Sacramental Living

Have you ever felt so bad about something you said or did, or something you continue to say and do, something you know is wrong but can’t seem to help yourself and you feel wracked with guilt? Do you judge yourself as a result? Join Michael as he uses examples from the Gospels and everyday life and discusses the difference between healthy guilt and lingering guilt, and the dangers of self-judgment...

One of the big challenges we face in today’s post-Christian era is the near complete erosion of seeing and understanding reality sacramentally. So how do we teach this reality to our young people who live in a society that rejects it? Focusing on the sacramental reality of sin, sickness and spiritual growth, Michael uses simple examples from everyday life and popular culture to offers strategies,...

In conjunction with the Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, Michael shares some thoughts about what we can teach our young people about the Cross and our personal transformation; the Cross and Understanding Christ as our doctor rather than our lawyer; and the Cross and the Commandments.

In Orthodoxy we often hear and read about the Uncreated Light of God. What is this Uncreated Light? Can we experience this Divine Light or is it something only Saints can experience? Join Michael as he explains certain Scriptures that illuminate our understanding of God’s Uncreated Light, and shares thoughts and experiences that demonstrate how all of us can partake of the Divine Light and experie...

Struck by the phrase “disenchanted with morality” in the pages of a book one morning, Michael shares his thoughts that came to mind. Why does it seem society often appears disenchanted with morality? Why is Christianity so often wrongly perceived and taught as a judgmental set of moral rules and rigid codes of behavior? Why is legalism doing so much harm to our faith? What truly is morality from a...

Financial pressures in our Orthodox Churches are very real and often cause great worry and anxiety. As a result, we, both clergy and laity, can lose our focus and get our priorities out of order. Using the terms “Prophet” and “Profit” to symbolize two different mentalities (not suggesting Churches are trying to make a profit in the conventional sense) join Michael as he discusses what our prioriti...

Comfort, and feeling comfortable, is a desire all of us have and we strive to fulfill this desire. But it can come at a cost because the root of our desire and the means by which we achieve it are not always in our best interests. Join Michael as he explains why comfort can lead to spiritually harmful complacency and blind us to the real purpose of our faith.

“Sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you.” Many of us have been taught this since we were young. But is it actually true? Or does it do more harm than good teaching this to our children and actually believing it ourselves. Join Michael as he uses incidents from his own life and relates them to key Scriptures to show not only is this statement not true, it goes against...

Michael describes his recent experience, while recovering from a concussion, of viewing key scenes from the Academy Award winning movie Good Will Hunting through an Orthodox Christian lens. Using these scenes and their circumstances as illustrations, he discusses understanding sin as sickness, condemning self-judgment and judgment in general, the fine line between our sense of personal accountabil...

Racism is a serious wrong that no one should argue. However, from an Orthodox Christian point of view, it is a far deeper wrong than is ever portrayed in the public debate. Join Michael as he explains why racism goes against the core of Christianity, and through story and anecdote describes why it seems is so hard for us to celebrate and embrace differences.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48 to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. But how is this possible when we know we are sinners? Did He really mean this? And if so, what exactly did He mean? Join Michael as he discusses what it means to be perfect from an Orthodox Christian point of view and shares a story that illustrates and addresses the difference between being perfect and perfectionism...

In the Book of Genesis God says not to eat from the Tree of Life, yet in Revelation He invites us to eat from the Tree of Life. Michael explores the reasons why from an Orthodox Christian perspective. He discusses the sinfulness and sacredness of eating and hunger as taught to us through the Scriptures, specifically Genesis and Revelation, and our Holy Tradition; and what we are really doing when...

Michael discusses the top five regrets of the dying from the popular article and best-selling book of the same name by Bronnie Ware. What do we typically regret and why? What can we do to avoid such regrets? Michael explores these and other related questions from an Orthodox Christian perspective.

Sometimes we can get so caught up in Church life that we lose sight of its true purpose. Michael explores this through some real life stories and thoughts, and challenges us to remember what happens to us through living the Christian life and Who is the very point of the sacramental life.

Michael discusses the nature of evil from an Orthodox Christian perspective and why evil always leads to its own destruction.

Michael discusses the Orthodox theological understanding of what it means to be a person, and how the passion of politics poses a danger to us in how we regard and treat each other as persons.

Michael examines the Star Wars phenomenon from an Orthodox Christian and sacramental point of view, and with a special focus on comparisons between the Force and the Holy Spirit.

Michael discusses flaws in the debate of “God or Science” and shows why “God and science” is a more appropriate, and how science can serve as a sacramental means to deepen our faith.

Michael describes an Orthodox understanding of why we should care for the environment, and what the story of Cain and Abel teaches us about this important issue.

Michael helps us understand the critical difference between intelligence and wisdom. In this episode, he references Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon's book Wise Lives: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Wisdom of Sirach.

What happens when life delivers a blow we were not prepared for? Michael shares the story of how one person reacted and what we can learn from it.

Michael looks at the story of the Woman at the Well and extracts lessons for understanding how Christ can forgive sexual sin.

Michael explores the source of our inspiration when we create for the glory of God.

Michael explores and explains Christ’s teaching on life and the perspective and priorities we should have as a result.

Michael offers in-depth thoughts on death from an Orthodox perspective.