even here, away from the dark street, I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d seen. It was gone too fast.“Sure,” she said, stepping forward and forcing me to move after her.The men rose to meet me, and I greeted each with a rough embrace and a few rougher words. Sergius, Gratian, Suda, Maurice and Niketas; as good a squad of stratiotai that had ever served in Justinian’s legions.“Boys, this is Helena,” I said as we sat in the chairs pulled over for us. “My shield mate. She guards the Empress with me.”Sergius blinked. Maurice choked on his wine while Suda and Niketas glanced at each other in disbelief. Helena, however, seemed to loosen. Her gaze flicked to me, and I saw the faint crinkle of something disappear from the corners of her eyes.Gratian, horse’s ass that he was, guffawed.“Come on, Centenarius,” he said. He was seated on Helena’s other side, and took the opportunity to drape one arm around her shoulders. “You can’t expect us to believe that sweet little thing fights beside you?”Whatever else I could say about Gratian, and there was a lot, I couldn’t fault his eye.Helena was in her tunica, cut in the same simple, utilitarian shape as my own. It was loose, ending just above her knees and doing nothing to accentuate the feminine curves of her body. However, unlike the wrinkled, slightly stained pale gray of my tunica, hers had been dyed a deep green.It was near to the cypress of her eyes. It made them appear brighter, and more vivid than I’d ever seen them. The green brought out the copper of her hair, deepening it and adding layers to those tumbling waves.She was beautiful; the field of grass after rain.“You think I’m sweet?” Helena said, lips curling into a small smile.“Sweet enough to eat,” he said. His eyes roved up and down her body. “How much?”Helena stayed relaxed. That small smile never left her lips.“I’m good, too.” Gratian insisted. “You’ll see. My phallus’s so good that you should be the one paying me!”He snickered through his leering grin. I shook my head when Sergius opened his mouth to interfere. Although I needn’t have. Because, an instant later, Helena’s fist crunched into Gratian’s throat.He gagged, falling backwards, his chair crashing to the ground. The tavern fell silent, all eyes on Helena as she slowly stood. Helena’s eyes swept the room. There was a heartbeat of silence, and then two. Her lip suddenly quirked.“Nobody touches before they pay.”The room exploded with laughter, covering the sound of Gratian’s moaning. Helena sat back down, while I moved to help the man pick himself off the floor.“I’ll kill her,” he choked. “I’ll fucking kill that bitch.”“Shut up,” I said, loud enough for the others to hear. “She’d gut you like a fish. And I’d cut off whatever bits my shield mate left of you.”I pulled him up, and made a show of checking him over. I hissed into his ear. “You stupid bastard. Helena’s the Empress’ personal guard. Do you want your head to the decorate palace walls?”Gratian’s face blanched. He started to stammer something but I pushed him away. “I told you to shut the fuck up. Go get us some more wine.”“Whatever Kostas hasn’t pissed in for me,” Helena called.Sergius grin was wide. “Good punch, that. It's the only way to get him to shut his hole.”“Aye,” Niketas said, draining his cup. He burped. “Finally, some fucking peace.”“Centenarius,” Maurice said, leaning forward. “No offense to your lady, but a shield mate? Are you sure about this?”“This lady,” Helena said. “Can speak for herself. Look me in the eyes and tell me what you mean.”Maurice complied. “You’re a woman. You’re real pretty, I’ll give you that, but you don’t know what this means.”“I don’t need a phallus to piss standing up. Why would I need one to hold up a shield?”Maurice smirked. “Cute. But it's more than that, it's,”"Wait, you can piss standing up?” Gratian interrupted, returning with two clay pitchers of wine. “Seriously?”The others groaned.“That wasn’t the point, Grat,” Suda said. “Although, now I am a bit curious,”"It's easy,” Helena said, throwing him a wink. “And I guarantee that I can piss better than Grat fucks.”Laughter rolled around the table. Even Gratian snickered, though heat crawled up his face. He started pouring the wine, filling Helena’s cup and then mine.“So, what the hell are you talking about, then?”“If she can really be Leo’s shield mate,” Maurice said. “If she can fight.”“She knows what it means, Maur,” I said. “She’s good, too. Fast. And she’s got some sense, unlike you thick-headed bastards.”“Good enough for me,” Sergius said. “What do you say boys, we gonna keep her around?”“Let's drink!” Niketas said, grabbing his cup.Sergius banged the table, hoisting his own cup into the air. “To Helena!”“Helena!” We roared, slamming our empty cups down a few moments later.Helena joined in, her smile wide and her cheeks flushed a happy red. Our pitaroudia arrived, and we fell to bickering over the platter of fried balls. They were delicious; tomato, onion and bits of a leafy herb mixed into a patty of ground chickpea.These were rough men that lived rough lives. They were soldiers; killers that earned their coin in the grinding crush of the shield wall. They respected a foul mouth, a hard fist and loyalty to one’s brothers.They were stratiotai.And when Helena clacked her cup with a still sheepish looking Gratian; I saw them start to think of her as one too.“Leo never told me that he was a Centenarius,” Helena eventually said.I snorted. “That’s because I’m not. These idiots just call me that.”“The crest on the helmet don’t make the Centenarius,” Suda drawled. “Ain’t that right, Serg?”“You’re damned right about that, lad,” the older man replied. “Some wise words there.”I rolled my eyes, the rest of the boys snickering into their cups. Sergius liked to share whatever kernels of wisdom popped into his head. We’d all heard this particular one a hundred times already.“We call him that because of Callinicum,” Sergius continued, answering Helena’s question.“Ah,” she said. “You were all there?”Sergius nodded, “and my bones would be decorating some Persian’s trophy shelf if it wasn’t for the Centenarius here. All of ours would.”The mood sobered, each of us remembering. I looked down to my hands; seeing the flecks of old, old blood beneath my fingernails. The ones I could never seem to clean.“Was it bad?” Helena asked.“Aye,” Sergius answered. “The old Centenarius was a right stupid prick. He got himself killed in the first charge of the Sassanid horsemen. Leontius here took over after that. Things were real shaky for a bit, but he kept us from scattering and being cut to pieces. And when the general decided he’d had enough of watching us die, Leo got us retreating.”Nobody spoke for a while, memories holding us. Some of us put wine to our lips. I just stared out at nothing with unfocused eyes. The mood remained dark until Gratian, bless his fool soul, blurted out;“Fuck, but Centenarius Demetrius was a prick.”That brought out a few chuckles. Niketas let out another burp, and Maurice swatted the back of his head. Most of us felt lighter after that. It didn’t do any good to dwell on the past. The things we’d done, the friends we’d lost, It wasn’t good to remember. Stratiotai had to live for the moment.Maybe that was why I’d always been such a terrible soldier.Midnight guard duty.It was approaching midnight when Sergius hauled himself to his feet. He blinked bleary eyes, motioning to the others.“Right boys, we’ve got patrol in the morning. Let’s get moving.”The men swallowed their last mouthfuls of wine, said their goodbyes and stumbled away with various levels of coordination.Sergius watched them go with a shake of his head. He riffled through a pouch at his side for a moment before turning back to me.“I’ve got something for you here, Centenarius. It got to the barracks a week or so ago.”He held a folded envelope out towards me. It had my name on it, written out in my mother’s blocky hand. I snatched it from him, quickly stuffing it away and out of sight. I didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to ruin this night.“It was good to see you, Leo,” Sergius said. He pulled me to my feet, and pounded my back in a rough embrace. “Don’t forget about us rankers while you’re dining with nobles.”“Take care of yourself, Serg,” I said, returning his embrace. “And, thank you.”“We’re on garrison duty,” the old soldier grinned. “What’s going to happen in the capital?”Sergius surprised Helena by pulling her into a hug next. “Keep your shield tight to his. Our Centenarius always seems to be around when shit is the deepest.”“I’ll keep him the sword from his back,” Helena said. “Though, it might loosen him up a bit.”The older man laughed. “It was good to meet you, lass. And remember, you’ve got a brother in old Sergius.” With a last little wave, he ambled out and into the deepening night.“You were right,” Helena said, settling back. She popped the last of the pitaroudia in her mouth. “This is a great place.”“Even with Grat here?” I asked with a smile.“Even still,” she said, her lips curling upward. She put her elbow on the table, leaning her heads against her palm. “I’m happy that you introduced me to your friends. I didn’t think it would be this, nice.”“It was,” I said. I shifted in my seat, wanting to move my chair closer to her. But the movement jostled the letter in my pocket. Suddenly, my mother’s words weighed more than a boulder. I shifted again, an awkward jerk of my body that accomplished nothing.Helena’s smile softened. She took pity on me, scooting over until her leg pressed against mine. I let out a breath, leaning back in my chair. We sat in silence for a while. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth, and the quiet murmur of the few remaining patrons.“This was always my favorite part,” I said, after a while. I opened my eyes to find Helena watching me, waiting for me to continue.“A place like this,” I said. “With the others; once the campaigns done. It’s,”I trailed off, trying to order my thoughts. How could I explain this to someone who’d never been to war? How did I tell her of the constant tension; of the anxious expectation that came with knowing that somewhere, beyond the light of your campfire, someone wanted you dead.Kill or be killed; there was none of that here. I could drink with my friends, without wondering which of them I would lose. Or what I would have to do.It was just; "different,” I finished.Helena didn’t laugh. She didn’t smile or tease. She just watched me with eyes that took in so much of me. I caught a glimpse of it; the edge that wondrous vastness behind her cypress gaze. She leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder and letting out a long breath.“Different,” she said. “I like that.”My eyes suddenly prickled. I blinked furiously, trying to clear the wetness seeping into them. I turned, leaning my chin against her hair; breathing in the scent of her. I shifted my arm to pull her closer, my mother’s letter forgotten.“Leo,” she said. “What would you do if you weren’t a soldier?”“I, I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve always been a soldier.”“But could you do it for ten more years?”“What else would I do? My father was stratiotai, and his father and his father. I don’t know anything else.”Helena shifted against my shoulder, her hair tickling my neck.“What was your plan once you retired?”I bobbed my shoulders in a small shrug, careful not to disturb her. “Go back to Rhodos. My mother is a seamstress. I’d help her run the shop.”“And marry a ‘good’ woman?” She said, her tone edged with mocking.I didn’t answer, though I tightened my grip on Helena. For a heartbeat, her body was stiff. Then, she let out another long breath, relaxing against me.“What about something like this?” She asked, gesturing around us. “A tavern.”“Running a Winehouse?”She pushed off of me, suddenly more animated. “Why not? You could open a soldier’s tavern on Rhodos; make a place for old stratiotai.”“A peaceful place,” I murmured.“Exactly!” She grinned. “It's a good idea, right?”“I’d have to learn how to make pitaroudia,” I said, feeling a smile tug at my lips.“I’m sure Kostas will give you his recipe.”I laughed. “I’m a solider, Helena, not a cook. I think I even burned water once.”“You are a soldier,” she said. Her eyes held mine. “But you can be something else.”I looked away, swallowing.“You’ll think about it?”“Sure,” I forced some lightness into my tone. “But only if you promise that you’d go out and catch fish for me every day.”Helena stiffened, her face suddenly bright red. Not the reaction I’d been expecting. Her eyes flicked over my face, searching. “You don’t think I’d be better as the cook? Or serving drinks?”“No,” I said, not having to force my smile. “You belong on the sea, right?”Her eyes were so wide. I felt my heart start to beat faster. That vastness, it was there, rising to the edge of her; on the verge of breaking through.“Leo,” she murmured. “I,”She was interrupted by the thump of a pouch onto our table. I looked over to find Kostas’ son standing by our table. The kid looked exhausted, but triumphant."You found what I asked for, then?” I said.He nodded, holding out a grubby hand.“Good man,” I grinned, flipping him a silver coin. He disappeared without another word. I quickly disengaged myself from Helena to put the lumpy, medium sized pouch away.“It's a surprise,” I told her. “For later.”She arched an eyebrow, but didn’t press me. She downed her last mouthful of wine, letting out a happy sigh. “We have to come back here.”I nodded, bringing my own wine to my lips.“It's nice to see that you can relax without my cunny in your mouth.”I choked, spraying out a mouthful of wine. Helena laughed, that deep, joy-filled sound. She pounded my back as I coughed myself hoarse. My face blazed, and I felt the eyes of everyone turn towards me.“Leo,” she said. “You’re defenseless.”I coughed, glaring at her through watery eyes.“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get back to the palace.”We walked out into the night, breathing in the city’s quiet. Although, it did not last long. We were but a handful of blocks from the Winehouse, when, out of the dark, we saw the fire.And heard the baying of the mob.A past shared with the Empress.The baying of the mob. The glow of fire.After a few moments of debate, Helena and I decided to move towards it. There were no screams of pain, no real sounds of violence coming from the streets ahead. We would see what there was, we decided, before returning to the Empress.We came into a square; one with a small, torch-lit church planted solidly at the northern end. A few squads of armored stratiotai, perhaps forty men, stood before the single door. They were imperial legionaries, though I did not recognize any of the grim-faced men. They all looked outward, swords drawn.Surrounding them, was the mob.The seething body of humanity was all around them. They totally filled the square; men, women, children. The old and the

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.The streets had been quiet as we’d passed, oddly subdued. The few people we saw had quickly ducked out of our way, though we were in our tunicae and sandals.Kostas’ place, I was happy to see, was lively. Drunken soldiers weren’t spilling out of the place, but there was enough of a crowd that we had to push our way past a few people. I led Helena to the back, where crusty old Kostas scowled from behind his bar.“Kostas,” I said, leaning against the bar. “I promised this Rhodian lady some pitaroudia. Are you going to disappoint her?”“Rhodian?” He said, suddenly a lot less grouchy looking.“From Lindos,” Helena said.We chatted for a bit, swapping the latest bit of island news that we had while Kostas poured us a couple of flagons of dark wine. The food would be ready in a few minutes, he told us.“She’s paying,” I said, when I spotted Kostas’ young son.The kid was coming back with an empty drink tray. I hooked him by the arm, leading him away. I put a silver coin in his hand, promising him another if he’d fetch something for me.Helena looked at me curiously, but I kept my mouth shut against her silent question.“Centenarius!” I heard a voice call. “Leontius!”I turned, already feeling a grin stretching my features. At a nearby table, five men were waving towards me. They wore happy smiles, their cheeks rosy with wine.“Sergius! You old bastard! What the hell are you doing here?”Sergius, a crusty old stratiotai with more scars on him than most had years, made a show of cupping one ear.“Can’t hear you so good, sir! Come here and whisper it to me.”The men at his table laughed. I did too, shaking my head.“Friends of yours?” Helena asked.“Men from my old cohort,” I said. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”Helena’s body tightened. I saw that same expression flash across her features. Resignation? Consternation? I wasn’t sure. Even here, away from the dark street, I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d seen. It was gone too fast.“Sure,” she said, stepping forward and forcing me to move after her.The men rose to meet me, and I greeted each with a rough embrace and a few rougher words. Sergius, Gratian, Suda, Maurice and Niketas; as good a squad of stratiotai that had ever served in Justinian’s legions.“Boys, this is Helena,” I said as we sat in the chairs pulled over for us. “My shield mate. She guards the Empress with me.”Sergius blinked. Maurice choked on his wine while Suda and Niketas glanced at each other in disbelief. Helena, however, seemed to loosen. Her gaze flicked to me, and I saw the faint crinkle of something disappear from the corners of her eyes.Gratian, horse’s ass that he was, guffawed.“Come on, Centenarius,” he said. He was seated on Helena’s other side, and took the opportunity to drape one arm around her shoulders. “You can’t expect us to believe that sweet little thing fights beside you?”Whatever else I could say about Gratian, and there was a lot, I couldn’t fault his eye.Helena was in her tunica, cut in the same simple, utilitarian shape as my own. It was loose, ending just above her knees and doing nothing to accentuate the feminine curves of her body. However, unlike the wrinkled, slightly stained pale gray of my tunica, hers had been dyed a deep green.It was near to the cypress of her eyes. It made them appear brighter, and more vivid than I’d ever seen them. The green brought out the copper of her hair, deepening it and adding layers to those tumbling waves.She was beautiful; the field of grass after rain.“You think I’m sweet?” Helena said, lips curling into a small smile.“Sweet enough to eat,” he said. His eyes roved up and down her body. “How much?”Helena stayed relaxed. That small smile never left her lips.“I’m good, too.” Gratian insisted. “You’ll see. My phallus’s so good that you should be the one paying me!”He snickered through his leering grin. I shook my head when Sergius opened his mouth to interfere. Although I needn’t have. Because, an instant later, Helena’s fist crunched into Gratian’s throat.He gagged, falling backwards, his chair crashing to the ground. The tavern fell silent, all eyes on Helena as she slowly stood. Helena’s eyes swept the room. There was a heartbeat of silence, and then two. Her lip suddenly quirked.“Nobody touches before they pay.”The room exploded with laughter, covering the sound of Gratian’s moaning. Helena sat back down, while I moved to help the man pick himself off the floor.“I’ll kill her,” he choked. “I’ll fucking kill that bitch.”“Shut up,” I said, loud enough for the others to hear. “She’d gut you like a fish. And I’d cut off whatever bits my shield mate left of you.”I pulled him up, and made a show of checking him over. I hissed into his ear. “You stupid bastard. Helena’s the Empress’ personal guard. Do you want your head to the decorate palace walls?”Gratian’s face blanched. He started to stammer something but I pushed him away. “I told you to shut the fuck up. Go get us some more wine.”“Whatever Kostas hasn’t pissed in for me,” Helena called.Sergius grin was wide. “Good punch, that. It's the only way to get him to shut his hole.”“Aye,” Niketas said, draining his cup. He burped. “Finally, some fucking peace.”“Centenarius,” Maurice said, leaning forward. “No offense to your lady, but a shield mate? Are you sure about this?”“This lady,” Helena said. “Can speak for herself. Look me in the eyes and tell me what you mean.”Maurice complied. “You’re a woman. You’re real pretty, I’ll give you that, but you don’t know what this means.”“I don’t need a phallus to piss standing up. Why would I need one to hold up a shield?”Maurice smirked. “Cute. But it's more than that, it's,”"Wait, you can piss standing up?” Gratian interrupted, returning with two clay pitchers of wine. “Seriously?”The others groaned.“That wasn’t the point, Grat,” Suda said. “Although, now I am a bit curious,”"It's easy,” Helena said, throwing him a wink. “And I guarantee that I can piss better than Grat fucks.”Laughter rolled around the table. Even Gratian snickered, though heat crawled up his face. He started pouring the wine, filling Helena’s cup and then mine.“So, what the hell are you talking about, then?”“If she can really be Leo’s shield mate,” Maurice said. “If she can fight.”“She knows what it means, Maur,” I said. “She’s good, too. Fast. And she’s got some sense, unlike you thick-headed bastards.”“Good enough for me,” Sergius said. “What do you say boys, we gonna keep her around?”“Let's drink!” Niketas said, grabbing his cup.Sergius banged the table, hoisting his own cup into the air. “To Helena!”“Helena!” We roared, slamming our empty cups down a few moments later.Helena joined in, her smile wide and her cheeks flushed a happy red. Our pitaroudia arrived, and we fell to bickering over the platter of fried balls. They were delicious; tomato, onion and bits of a leafy herb mixed into a patty of ground chickpea.These were rough men that lived rough lives. They were soldiers; killers that earned their coin in the grinding crush of the shield wall. They respected a foul mouth, a hard fist and loyalty to one’s brothers.They were stratiotai.And when Helena clacked her cup with a still sheepish looking Gratian; I saw them start to think of her as one too.“Leo never told me that he was a Centenarius,” Helena eventually said.I snorted. “That’s because I’m not. These idiots just call me that.”“The crest on the helmet don’t make the Centenarius,” Suda drawled. “Ain’t that right, Serg?”“You’re damned right about that, lad,” the older man replied. “Some wise words there.”I rolled my eyes, the rest of the boys snickering into their cups. Sergius liked to share whatever kernels of wisdom popped into his head. We’d all heard this particular one a hundred times already.“We call him that because of Callinicum,” Sergius continued, answering Helena’s question.“Ah,” she said. “You were all there?”Sergius nodded, “and my bones would be decorating some Persian’s trophy shelf if it wasn’t for the Centenarius here. All of ours would.”The mood sobered, each of us remembering. I looked down to my hands; seeing the flecks of old, old blood beneath my fingernails. The ones I could never seem to clean.“Was it bad?” Helena asked.“Aye,” Sergius answered. “The old Centenarius was a right stupid prick. He got himself killed in the first charge of the Sassanid horsemen. Leontius here took over after that. Things were real shaky for a bit, but he kept us from scattering and being cut to pieces. And when the general decided he’d had enough of watching us die, Leo got us retreating.”Nobody spoke for a while, memories holding us. Some of us put wine to our lips. I just stared out at nothing with unfocused eyes. The mood remained dark until Gratian, bless his fool soul, blurted out;“Fuck, but Centenarius Demetrius was a prick.”That brought out a few chuckles. Niketas let out another burp, and Maurice swatted the back of his head. Most of us felt lighter after that. It didn’t do any good to dwell on the past. The things we’d done, the friends we’d lost, It wasn’t good to remember. Stratiotai had to live for the moment.Maybe that was why I’d always been such a terrible soldier.Midnight guard duty.It was approaching midnight when Sergius hauled himself to his feet. He blinked bleary eyes, motioning to the others.“Right boys, we’ve got patrol in the morning. Let’s get moving.”The men swallowed their last mouthfuls of wine, said their goodbyes and stumbled away with various levels of coordination.Sergius watched them go with a shake of his head. He riffled through a pouch at his side for a moment before turning back to me.“I’ve got something for you here, Centenarius. It got to the barracks a week or so ago.”He held a folded envelope out towards me. It had my name on it, written out in my mother’s blocky hand. I snatched it from him, quickly stuffing it away and out of sight. I didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to ruin this night.“It was good to see you, Leo,” Sergius said. He pulled me to my feet, and pounded my back in a rough embrace. “Don’t forget about us rankers while you’re dining with nobles.”“Take care of yourself, Serg,” I said, returning his embrace. “And, thank you.”“We’re on garrison duty,” the old soldier grinned. “What’s going to happen in the capital?”Sergius surprised Helena by pulling her into a hug next. “Keep your shield tight to his. Our Centenarius always seems to be around when shit is the deepest.”“I’ll keep him the sword from his back,” Helena said. “Though, it might loosen him up a bit.”The older man laughed. “It was good to meet you, lass. And remember, you’ve got a brother in old Sergius.” With a last little wave, he ambled out and into the deepening night.“You were right,” Helena said, settling back. She popped the last of the pitaroudia in her mouth. “This is a great place.”“Even with Grat here?” I asked with a smile.“Even still,” she said, her lips curling upward. She put her elbow on the table, leaning her heads against her palm. “I’m happy that you introduced me to your friends. I didn’t think it would be this, nice.”“It was,” I said. I shifted in my seat, wanting to move my chair closer to her. But the movement jostled the letter in my pocket. Suddenly, my mother’s words weighed more than a boulder. I shifted again, an awkward jerk of my body that accomplished nothing.Helena’s smile softened. She took pity on me, scooting over until her leg pressed against mine. I let out a breath, leaning back in my chair. We sat in silence for a while. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth, and the quiet murmur of the few remaining patrons.“This was always my favorite part,” I said, after a while. I opened my eyes to find Helena watching me, waiting for me to continue.“A place like this,” I said. “With the others; once the campaigns done. It’s,”I trailed off, trying to order my thoughts. How could I explain this to someone who’d never been to war? How did I tell her of the constant tension; of the anxious expectation that came with knowing that somewhere, beyond the light of your campfire, someone wanted you dead.Kill or be killed; there was none of that here. I could drink with my friends, without wondering which of them I would lose. Or what I would have to do.It was just; "different,” I finished.Helena didn’t laugh. She didn’t smile or tease. She just watched me with eyes that took in so much of me. I caught a glimpse of it; the edge that wondrous vastness behind her cypress gaze. She leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder and letting out a long breath.“Different,” she said. “I like that.”My eyes suddenly prickled. I blinked furiously, trying to clear the wetness seeping into them. I turned, leaning my chin against her hair; breathing in the scent of her. I shifted my arm to pull her closer, my mother’s letter forgotten.“Leo,” she said. “What would you do if you weren’t a soldier?”“I, I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve always been a soldier.”“But could you do it for ten more years?”“What else would I do? My father was stratiotai, and his father and his father. I don’t know anything else.”Helena shifted against my shoulder, her hair tickling my neck.“What was your plan once you retired?”I bobbed my shoulders in a small shrug, careful not to disturb her. “Go back to Rhodos. My mother is a seamstress. I’d help her run the shop.”“And marry a ‘good’ woman?” She said, her tone edged with mocking.I didn’t answer, though I tightened my grip on Helena. For a heartbeat, her body was stiff. Then, she let out another long breath, relaxing against me.“What about something like this?” She asked, gesturing around us. “A tavern.”“Running a Winehouse?”She pushed off of me, suddenly more animated. “Why not? You could open a soldier’s tavern on Rhodos; make a place for old stratiotai.”“A peaceful place,” I murmured.“Exactly!” She grinned. “It's a good idea, right?”“I’d have to learn how to make pitaroudia,” I said, feeling a smile tug at my lips.“I’m sure Kostas will give you his recipe.”I laughed. “I’m a solider, Helena, not a cook. I think I even burned water once.”“You are a soldier,” she said. Her eyes held mine. “But you can be something else.”I looked away, swallowing.“You’ll think about it?”“Sure,” I forced some lightness into my tone. “But only if you promise that you’d go out and catch fish for me every day.”Helena stiffened, her face suddenly bright red. Not the reaction I’d been expecting. Her eyes flicked over my face, searching. “You don’t think I’d be better as the cook? Or serving drinks?”“No,” I said, not having to force my smile. “You belong on the sea, right?”Her eyes were so wide. I felt my heart start to beat faster. That vastness, it was there, rising to the edge of her; on the verge of breaking through.“Leo,” she murmured. “I,”She was interrupted by the thump of a pouch onto our table. I looked over to find Kostas’ son standing by our table. The kid looked exhausted, but triumphant."You found what I asked for, then?” I said.He nodded, holding out a grubby hand.“Good man,” I grinned, flipping him a silver coin. He disappeared without another word. I quickly disengaged myself from Helena to put the lumpy, medium sized pouch away.“It's a surprise,” I told her. “For later.”She arched an eyebrow, but didn’t press me. She downed her last mouthful of wine, letting out a happy sigh. “We have to come back here.”I nodded, bringing my own wine to my lips.“It's nice to see that you can relax without my cunny in your mouth.”I choked, spraying out a mouthful of wine. Helena laughed, that deep, joy-filled sound. She pounded my back as I coughed myself hoarse. My face blazed, and I felt the eyes of everyone turn towards me.“Leo,” she said. “You’re defenseless.”I coughed, glaring at her through watery eyes.“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get back to the palace.”We walked out into the night, breathing in the city’s quiet. Although, it did not last long. We were but a handful of blocks from the Winehouse, when, out of the dark, we saw the fire.And heard the baying of the mob.A past shared with the Empress.The baying of the mob. The glow of fire.After a few moments of debate, Helena and I decided to move towards it. There were no screams of pain, no real sounds of violence coming from the streets ahead. We would see what there was, we decided, before returning to the Empress.We came into a square; one with a small, torch-lit church planted solidly at the northern end. A few squads of armored stratiotai, perhaps forty men, stood before the single door. They were imperial legionaries, though I did not recognize any of the grim-faced men. They all looked outward, swords drawn.Surrounding them, was the mob.The seething body of humanity was all around them. They totally filled the square; men, women, children. The old and the

Based on the work of Robyn Bee, In 7 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.The streets had been quiet as we’d passed, oddly subdued. The few people we saw had quickly ducked out of our way, though we were in our tunicae and sandals.Kostas’ place, I was happy to see, was lively. Drunken soldiers weren’t spilling out of the place, but there was enough of a crowd that we had to push our way past a few people. I led Helena to the back, where crusty old Kostas scowled from behind his bar.“Kostas,” I said, leaning against the bar. “I promised this Rhodian lady some pitaroudia. Are you going to disappoint her?”“Rhodian?” He said, suddenly a lot less grouchy looking.“From Lindos,” Helena said.We chatted for a bit, swapping the latest bit of island news that we had while Kostas poured us a couple of flagons of dark wine. The food would be ready in a few minutes, he told us.“She’s paying,” I said, when I spotted Kostas’ young son.The kid was coming back with an empty drink tray. I hooked him by the arm, leading him away. I put a silver coin in his hand, promising him another if he’d fetch something for me.Helena looked at me curiously, but I kept my mouth shut against her silent question.“Centenarius!” I heard a voice call. “Leontius!”I turned, already feeling a grin stretching my features. At a nearby table, five men were waving towards me. They wore happy smiles, their cheeks rosy with wine.“Sergius! You old bastard! What the hell are you doing here?”Sergius, a crusty old stratiotai with more scars on him than most had years, made a show of cupping one ear.“Can’t hear you so good, sir! Come here and whisper it to me.”The men at his table laughed. I did too, shaking my head.“Friends of yours?” Helena asked.“Men from my old cohort,” I said. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”Helena’s body tightened. I saw that same expression flash across her features. Resignation? Consternation? I wasn’t sure. Even here, away from the dark street, I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d seen. It was gone too fast.“Sure,” she said, stepping forward and forcing me to move after her.The men rose to meet me, and I greeted each with a rough embrace and a few rougher words. Sergius, Gratian, Suda, Maurice and Niketas; as good a squad of stratiotai that had ever served in Justinian’s legions.“Boys, this is Helena,” I said as we sat in the chairs pulled over for us. “My shield mate. She guards the Empress with me.”Sergius blinked. Maurice choked on his wine while Suda and Niketas glanced at each other in disbelief. Helena, however, seemed to loosen. Her gaze flicked to me, and I saw the faint crinkle of something disappear from the corners of her eyes.Gratian, horse’s ass that he was, guffawed.“Come on, Centenarius,” he said. He was seated on Helena’s other side, and took the opportunity to drape one arm around her shoulders. “You can’t expect us to believe that sweet little thing fights beside you?”Whatever else I could say about Gratian, and there was a lot, I couldn’t fault his eye.Helena was in her tunica, cut in the same simple, utilitarian shape as my own. It was loose, ending just above her knees and doing nothing to accentuate the feminine curves of her body. However, unlike the wrinkled, slightly stained pale gray of my tunica, hers had been dyed a deep green.It was near to the cypress of her eyes. It made them appear brighter, and more vivid than I’d ever seen them. The green brought out the copper of her hair, deepening it and adding layers to those tumbling waves.She was beautiful; the field of grass after rain.“You think I’m sweet?” Helena said, lips curling into a small smile.“Sweet enough to eat,” he said. His eyes roved up and down her body. “How much?”Helena stayed relaxed. That small smile never left her lips.“I’m good, too.” Gratian insisted. “You’ll see. My phallus’s so good that you should be the one paying me!”He snickered through his leering grin. I shook my head when Sergius opened his mouth to interfere. Although I needn’t have. Because, an instant later, Helena’s fist crunched into Gratian’s throat.He gagged, falling backwards, his chair crashing to the ground. The tavern fell silent, all eyes on Helena as she slowly stood. Helena’s eyes swept the room. There was a heartbeat of silence, and then two. Her lip suddenly quirked.“Nobody touches before they pay.”The room exploded with laughter, covering the sound of Gratian’s moaning. Helena sat back down, while I moved to help the man pick himself off the floor.“I’ll kill her,” he choked. “I’ll fucking kill that bitch.”“Shut up,” I said, loud enough for the others to hear. “She’d gut you like a fish. And I’d cut off whatever bits my shield mate left of you.”I pulled him up, and made a show of checking him over. I hissed into his ear. “You stupid bastard. Helena’s the Empress’ personal guard. Do you want your head to the decorate palace walls?”Gratian’s face blanched. He started to stammer something but I pushed him away. “I told you to shut the fuck up. Go get us some more wine.”“Whatever Kostas hasn’t pissed in for me,” Helena called.Sergius grin was wide. “Good punch, that. It's the only way to get him to shut his hole.”“Aye,” Niketas said, draining his cup. He burped. “Finally, some fucking peace.”“Centenarius,” Maurice said, leaning forward. “No offense to your lady, but a shield mate? Are you sure about this?”“This lady,” Helena said. “Can speak for herself. Look me in the eyes and tell me what you mean.”Maurice complied. “You’re a woman. You’re real pretty, I’ll give you that, but you don’t know what this means.”“I don’t need a phallus to piss standing up. Why would I need one to hold up a shield?”Maurice smirked. “Cute. But it's more than that, it's,”"Wait, you can piss standing up?” Gratian interrupted, returning with two clay pitchers of wine. “Seriously?”The others groaned.“That wasn’t the point, Grat,” Suda said. “Although, now I am a bit curious,”"It's easy,” Helena said, throwing him a wink. “And I guarantee that I can piss better than Grat fucks.”Laughter rolled around the table. Even Gratian snickered, though heat crawled up his face. He started pouring the wine, filling Helena’s cup and then mine.“So, what the hell are you talking about, then?”“If she can really be Leo’s shield mate,” Maurice said. “If she can fight.”“She knows what it means, Maur,” I said. “She’s good, too. Fast. And she’s got some sense, unlike you thick-headed bastards.”“Good enough for me,” Sergius said. “What do you say boys, we gonna keep her around?”“Let's drink!” Niketas said, grabbing his cup.Sergius banged the table, hoisting his own cup into the air. “To Helena!”“Helena!” We roared, slamming our empty cups down a few moments later.Helena joined in, her smile wide and her cheeks flushed a happy red. Our pitaroudia arrived, and we fell to bickering over the platter of fried balls. They were delicious; tomato, onion and bits of a leafy herb mixed into a patty of ground chickpea.These were rough men that lived rough lives. They were soldiers; killers that earned their coin in the grinding crush of the shield wall. They respected a foul mouth, a hard fist and loyalty to one’s brothers.They were stratiotai.And when Helena clacked her cup with a still sheepish looking Gratian; I saw them start to think of her as one too.“Leo never told me that he was a Centenarius,” Helena eventually said.I snorted. “That’s because I’m not. These idiots just call me that.”“The crest on the helmet don’t make the Centenarius,” Suda drawled. “Ain’t that right, Serg?”“You’re damned right about that, lad,” the older man replied. “Some wise words there.”I rolled my eyes, the rest of the boys snickering into their cups. Sergius liked to share whatever kernels of wisdom popped into his head. We’d all heard this particular one a hundred times already.“We call him that because of Callinicum,” Sergius continued, answering Helena’s question.“Ah,” she said. “You were all there?”Sergius nodded, “and my bones would be decorating some Persian’s trophy shelf if it wasn’t for the Centenarius here. All of ours would.”The mood sobered, each of us remembering. I looked down to my hands; seeing the flecks of old, old blood beneath my fingernails. The ones I could never seem to clean.“Was it bad?” Helena asked.“Aye,” Sergius answered. “The old Centenarius was a right stupid prick. He got himself killed in the first charge of the Sassanid horsemen. Leontius here took over after that. Things were real shaky for a bit, but he kept us from scattering and being cut to pieces. And when the general decided he’d had enough of watching us die, Leo got us retreating.”Nobody spoke for a while, memories holding us. Some of us put wine to our lips. I just stared out at nothing with unfocused eyes. The mood remained dark until Gratian, bless his fool soul, blurted out;“Fuck, but Centenarius Demetrius was a prick.”That brought out a few chuckles. Niketas let out another burp, and Maurice swatted the back of his head. Most of us felt lighter after that. It didn’t do any good to dwell on the past. The things we’d done, the friends we’d lost, It wasn’t good to remember. Stratiotai had to live for the moment.Maybe that was why I’d always been such a terrible soldier.Midnight guard duty.It was approaching midnight when Sergius hauled himself to his feet. He blinked bleary eyes, motioning to the others.“Right boys, we’ve got patrol in the morning. Let’s get moving.”The men swallowed their last mouthfuls of wine, said their goodbyes and stumbled away with various levels of coordination.Sergius watched them go with a shake of his head. He riffled through a pouch at his side for a moment before turning back to me.“I’ve got something for you here, Centenarius. It got to the barracks a week or so ago.”He held a folded envelope out towards me. It had my name on it, written out in my mother’s blocky hand. I snatched it from him, quickly stuffing it away and out of sight. I didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to ruin this night.“It was good to see you, Leo,” Sergius said. He pulled me to my feet, and pounded my back in a rough embrace. “Don’t forget about us rankers while you’re dining with nobles.”“Take care of yourself, Serg,” I said, returning his embrace. “And, thank you.”“We’re on garrison duty,” the old soldier grinned. “What’s going to happen in the capital?”Sergius surprised Helena by pulling her into a hug next. “Keep your shield tight to his. Our Centenarius always seems to be around when shit is the deepest.”“I’ll keep him the sword from his back,” Helena said. “Though, it might loosen him up a bit.”The older man laughed. “It was good to meet you, lass. And remember, you’ve got a brother in old Sergius.” With a last little wave, he ambled out and into the deepening night.“You were right,” Helena said, settling back. She popped the last of the pitaroudia in her mouth. “This is a great place.”“Even with Grat here?” I asked with a smile.“Even still,” she said, her lips curling upward. She put her elbow on the table, leaning her heads against her palm. “I’m happy that you introduced me to your friends. I didn’t think it would be this, nice.”“It was,” I said. I shifted in my seat, wanting to move my chair closer to her. But the movement jostled the letter in my pocket. Suddenly, my mother’s words weighed more than a boulder. I shifted again, an awkward jerk of my body that accomplished nothing.Helena’s smile softened. She took pity on me, scooting over until her leg pressed against mine. I let out a breath, leaning back in my chair. We sat in silence for a while. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth, and the quiet murmur of the few remaining patrons.“This was always my favorite part,” I said, after a while. I opened my eyes to find Helena watching me, waiting for me to continue.“A place like this,” I said. “With the others; once the campaigns done. It’s,”I trailed off, trying to order my thoughts. How could I explain this to someone who’d never been to war? How did I tell her of the constant tension; of the anxious expectation that came with knowing that somewhere, beyond the light of your campfire, someone wanted you dead.Kill or be killed; there was none of that here. I could drink with my friends, without wondering which of them I would lose. Or what I would have to do.It was just; "different,” I finished.Helena didn’t laugh. She didn’t smile or tease. She just watched me with eyes that took in so much of me. I caught a glimpse of it; the edge that wondrous vastness behind her cypress gaze. She leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder and letting out a long breath.“Different,” she said. “I like that.”My eyes suddenly prickled. I blinked furiously, trying to clear the wetness seeping into them. I turned, leaning my chin against her hair; breathing in the scent of her. I shifted my arm to pull her closer, my mother’s letter forgotten.“Leo,” she said. “What would you do if you weren’t a soldier?”“I, I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve always been a soldier.”“But could you do it for ten more years?”“What else would I do? My father was stratiotai, and his father and his father. I don’t know anything else.”Helena shifted against my shoulder, her hair tickling my neck.“What was your plan once you retired?”I bobbed my shoulders in a small shrug, careful not to disturb her. “Go back to Rhodos. My mother is a seamstress. I’d help her run the shop.”“And marry a ‘good’ woman?” She said, her tone edged with mocking.I didn’t answer, though I tightened my grip on Helena. For a heartbeat, her body was stiff. Then, she let out another long breath, relaxing against me.“What about something like this?” She asked, gesturing around us. “A tavern.”“Running a Winehouse?”She pushed off of me, suddenly more animated. “Why not? You could open a soldier’s tavern on Rhodos; make a place for old stratiotai.”“A peaceful place,” I murmured.“Exactly!” She grinned. “It's a good idea, right?”“I’d have to learn how to make pitaroudia,” I said, feeling a smile tug at my lips.“I’m sure Kostas will give you his recipe.”I laughed. “I’m a solider, Helena, not a cook. I think I even burned water once.”“You are a soldier,” she said. Her eyes held mine. “But you can be something else.”I looked away, swallowing.“You’ll think about it?”“Sure,” I forced some lightness into my tone. “But only if you promise that you’d go out and catch fish for me every day.”Helena stiffened, her face suddenly bright red. Not the reaction I’d been expecting. Her eyes flicked over my face, searching. “You don’t think I’d be better as the cook? Or serving drinks?”“No,” I said, not having to force my smile. “You belong on the sea, right?”Her eyes were so wide. I felt my heart start to beat faster. That vastness, it was there, rising to the edge of her; on the verge of breaking through.“Leo,” she murmured. “I,”She was interrupted by the thump of a pouch onto our table. I looked over to find Kostas’ son standing by our table. The kid looked exhausted, but triumphant."You found what I asked for, then?” I said.He nodded, holding out a grubby hand.“Good man,” I grinned, flipping him a silver coin. He disappeared without another word. I quickly disengaged myself from Helena to put the lumpy, medium sized pouch away.“It's a surprise,” I told her. “For later.”She arched an eyebrow, but didn’t press me. She downed her last mouthful of wine, letting out a happy sigh. “We have to come back here.”I nodded, bringing my own wine to my lips.“It's nice to see that you can relax without my cunny in your mouth.”I choked, spraying out a mouthful of wine. Helena laughed, that deep, joy-filled sound. She pounded my back as I coughed myself hoarse. My face blazed, and I felt the eyes of everyone turn towards me.“Leo,” she said. “You’re defenseless.”I coughed, glaring at her through watery eyes.“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get back to the palace.”We walked out into the night, breathing in the city’s quiet. Although, it did not last long. We were but a handful of blocks from the Winehouse, when, out of the dark, we saw the fire.And heard the baying of the mob.A past shared with the Empress.The baying of the mob. The glow of fire.After a few moments of debate, Helena and I decided to move towards it. There were no screams of pain, no real sounds of violence coming from the streets ahead. We would see what there was, we decided, before returning to the Empress.We came into a square; one with a small, torch-lit church planted solidly at the northern end. A few squads of armored stratiotai, perhaps forty men, stood before the single door. They were imperial legionaries, though I did not recognize any of the grim-faced men. They all looked outward, swords drawn.Surrounding them, was the mob.The seething body of humanity was all around them. They totally filled the square; men, women, children. The old and the

    David Reddish is the award-winning writer behind the novels The Passion of Sergius & Bacchus and the Sex, Drugs & Superheroes series. He's also a noted entertainment journalist, having written for such publications as Wealth of Geeks, MovieWeb, ScreenRant, Queerty, and Playboy. Reddish holds his degree in film studies from the University of Central Florida, and resides in Studio City, CA.   On today's episode I spend time with David Reddish, the award-winning writer behind the novels, The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus and the Sex, Drugs & Superheroes series. David's story is one of resilience and somewhat like a prophet because the road to publishing his latest novel took grit and determination as fought his own imposter syndrome. David was meant to write this story and it is one that needed to be told.   Connect with David The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus / BUY it here!   Instagram: @TheGayMagneto  

Matt Welch, explains to Simon, Jim, Tim, Matthew, Jonathan, Brian, and Paul the work of Sergius Bulgakov on sophiology and how this provides an opening for understanding world religions.  Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.

How was Paul's time as a missionary? Was there anyone that got in the way?

St. Herman, who traveled from his monastery in Valaam to share the gospel of Christ with the native Alaskans, established the light of Orthodoxy in the hearts of countless souls and forever changed North America. This reading shows forth some of his most inspiring and well-known teachings, vital for everyone, especially Americans. 0:00 Beginning 0:16 Apostolic Fervor 3:38 Protector of Orphans 5:06 Spiritual Power 8:44 Pride 10:15 Humility The text comes from the "Treasury of Spirituality" of St. Herman of Alaska, sections of which are found in various places online and originally published in The Orthodox Word. See selections here: https://orthochristian.com/38612.html -READ the Life of St. Herman: https://orthochristian.com/47984.html -BUY St. Herman's Life and Service text here: https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/product-p/shls.htm -BUY "Father Herman: Alaska's Saint" by F.A. Golder here: https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/Father-Herman-Alaska-s-Saint-p/fh.htm -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ Troparion to St. Herman: O venerable Herman, ascetic of the northern wilderness / and gracious advocate for all the world, / teacher of the Orthodox Faith and good, instructor of piety, / adornment of Alaska and joy of all America; // Entreat Christ God, that He save our souls. Photo: Chapel of Sts. Sergius & Herman of Valaam on Spruce Island, Alaska built over St. Herman's originally burial site. His relics now lie in Kodiak, Alaska. ______ St. Herman writes: In all my life here from my own Russians I have seen more of scorn and reproach and mockery, to which I have already become accustomed, and from such custom I think that in actual fact my lowliness is such. ______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message

Bat-Cousin Martin Gray flies over the Atlantic to join Paul and Shawn at this month's Reunion! He is rewarded with “odd” tales of Batman trapped in a watertight apartment, Robin visiting Germany, and Batgirl forgetting about her re-election campaign! Throw in Roy Raymond and The Odd Man, and you have quite a buffet!  Settle in for some mince pie and enjoy the stories and conversation! This month's Bat Family History links for Don Newton (also check out our Gallery for photos of Don dressed as Captain Marvel): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Newton http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/_main/features/creator.php?creatorid=523 https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Batman-Don-Newton-Various/dp/1401232949 https://www.lambiek.net/artists/n/newton_don.htm Have a question or comment? Looking for more great content?  Have a specific issue you love and want to talk to us about it? E-MAIL: batmanfamilyreunion@gmail.com Follow Batman Family Reunion on Twitter: @batfamreunion This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Visit the Fire & Water WEBSITE: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com Follow Fire & Water on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FWPodcasts Like our Fire & Water FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts

Bat-Cousin Martin Gray flies over the Atlantic to join Paul and Shawn at this month's Reunion! He is rewarded with “odd” tales of Batman trapped in a watertight apartment, Robin visiting Germany, and Batgirl forgetting about her re-election campaign! Throw in Roy Raymond and The Odd Man, and you have quite a buffet!  Settle in for some mince pie and enjoy the stories and conversation! This month's Bat Family History links for Don Newton (also check out our Gallery for photos of Don dressed as Captain Marvel): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Newton http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/_main/features/creator.php?creatorid=523 https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Batman-Don-Newton-Various/dp/1401232949 https://www.lambiek.net/artists/n/newton_don.htm Have a question or comment? Looking for more great content?  Have a specific issue you love and want to talk to us about it? E-MAIL: batmanfamilyreunion@gmail.com Follow Batman Family Reunion on Twitter: @batfamreunion This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Visit the Fire & Water WEBSITE: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com Follow Fire & Water on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FWPodcasts Like our Fire & Water FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Support The Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts

St. Herman, who traveled from his monastery in Valaam to share the gospel of Christ with the native Alaskans, established the light of Orthodoxy in the hearts of countless souls and forever changed North America. This reading shows forth some of his most inspiring and well-known teachings, vital for everyone, especially Americans 0:00 Beginning 0:13 The Way of a Christian 2:50 Love For God 6:19 The Providence of God 7:18 Spiritual Warfare The text comes from the "Treasury of Spirituality" of St. Herman of Alaska, sections of which are found in various places online and originally published in The Orthodox Word. See selections here: https://orthochristian.com/38612.html -READ the Life of St. Herman: https://orthochristian.com/47984.html -BUY St. Herman's Life and Service text here: https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/product-p/shls.htm -BUY "Father Herman: Alaska's Saint" by F.A. Golder here: https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/Father-Herman-Alaska-s-Saint-p/fh.htm -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ Troparion to St. Herman: O venerable Herman, ascetic of the northern wilderness / and gracious advocate for all the world, / teacher of the Orthodox Faith and good, instructor of piety, / adornment of Alaska and joy of all America; // Entreat Christ God, that He save our souls. Photo: Chapel of Sts. Sergius & Herman of Valaam on Spruce Island, Alaska built over St. Herman's originally burial site. His relics now lie in Kodiak, Alaska. ______ St. Herman writes: “A true Christian is made by faith and love toward Christ. Our sins do not in the least hider our Christianity, according to the word of the Saviour Himself. He deigned to say: not the righteous have I come to call, but sinners to salvation; there is more joy in heaven over one who repents than over ninety righteous ones. Likewise concerning the sinful woman who touched His feet, He deigned to say to the Pharisee Simon: to one who has love, a great debt is forgiven, but from one who has no love, even a small debt will be demanded. From these judgements a Christian should bring himself to hope and joy, and not in the least accept an inflicted despair. Here one needs the shield of faith.” "For our good, for our happiness," concluded the Elder [Herman], "at least let us make a promise to ourselves, that from this day, from this hour, from this minute we shall strive to love God above all, and fulfill His holy will!" ______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/orthodox-wisdom/message

Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus in Syria (October 7)Reference materials for this episode: Prologue of Ohrid ISBN: 9780971950504Translation of “The Passion of Ss Serge & Bacchus” by John Boswell: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/scotts/ftp/wpaf2mc/serge.htmlApolytikion for The Three Hierarchs, in Greek & English: https://www.bulletinbuilder.org/GOA-1535/current/20220130Oikos at Great Vespers for The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross: - http://ww1.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/liturgical_guides/sept_14_abbr.pdf - https://www.htrinityportland.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/7.-Liturgy-Theology-Incarnate.pdfScripture citations for this episode:1 Samuel (or 1 Kingdoms) 18:1-72 Samuel (or 2 Kingdoms) 1:23-27References to Saint Erastus - Acts 19:22- Romans 16:23- 2 Timothy 4:20John 13:21-25Ephesians 6:10-20This episode is a joint production of Paradosis Pavilion & Generative soundsAll music in this (& every) episode of The Christian Saints Podcast is a production of Generative SoundsParadosis Pavilion - https://youtube.com/@paradosispavilion9555Generative Sounds - https://generativesoundsjjm.bandcamp.comIconographic images used by kind permission of Nicholas Papas, who controls distribution rights of these imagesPrints of all of Nick's work can be found at Saint Demetrius Press - http://www.saintdemetriuspress.comDistribution rights of this episode & all music contained in it are controlled by Generative SoundsCopyright 2021 - 2023

The Bulgakov Booth is a four-part series of interviews on the Russian priest and theologian, Sergius Bulgakov (1871–1944). The interviews here will explore the many intellectual twists and turns in Bulgakov's biography as well as some key themes in his writings. Roberto J. De La Noval is Assistant Professor of Theology at Mount Saint Mary's University (Emmitsburg, MD). A systematic and historical theologian, his work covers figures such as Sergius Bulgakov and Bernard Lonergan, with a focus on Christian eschatology. He is also a translator of Russian religious thought. His most recent publications are Sergius Bulgakov, The Sophiology of Death (Cascade Books, 2021) and Sergius Bulgakov, Spiritual Diary (Angelico Press, 2022, with Mark Roosien). Fr. Mark Roosien is the pastor of Holy Ghost Orthodox Church in Bridgeport, CT, and Lecturer in Liturgical Studies at Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. He is a scholar and translator of Eastern Christian theology and liturgy. In addition to his translations of two books by Sergius Bulgakov—The Eucharistic Sacrifice (University of Notre Dame Press, 2021) and Spiritual Diary (Angelico Press, 2022, with Roberto De La Noval)—his monograph on liturgical and theological responses to natural disaster in Byzantium is forthcoming with Cambridge University Press.  PODCAST LINKS: Spiritual Diary: https://angelicopress.com/products/spiritual-diary?_pos=1&_sid=c7ba52dd8&_ss=r The Sophiology of Death: https://wipfandstock.com/9781532699658/the-sophiology-of-death/ The Eucharistic Sacrifice: https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268201418/the-eucharistic-sacrifice/ Rob's Twitter: https://twitter.com/roberto_noval?lang=en Rob's academia.edu page: https://nd.academia.edu/RobertoDeLaNoval Fr. Mark's academia.edu page: https://yale.academia.edu/MarkRoosien Hermitix podcast: https://hermitix.net/Home   CONNECT: Website: https://wipfandstock.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wipfandstock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wipfandstock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wipfandstock/ Hermitix podcast: https://hermitix.net/Home SOURCES MENTIONED: Bulgakov, Sergius. The Bride of the Lamb. ———. The Comforter. ———. The Eucharistic Sacrifice. ———. The Lamb of God. ———. Relices and Miracles: Two Theological Essays. ———. Sergii Bulgakov: Towards a Russian Political Theology (edited by Rowan Williams). ———. The Sophiology of Death: Essays on Eschatology: Personal, Political, Universal. ———. Spiritual Diary. Florensky, Pavel. The Pillar and Ground of the Truth: An Essay in Orthodox Theodicy in Twelve Letters. Marion, Jean-Luc. In Excess: Studies of Saturated Phenomena. Solovyov, Vladimir. Lectures on Divine Humanity. OUTLINE: (02:14) – Drip coffee, ice water, and orange salt electrolyte water (07:15) – Rob's roundtable: Bulgakov, Teilhard de Chardin, Balthasar, Simone Weil (11:42) – Fr. Mark's roundtable: Bulgakov, Balthasar, Ernst Bloch, Augustine (15:45) – Biography: son of a priest –> Marxist economist –> theologian and priest (27:35) – Personalism, the hyper-real, and Sophia (34:10) – The Bulgakov of Spiritual Diary (42:23) – Bulgakov the friend (of Florensky and Sr. Reitlinger) (52:29) – The story behind The Sophiology of Death (01:01:44) – Bulgakov's theology of death (01:11:44) – The Trinity and the eucharistic sacrifice (01:23:07) – Final thoughts

Morning Prayer for Monday, September 25, 2023 (Proper 20; Sergius, Monk and Reformer of the Church in Russia, 1392). Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter): Psalms 69:1-18 2 Chronicles 12 Hebrews 13 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to access the text for Morning Prayer at DailyOffice2019.com.⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyofficepodcast/support

Evening Prayer for Monday, September 25, 2023 (Proper 20; Sergius, Monk and Reformer of the Church in Russia, 1392). Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter): Psalm 69:19-38 Zechariah 5 Matthew 18:15-35 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to access the text for Morning Prayer at DailyOffice2019.com.⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyofficepodcast/support

'Our righteous Father Sergius was born in Rostov, north of Moscow, about the year 1314. Named Bartholomew in baptism, he was brought up in Radonezh, and at the death of his parents he withdrew to the wilderness to become a monk. It is notable that without having been trained in a monastery, he was of such a spiritual stature as to be able to take up the perilous eremitical life from the beginning, without falling into delusion or despondency. When he had endured with courage the deprivations of the solitary life, other monks began to come to him, for whom he was made abbot against his will. On the counsel of Philotheus, Patriarch of Constantinople, he organized his monks according to the cenobitic life, appointing duties to each. While Anthony and Theodosius of Kiev, and the other righteous Fathers before Sergius, had established their monasteries near to cities, Sergius was the leader and light of those who went far into the wilderness, and after his example the untrodden forests of northern Russia were settled by monks. When Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy was about to go to battle against the invading Tartars, he first sought the blessing of Saint Sergius, through whose prayers he was triumphant. Saint Sergius was adorned with the highest virtues of Christ-like humility and burning love for God and neighbor, and received the gift of working wonders, of casting out demons, and of discretion for leading souls to salvation. When he served the Divine Liturgy, an Angel served him visibly; he was also vouchsafed the visitation of the most holy Theotokos with the Apostles Peter and John. He was gathered to his Fathers on September 25, 1392. At the recovery of his holy relics on July 5th, 1422, his body and garments were found fragrant and incorrupt. His life was written by the monk Epiphanius, who knew him.' (Great Horologion)

'Our righteous Father Sergius was born in Rostov, north of Moscow, about the year 1314. Named Bartholomew in baptism, he was brought up in Radonezh, and at the death of his parents he withdrew to the wilderness to become a monk. It is notable that without having been trained in a monastery, he was of such a spiritual stature as to be able to take up the perilous eremitical life from the beginning, without falling into delusion or despondency. When he had endured with courage the deprivations of the solitary life, other monks began to come to him, for whom he was made abbot against his will. On the counsel of Philotheus, Patriarch of Constantinople, he organized his monks according to the cenobitic life, appointing duties to each. While Anthony and Theodosius of Kiev, and the other righteous Fathers before Sergius, had established their monasteries near to cities, Sergius was the leader and light of those who went far into the wilderness, and after his example the untrodden forests of northern Russia were settled by monks. When Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy was about to go to battle against the invading Tartars, he first sought the blessing of Saint Sergius, through whose prayers he was triumphant. Saint Sergius was adorned with the highest virtues of Christ-like humility and burning love for God and neighbor, and received the gift of working wonders, of casting out demons, and of discretion for leading souls to salvation. When he served the Divine Liturgy, an Angel served him visibly; he was also vouchsafed the visitation of the most holy Theotokos with the Apostles Peter and John. He was gathered to his Fathers on September 25, 1392. At the recovery of his holy relics on July 5th, 1422, his body and garments were found fragrant and incorrupt. His life was written by the monk Epiphanius, who knew him.' (Great Horologion)

The Bulgakov Booth is a four-part series of interviews on the Russian priest and theologian, Sergius Bulgakov (1871–1944). The interviews here will explore the many intellectual twists and turns in Bulgakov's biography as well as some key themes in his writings. Sarah Livick-Moses is currently writing a dissertation at Boston College on the doctrines of Trinity and creation in Sergii Bulgakov's major theological writings. She is a Managing Editor at the Journal of Religion and the Arts, serves on the Steering Committee for the Eastern Orthodox Studies Unit at the American Academy of Religion, and is a Graduate Fellow with the NU Research Initiative for the Study of Russian Philosophy and Religious Thought. PODCAST LINKS: Sarah's academia.edu page: https://bc.academia.edu/SarahLivickMoses Genealogies of Modernity: https://genealogiesofmodernity.org/   CONNECT: Website: https://wipfandstock.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wipfandstock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wipfandstock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wipfandstock/ SOURCES MENTIONED: Bulgakov, Sergius. The Bride of the Lamb. ———. The Comforter. ———. The Lamb of God. ———. Sophia: The Wisdom of God: An Outline of Sophiology. ———. The Sophiology of Death: Essays on Eschatology: Personal, Political, Universal. ———. Unfading Light: Contemplations and Speculations. Livick-Moses, Sarah. “Eschatological Resurrection and Historical Liberation.” Meerson, Michael A. The Trinity of Love in Modern Russian Theology. Newsome Martin, Jennifer. Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Critical Appropriation of Russian Religious Thought. ———. “The ‘Whence' and the ‘Whither' of Balthasar's Gendered Theology: Rehabilitating Kenosis for Feminist Theology.” Skobtsova, Mother Maria. Essential Writings. OUTLINE: (02:03) – Roundtable: Mechthild of Magdeburg, Hadewijch of Antwerp, Meister Eckhart (05:30) – Major themes: divine-humanity, eschatology, iconography, Sophia (08:02) – Bulgakovian (and Russian) Sophiology (15:35) – Countering (completing?) German Idealism (18:18) – Friends and influences: Florensky, Berdyaev (19:43) – Bulgakov's (and Maria Skobtsova's) “eschatological politicism” (24:57) – The two poles of eschatological politicism (26:35) – Spiritual participation in political systems (30:43) – A Bulgakovian assessment of Patriarch Kirill (34:25) – Bulgakov's ecclesial and political milieu (36:48) – Sophia in the church-world relation (39:47) – Gender difference in Bulgakov's theology (45:45) – Bulgakov's iconology in feminist perspective (50:46) – What's next for Sarah and where to find her

The Bulgakov Booth is a four-part series of interviews on the Russian priest and theologian, Sergius Bulgakov (1871–1944). The interviews here will explore the many intellectual twists and turns in Bulgakov's biography as well as some key themes in his writings. Jordan Daniel Wood earned his PhD in theology from Boston College in 2019 and published a book with University of Notre Dame Press entitled The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus Confessor (2022). He is also a stay-at-home father of four girls. PODCAST LINKS: Jordan's academia.edu page: https://bc.academia.edu/JordanWood Jordan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/JordanW41069857 CONNECT: Website: https://wipfandstock.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wipfandstock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wipfandstock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wipfandstock/ SOURCES MENTIONED: Bulgakov, Sergius. The Bride of the Lamb. ———. The Lamb of God. ———. Sergii Bulgakov: Towards a Russian Political Theology. ———. The Sophiology of Death: Essays on Eschatology: Personal, Political, Universal. ———. The Tragedy of Philosophy (Philosophy and Dogma). Daley, Brian E., SJ. God Visible: Patristic Christology Reconsidered. Dei Verbum: Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. de Lubac, Henri. The Religion of Teilhard de Chardin. John Paul II, Pope. Fides et ratio. Kant, Immanuel. Critique of Judgment. ———. Critique of Practical Reason. ———. Critique of Pure Reason. Kaplan, Grant. Faith and Reason through Christian History: A Theological Essay. Marcel, Gabriel. Creative Fidelity. Plato. Parmenides. Rahner, Karl. Faith in a Wintry Season: Conversations and Interviews with Karl Rahner in the Last Years of His Life.  ———. The Trinity. Slesinski, Robert F. The Theology of Sergius Bulgakov. Unitatis Redintegratio: Decree on Ecumenism. von Balthasar, Hans Urs. Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?: with “A Short Discourse on Hell.” ———. The Theology of Karl Barth. Wood, Jordan Daniel. “The Lively God of Sergius Bulgakov: Reflections on The Sophiology of Death.” OUTLINE: NEED TO ADJUST TIME STAMPS AFTER INTRO IS RECORDED (00:00) – Maximus Confessor, Friedrich Schelling, Sergius Bulgakov (06:31) – Roundtable: Bulgakov, Augustine, Aquinas, Hegel (10:56) – Incarnation as repair vs. Incarnation as disclosure (21:24) – Bulgakov: alive to God, alive to the world (30:00) – Key themes: antinomy and synthesis (37:50) – What the Western traditions can learn from Bulgakov (44:00) – The particularization of the universal (49:15) – Creative distance (from Europe) and creative fidelity (to the church) (57:30) – Bulgakov's ecumenism (01:00:13) – The Sophiology of Death (01:06:42) – Two approaches to Sophia (01:20:36) – The One and the Many (01:31:09) – The influence of German Idealism (01:33:48) – Bulgakov and universalism

We've made it to the Pornocracy! Ohhhh yeah.  In this salacious episode, we discuss antipopes on antipopes, the scandalous House of Tusculum, blinding, fourth marriages, and surgeon simulator.  Join us at Pope Jeopardy on Sunday July 23rd! 2PM PST, 5PM EST, 10PM BST https://www.youtube.com/@pontifactspod

Father Sergius

Hello Family, Welcome back! This is day 42 of our 54-Day Rosary Novena. The fifth Monday of LentFamily, If you have enjoyed our podcast, please consider becoming a monthly sponsor. Your sponsorship will help support our podcast year-round and will help us expand our mission to promote the Rosary.  If, at this moment, you cannot support our ministry with a monetary donation, please consider supporting us by leaving a rating or review on the Apple podcast. It takes a quick second to hit the little start icons on the apple podcast. The link is listed in the show notes. To make a donation, please visit 54daysofroses.com . We take PayPal: our email is prayers@54daysofroses.com, and we accept Venmo: our username is @Novena54daysofrosesThe link listed on the show notes. The link is also listed in the email.  Day 42 - Glorious Mysteries in ThanksgivingToday, we're praying the Glorious Mysteries in Thanksgiving. Blessed Mother, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, help us to live and celebrate, in our daily lives, Jesus in the Eucharist. Blessed Mother, we pray for self-examination, to look within, and see our need for God. We pray to accept God's love and know that we can be better people to love and to be happy.We pray for Mercy, forgiveness, and repentance.We pray to be compassionate and not judgmental.We pray for musicians, teachers, singers, studentsWe pray for those discerning religious vocations, those discerning marriage, spiritual guidance, improve our prayer life, mental health, inner peace, and maturity.We pray for healing and those with autism, hepatitis.We pray for those with drug and gambling addictions.Blessed Mother, we pray for our family's intentions here on the podcast, intentions received by email, Instagram, and YouTube. And we pray for the intentions of: Sergius, Liz, Bibiana, Fanny, Israel, Connie, Karen, Nicole, Margui, Richard, Lucia, Jenny, Bridget, Liz, Gerald, Ojochogwu, Alexandra, Siddharta, Jose,, Judith, Leander, Camille Anne, Mark Joseph, Benedict Joseph, Sandra, Enrique, Aida, Jim, Magaly, Patricia, Nicole, Irish, Ruth, Jillian, Brigitte, Antionette, Teddy, Victor, Fareeda, Rafael, Omar, Rafa, Julie, Patricia, Declan, Jimmy, Martin, Sandra, Linda, Eli, Ivy, Austin, Colton, Miller, Maverick, Mary, Robert J, Robert A, Natalee, Baby Miguel Angel, Christopher, Melanie, Olga, Gracie, Jesse, Ashley, Bridgette, Lenny, Cecilia, Rene, Elena, Katie, Norah, Rita, Ethan, Nabiryo, Tina, Juanita, and Glory. With Love,Maritza MendezLinktr.eehttps://linktr.ee/54daysofrosesSubmit your prayer requesthttps://www.54daysofroses.com/requestsRate and Reviewhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/54-days-of-roses-catholic-rosary-novena/id1528924905Support our Ministryhttps://www.54daysofroses.com/supportDonate via Venmohttps://account.venmo.com/u/Novena54DaysofRosesDonate via PayPalhttps://www.paypal.me/54DaysOfRoSupport the show

Hola familia, ¡Bienvenido de nuevo! Este es el día 42 de nuestra Novena del Rosario de 54 días. El quinto lunes de Cuaresma. Familia, si ha disfrutado de nuestro podcast, considere convertirse en un patrocinador mensual. Su patrocinio ayudará a respaldar nuestro podcast durante todo el año y la ayudará a expandir nuestra misión de promover el rosario. Si, en este momento, no puede apoyar nuestro ministerio con una donación monetaria, considere apoyarnos dejando una calificación o reseña en el podcast de Apple. Le toma un segundo rápido para presionar los pequeños íconos de estrellas  en el podcast de Apple. El enlace aparece en las notas del programa.Para hacer una donación, por favor visite  54daysofroses.com . Aceptamos PayPayl, nuestro correo es prayers@54daysofroses.com, y también aceptamos Venmo, nuestro usuario es @Novena54daysofroses . Día 42 - Misterios Gloriosos en Accion de graciasEmpecemos. Hoy rezamos los Misterios Gloriosos en Acción de gracias. Santísima Madre, Reina del Santísimo Rosario, ayúdanos a vivir y celebrar, en nuestra vida diaria, a Jesús en la Eucaristía. Santisina Madre, oramos por un autoexamen, para mirar dentro y ver nuestra necesidad de Dios. Oramos para aceptar el amor de Dios y saber que podemos ser mejores personas para amar y ser felices.Oramos por Misericordia, perdón y arrepentimiento.Oramos para ser compasivos y no críticos.Oramos por músicos, maestros, cantantes, estudiantesOramos por aquellos que disciernen vocaciones religiosas, aquellos que disciernan matrimonio, orientación espiritual, mejorar nuestra vida de oración, salud mental, paz interior y madurez.Oramos por la curación y por aquellos con autismo, hepatitis,Oramos por las personas con adicciones a las drogas y al juego.Santísima Madre, oramos por las intenciones de nuestra Familia aquí en el podcast, intenciones recibidas por correo electrónico, Instagram y YouTube.Y rezamos por las intenciones de: Sergius, Liz, Bibiana, Fanny, Israel, Connie, Karen, Nicole, Margui, Richard, Lucia, Jenny, Bridget, Liz, Gerald, Ojochogwu, Alexandra, Siddharta, Jose,, Judith, Leander, Camille Anne, Mark Joseph, Benedict Joseph, Sandra, Enrique, Aida, Jim, Magaly, Patricia, Nicole, Irish, Ruth, Jillian, Brigitte, Antionette, Teddy, Victor, Fareeda, Rafael, Omar, Rafa, Julie, Patricia, Declan, Jimmy, Martin, Sandra, Linda, Eli, Ivy, Austin, Colton, Miller, Maverick, Mary, Robert J, Robert A, Natalee, Bebé Miguel Angel, Christopher, Melanie, Olga, Gracie, Jesse, Ashley, Bridgette, Lenny, Cecilia, Rene, Elena, Katie, Norah, Rita, Ethan, Nabiryo, Tina, Juanita, y Glory.Con amor,Maritza MendezLinktr.eehttps://linktr.ee/54daysofrosesApoya nuestro Ministeriohttps://www.54daysofroses.com/supportDeja tu reseñahttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/54-days-of-roses-catholic-rosary-novena/id1528924905Venmohttps://account.venmo.com/u/Novena54DaysofRosesPayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/paypalme/54DaysOfRosSupport the show

Alaskan Young Gun Sergius Hannan has an impressive body of work at a young age. He runs the gamut from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the sea. Hear how this impressive up and comer captured multiple shots of a lifetime and made a splash on the global scene with a had to see it to believe it capture on video and still. !

Hola familia,¡Bienvenido de nuevo! Este es el día 34 de nuestra Novena del Rosario de 54 días. Cuarto domingo de Cuaresma.Familia, si nuestro podcast los está ayudando a crecer espiritualmente en esta temporada de Cuaresma. ¿Podría ayudarnos a pagarlo hacia la temporada 9? Nos encantaría publicar otra temporada tanto en inglés como en español.Si el Espíritu Santo lo lleva a apoyar nuestro ministerio, ayúdenos a pagarlo en nuestro sitio web en www.54daysofroses.com. También puede pagarlo en nuestra cuenta de Venmo @Novena54daysofroses.o Zelle: oraciones @54daysofroses.comEnvíame un correo electrónico; avíseme si estás interesado, y podemos programar un par de Rosarios a lo largo del día para adaptarnos a las diferentes zonas horarias.Día 34 - Misterios Gozosos en AgradecimientoEmpecemos. Hoy estamos rezando los Misterios Gozosos en Agradecimiento. Santísima Madre, Reina del Santísimo Rosario, ayúdanos a vivir y celebrar, en nuestra vida diaria, a Jesús en la Eucaristía.Santísima Madre, oramos para que Jesús nos sane espiritual y físicamente .Que oremos sin dudas internas para aceptar el milagro del Señor.Oramos para aceptar el milagro que el Señor nos da con humildad.Oramos por la familia, la unidad, la paz. Oramos por los estudiantes, por los que están en el Programa DACA. Oramos por aquellos con ansiedad y depresión, oramos por aquellos que intentan tener un hijo. Rogamos por el descanso del alma de los difuntos.Santísima Madre, oramos por las intenciones de nuestra Familia aquí en el podcast, intenciones recibidas por correo electrónico, Instagram y YouTube.Y rezamos por las intenciones de: Linda, Corinne, Sheron, Roberta, Genevieve, Constance, Elizabeth, Francis, Frances, Christopher, George, Adaobi, Kareena, Liz, Sofia, Jeanmarie, Patrick, Keila, Judy, Roberto, Rose, Cynthia, Mimi, Casey, Ryan, Melissa, Corey, Victor, Sergius, Amy, Eniye, Njoku, Clotilda, Francisco, Yesi, Victoria, Eliza, Ninette, Alma, Felix, Nicola, Coleen, Kitty, Charlotte, Blanca, Andrea, Samantha, y Shimmer.Con amor,Maritza Mendez.Linktr.eehttps://linktr.ee/54daysofrosesPágina webhttps://www.54daysofroses.com/Envía tu petición de oraciónhttps://www.54daysofroses.com/requestsSuscríbete a nuestro canal de YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@54daysofrosesApoya nuestro Ministeriohttps://www.54daysofroses.com/supportVenmohttps://account.venmo.com/u/Novena54DaysofRosesPayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/paypalme/54DaysOfRosesCreación de Contenido y Diseño Webhttps://lillywriteshere.com/Support the show

Hello Family,Welcome back! This is day 34 of our 54-Day Rosary Novena. Fourth Sunday of Lent.Family, if our podcast is helping you grow spiritually in this season of Lent. Will you please help us pay it forward toward season 9? We would love to publish another season in both English and Spanish. If the Holy Spirit leads you to support our ministry, please help us pay it forward on our website at www.54daysofroses.com. You can also pay it forward on our Venmo account @Novena54daysofroses or Zelle: prayers @54daysofroses.com Day 34 Joyful Mysteries in Thanksgiving: Let's start; today, we're praying about the Joyful Mysteries in Thanksgiving. Blessed Mother, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, help us to live and celebrate, in our daily lives, Jesus in the Eucharist. Blessed Mother, we pray for Jesus to heal us spiritually and physicallyMay we pray without inner doubt to accept the Lord's miracleWe pray to accept the miracle the Lord gives us with humility We pray for Family, unity, peaceWe pray for students, for those in the DACA programWe pray for those with anxiety and depression, We pray for those trying to have a child. We pray for the repose of the soul of those who has passed. Blessed Mother, we pray for our Family's intentions here on the podcast, intentions received by email, Instagram, and YouTube.And we pray for the intentions of: Linda, Corinne, Sheron, Roberta, Genevieve, Constance, Elizabeth, Francis, Frances, Christopher, George, Adaobi, Kareena, Liz, Sofia, Jeanmarie, Patrick, Keila, Judy, Roberto, Rose, Cynthia, Mimi, Casey, Ryan, Melissa, Corey, Victor, Sergius, Amy, Eniye, Njoku, Clotilda, Francisco, Yesi, Victoria, Eliza, Ninette, Alma, Felix, Nicola, Coleen, Kitty, Charlotte, Blanca, Andrea, Samantha, and Shimmer. With Love,Maritza MendezLinktr.eehttps://linktr.ee/54daysofrosesWebsite:https://www.54daysofroses.com/Submit your prayer requesthttps://www.54daysofroses.com/requestsSubscribe to our YouTube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@54daysofrosesDownload the Prayer Guidehttps://www.54daysofroses.com/how-to-praySupport our Ministryhttps://www.54daysofroses.com/supportDonate via Venmohttps://account.venmo.com/u/Novena54DaysofRosesDonate via PayPalhttps://www.paypal.me/54DaysOfRosesContent creator & Web designhttps://lillywriteshere.com/Support the show

My guest Sergius Hannan joins me to discuss upcoming winter wildlife in Alaska, standing out with post processing, and underwater wildlife photography.

Friday, 23 December 2022   Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Acts 13:12   In the previous verse, a dark mist fell on Elymas and he wasn't able to lead himself any longer. Now, it will explain the reaction to what occurred. The structure of the NKJV deviates too much from the structure of the Greek. It should more rightly read, “Then the proconsul having seen what had been done, did believe, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (CG).   Therefore, we begin with, “Then the proconsul.” This is Sergius Paulus, introduced in verse 13:7. He has been described as an intelligent man. Despite that, he had been led astray into the false doctrine of Elymas. Now that Elymas has been overwhelmed by the power of God, his intelligence can be properly directed. And so, the narrative continues with, “having seen what had been done.”   It is obvious that the differences in opinion about the proper ways of the Lord were argued right in the presence of Sergius Paulus. Hence, the blinding of Elymas demonstrated an immediate eyewitness event to the fact that Elymas was not at all what he claimed to be and that his doctrine was false.    Further, it was verifiable proof that the power of God was to be found in the message of the gospel. As such, he “did believe.”   The verb is a perfect participle meaning 1) it is a completed action and 2) its results continue to the present. His faith in the gospel had been settled and he was added to the faith, once and for all time. And this was in conjunction with his “being astonished.”    He had seen the verifiable proof of Paul's words with his own eyes and his heart was overwhelmed by it. The word translated as “astonished” is ekpléssó. It is a word signifying to strike out of one's senses. There is a sense of fear mixed with amazement in the word where one will gape in astonishment. And this astonishment was “at the teaching of the Lord.”   Ellicott notes that the use of the genitive case “is, probably, that of the object, the teaching which had the Lord, i.e., the Lord Jesus, as its main theme.” In other words, Paul was doing his job and he was teaching about the Lord Jesus, meaning the gospel. An obvious exclamation to that would be, “Duh, what else would he be doing!” This is what he was called to do.   Of this account, the Pulpit Commentary says, “We cannot, perhaps, conclude positively from this that Sergius was baptized and became an avowed Christian, though the usual language of the Acts rather leads us to infer it.” From there, they proceed to cite scholars who adamantly argue why he was not converted and cite some that take the opposing view.   The argument is ridiculous. First, it is rather certain based on the renaming of Saul to Paul at this time that the name change is based on the events now recorded. He was Saul and from this point on he is Paul. But more, to argue against the conversion of Sergius Paulus is to argue against the words of Paul in his epistles –   First, Paul's citing of the gospel: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures...” 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4   Next, he says what happens when that is believed: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”   Luke records that Sergius Paulus believed. He records it in the perfect tense. And this was “at the teaching of the Lord,” meaning the teaching about the Lord. To argue against the salvation of this man is as ridiculous as using beach sand as an additive to a bowl of ice cream. The purpose of the account is to demonstrate that the gospel was presented, it was presented with power, and the one hearing and seeing believed and was saved.   Life application: Sergius Paulus was given a visual demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit in silencing the opposition of Elymas. This should no longer be expected within the church. The reason for this is obvious. The word concerning what occurred has been recorded. Luke sufficiently explains how the early gospel was communicated and about the signs that accompanied it through the hands of the apostles.   Now that the apostolic age has ended, and with the completion of Scripture, there is no longer a need for such demonstrations of power. As Paul says elsewhere –   “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.'” Romans 1:16, 17   The word of God carries the power of what it records because it is a true, literal, and accurate account of what it details. It calls for faith in what it proclaims. Having sight, such as seeing what happened to Elymas, does not require faith. Jesus' words to Thomas show this –   “Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'” John 20:29   With Scripture's completion, we are asked to believe what it proclaims. The Spirit has inspired, accounts of Jesus' miracles as well as the miracles of the apostles. What more do we need? Nothing. What more should we expect? Nothing.   Have faith and believe.   Heavenly Father, thank You for Your precious word. Help us to be reliable in reading it, reliable in attending Bible studies that explain it, and reliable in attending church that glorifies You through the proclaiming of it. What we do reveals where our priorities lie. May our priorities be centered on Your word first and foremost because Your word tells us of Jesus! Amen.  

Morning Prayer for Sunday, September 25, 2022 (Proper 21; Sergius, Monk and Reformer of the Church in Russia, 1392). Psalm and Scripture readings (2-year lectionary; 60-day Psalter): Psalm 69:1-18 Zechariah 5 Matthew 18:15-35 Click here to access the text for Morning Prayer at DailyOffice2019.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dailyofficepodcast/support

'Our righteous Father Sergius was born in Rostov, north of Moscow, about the year 1314. Named Bartholomew in baptism, he was brought up in Radonezh, and at the death of his parents he withdrew to the wilderness to become a monk. It is notable that without having been trained in a monastery, he was of such a spiritual stature as to be able to take up the perilous eremitical life from the beginning, without falling into delusion or despondency. When he had endured with courage the deprivations of the solitary life, other monks began to come to him, for whom he was made abbot against his will. On the counsel of Philotheus, Patriarch of Constantinople, he organized his monks according to the cenobitic life, appointing duties to each. While Anthony and Theodosius of Kiev, and the other righteous Fathers before Sergius, had established their monasteries near to cities, Sergius was the leader and light of those who went far into the wilderness, and after his example the untrodden forests of northern Russia were settled by monks. When Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy was about to go to battle against the invading Tartars, he first sought the blessing of Saint Sergius, through whose prayers he was triumphant. Saint Sergius was adorned with the highest virtues of Christ-like humility and burning love for God and neighbor, and received the gift of working wonders, of casting out demons, and of discretion for leading souls to salvation. When he served the Divine Liturgy, an Angel served him visibly; he was also vouchsafed the visitation of the most holy Theotokos with the Apostles Peter and John. He was gathered to his Fathers on September 25, 1392. At the recovery of his holy relics on July 5th, 1422, his body and garments were found fragrant and incorrupt. His life was written by the monk Epiphanius, who knew him.' (Great Horologion)