Praying in the Rain

Fr. Michael shares important things to think about in the quest for a spiritual father or mother.

Fr. Michael talks about the changeability of our bodies in our endeavor to live in holiness. "We may be a mess, but we are God's mess, and He loves us."

Fr. Michael talks about the transition from fearing God to loving God.

Fr. Michael follows up last week's podcast ("Error to the Right") with a discussion about the warning to the Laodicean Christians to not be lukewarm (Revelation 3). "We are all sick, blind, naked, wretched, but it's only the lukewarm who don't think they are."

Fr. Michael talks about the sin of becoming "too righteous."

Fr. Michael shares an article by Abbess Victoria of St. Barbara's Monastery (Santa Paula, California) on ways to handle worries and distractions while praying.

Fr. Michael shares about his experience with the first ever Antiochian Orthodox youth camp in western Canada.

Fr. Michael answers the familiar question, "If God is real, why isn't it obvious to everyone?"

Fr. Michael shares a quote and reflections from Jim Forest's book, Living with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas Merton, "I find myself traveling to my destiny in the belly of a paradox."

Fr. Michael talks about getting beyond "scribbling down lists of mistakes" to "allowing your reflection on your sins to break your heart" in preparing for the sacrament of Confession.

Fr. Michael compares the weather of Canada's Pacific Coast to spiritual life.

Enjoying a spiritual mountain top? Walking in a spiritual valley? Fr. Michael talks about to even out the ups and downs of Christian life.

Fr. Michael reflects on a recent public-transit pilgrimage.

Fr. Michael shares about discernment. "We all have to begin where we are, with the limited ability and grace we have.... If we follow what we know, maybe God will reveal to us some of what we do not know."

Fr. Michael uses the examples of the Prodigal Son and the Wise Thief to talk about unity and freedom.

Fr. Michael shares an article about happiness he wrote for the Death to the World zine.

Fr. Michael shares his thoughts, and St. Isaac the Syrian's thoughts, about theosis.

Fr. Michael gives some answers to the age-old question of why life is hard.

Fr. Michael concludes his two-part series on discussing the comparison between vocations: marriage, monasticism, and singleness.

Fr. Michael begins a two-part series on discussing the comparison between vocations: marriage, monasticism, and singleness.

Fr. Michael uses the illustration of rock climbing to talk about fear and freedom.

Fr. Michael talks about charismatic Protestant Christianity.

Fr. Michael talks about how we take on responsibility for fixing others. "Peace does not come once we figure out how to heal our problems and the problems of those around us. That's backwards. Our problems and the problems of those around us will be healed as we acquire peace."

Fr. Michael talks about how our thoughts influence our lives. "This is success: to become by grace a God-filled human being, to become all that God has called us to be."

Fr. Michael addresses the passages in the gospels where Jesus instructs his disciples to buy swords, Peter's use of the sword, and our own response. "When you look at the Orthodox tradition, there is quite a mixed bag regarding violence and the use of weapons.... When we use force to oppose those who oppose us, when we end up fighting fire with fire, we destroy the ability of our enemy to hear. We...