Approaching The Wardrobe

Do we need external quiet to have internal quiet? Jeff shares wisdom from Elder Paisios on the subject.

Gospel insights reveal how we can prepare for Christ’s coming.

The Nativity season brings it all home.

"Huh?"

The seeming complexity of the Orthodox Church can cloud our remembrance of the Gospel.

What good is baptism if it’s just a symbol or a public statement?

The more truth we learn, the more we feel the deceptions in our midst, on every level. How can we deal with it all?

When we pray, are we trying to shut everything out or bring it in?

It’s tempting to skirt the real work of sanctification by treating Orthodoxy like it’s a magic potion.

This fast and feast is hard to understand until, like much of the Orthodox faith, it is followed and engaged.

In Orthodoxy we seem to always be faced with the account of someone’s death. Jeff ponders the question, “How come?”

What causes us to lose our faith? On retreat, Jeff discusses devotional life and the necessity of the Orthodox “prayer of the heart.”

Jeff reflects on the sublime beauty of how everyone in Orthodoxy is addressed by their first name.

Our social media habits can easily choke out our prayer life and meaningful interaction with people. Thoughts from Metropolitan Anthony Bloom remind us of our need to live from the inner life outward.

While navigating the cyber world, how much should we close “the doors, the doors” on the treasures of the ancient faith? What should we be sharing, and is “online orthodoxy” even possible? Throw “Orthodox Pug” a bone on Facebook.

Unbelief can lead us to solidify why we can trust the Apostolic Orthodox Church.

This discussion with a returning guest explores how the highly accessible spiritual life in Orthodoxy prevents boring liturgical repetition.

After tying up some loose ends from the previous episode, Jeff shares thoughts from Saint Anthony the Great identifying the spiritual battles going on in our souls in the Orthodox life.

The humble heart of Pope Francis and memories of John Paul II have Jeff contemplating good things in Catholicism, but also why there is a certain “heaviness” to it and why he became Eastern Orthodox instead.

Many have misconceptions about the Great Fast. Our ascetic efforts are simply meant to lead us to the blessed state that comes from having a softened heart toward God. Jeff shares thoughts from His Eminence Archbishop Joseph’s visit to his parish and the book The Lenten Spring.