Something great, the greatest thing happened to our Most holy Lady when she concieved in her womb by the Holy Spirit. How did She become worthy of such honor, and what does that mean for the way we must regard Her?

I was shocked to learn that some who have grown up in the Church have never heard the life of our holy mother Mary of Egypt. What is the connection between our sinfulness and our love for God? Is there one? Listen!

Many people have heard of the Ladder of Divine Ascent. St. John provides the Church with a method for spiritual progress. How do we explain our ignorance of this method in light of this book being read in Church each year?

Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship O, Master! Why do we do this though? What kind of followers does Christ want? Listen as Fr. M dares to quote the saints to challenge our idea of discipleship.

St. Gregory did not offer the Church an Ascetical Philosophy, as opposed to a simple one. He defended Asceticism against anti-Asceticism, showing that the path to God, after the fall, is the Purification of the heart!

It sounds outrageous to say that Christ preached John, but, in His wisdom, the Lord Jesus Christ uses St. John, our first Ascetic as an example of holiness and glory!

Have you ever exchanged forgiveness with someone and continued to resent them after? Why is it necessary for us to bring our faith to the forms and rites of the Church? Fr. Methodius emphasises the need of the fear of God and faith if we wish to have love.

The Sunday of the Last Judgment is a sober reminder of the coming day of fear. It is also the last chance for Orthodox Christians to eat meat before the Great and holy Lent. How should we relate to this day? What should we know about fasting and how it can become a means of salvation? Fr. M offers some perspective from the Gospel and Epistle of the day.

How important are the spiritual lessons found in the weeks preceding Lent? After spending a couple of weeks away from his home parish, Fr. M does some catching up sharing highlights of the spiritual content of these and the current week.

How can we present ourselves in the Temple and what benefit would we receive from doing so? Fr. M offers an exhortation to those who wish to shorten the time of judgment on the last day.