This week Fr. Michael reflects on a passage from 1 Corinthians. He considers what it means to be scum of the earth, the world's refuse, and to be holy fools. He talks about what it means to be imitators of St. Paul, who in turn is aiming to be an imitator of Christ.

References:

1 Cor 4:9-16

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This week Mother Natalia reflects on a talk she recently gave at the Byzantine Young Adult convocation on the monastic heart of Mary. She specifically reflects on how Mary lived out the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She also gives examples of how these counsels can be lived out by priests, monastics, and lay people.

References:

Orientale Lumen by St. Pope John Paul II

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This week Mother Natalia uses a quote from Elder Porphyrios as a jumping off point to talk about relinquishing control that evil has over us and to allow God to work through us. She then talks about recognizing the truth and gently and compassionately proclaiming the truth to others.

References:

Wounded by Love by Elder Porphyrios

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This week Fr. Michael talks about a conversation he had with a pilot about the beauty of nature that is seen as the pilot flies the plane. Fr. Michael then connects the beauty of nature with seeing the True Light that is God.

References:

Theodochos

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Wounded by Love by Elder Porphyrios

Reflection on the We Have Seen the True Light prayer

A Simple Byzantine Breviary by Fr. Joel Barstad

Rejoice O Virgin Theotokos by Fr. Joel Barstad

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This week we're joined by special guests Jess Allen and Fr. Chris Seith. Jess talks about intentionally practicing liturgical living. She gives examples of what that looks like practically and how it could be different in your family life vs her family life.

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This week Mother Natalia gives some examples of how to go to confession, specifically in the Byzantine tradition. Fr. Michael outlines some practicalities from the priest's point of view and what you will hear the priest say in confession. Mother Natalia gives an example of what it might look like to go to confession when it's the parish confession time and so you don't have tons of time for interaction with the priest. The second example is when you go to confession in the context of spiritual direction, or retreat, or a scheduled confession where the priest has much more time to listen.

References:

Fr. Damien Ference on NPR

Life Hacks: Going to Confession

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This week Fr. Michael takes us through homilies he gave on Matthew 11 while on a recent retreat. He pulls out themes of childlikeness, reflecting on Jesus' teaching of aspects that are good and bad of being a child that we should and should not imitate.

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This week we're joined by special guests, Adam and Noelle Mering. They talk about their work counseling families and doing concert and bar ministries. They talk about how they learned to be intentional in the way they interact with their children as their children are in various points in their life. Adam and Noelle talk about their accidental and now intentional ministry they do at concerts and bars.

References:
Family Revival

Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology by Noelle Mering

No Contact: How a Seductive Ideology Broke Families and Friendships and How We Can Repair Them by Noelle Mering

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This week we're joined by special guests Nick and Lorena Towle, parishioners at Fr. Michael's outreach. Nick recently discerned a call to priesthood and they talk about their vocation story leading up to marriage and to priesthood.

References:
Aim Higher!: Spiritual and Marian Reflections of Maximilian Kolbe

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This week Mother Natalia shares a story of personal growth and also ways that she can improve. She connects that story to our daily need to persevere in holiness, recognizing that the times during the weeks after Pentecost are when the "real work" is done.

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This week Fr. Michael reflects on themes found in the scripture passages leading up to Pentecost. He talks about the meaning of fire and water, how they can both be destructive but cleansing. He talks about the need for community and diving in with reckless abandon.

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