This week's episode was recorded live at the Byzantine Assembly in Indiana! This week Mother Natalia reflects on a grace shared by a pilgrim about beauty. She talks about sharing beauty with people and with God. We also have some Q&A at the end of the session.

Thanks to WJOB in Indiana for recording the audio and video for this episode.

References:
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin

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This week Fr. Michael reflects on the reaction of the shepherds to the driving out of demons from the swine, and how that reaction differs from St. Photina's reaction to encountering Christ. He talks about how Jesus can look at our true poverty and provide true contentment.

References:
Matt 8:28 - 33
John 4:1-30

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This week Mother Natalia is joined by Fr. Chris Seith. Mother Natalia uses John 9 and the prayers of the week for the man born blind as her inspiration for today's episode. She talks about our gifts and how they build up our community. She also talks about God's delight in us.

References:

John 9
Faith, Hope, Love by Joseph Pieper

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This week we're joined by special guest Fr. Nathan Symeon. Fr. Nathan and Fr. Michael talk about listening to the Holy Spirit and others. They also talk about their experience as participants in a review of the final document from the synod on synodality.

References:

Integrated Evangelization by Monsignor Richter

Sobornost by Catherine Doherty

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This week Mother Natalia asks Fr. Michael to reflect on his twenty years of priesthood, one day after his anniversary. She asks him some questions from the podcast team as well as from her.

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This week Mother Natalia talks about assumptions and how they can hurt others. She talks about sensitivity needed in difficult discussions and the need to listen to people instead of just blathering on to hear ourselves speak.

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This week Fr. Michael talks about the vocation of priesthood and ways that seminarians could be guided in their discernment towards married or celibate priesthood. He talks about some practicalities of support of priests and their families by the eparchy and the related challenges. He focuses on the mission of priests and how that could be different for married and celibate priests.

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This week Fr. Michael talks about the poverty we find ourselves in and how it can be attractive to others. He uses the stories of Photina, St. Moses the Black, and Mary Magdalene to show how each of them embraced some level of poverty, ultimately bringing Jesus to others. 

References:

John 4:1-42

Luke 16:9

The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander

Fr. Michael's Guest Appearances:

Connor Gallagher's podcast

Roots of Faith podcast

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This week Fr. Michael talks about the healing of the paralytic at the pool and how his years of longing for healing was fulfilled. He relates that to healing in our own lives and how we can sometimes cling to a solution we've identified instead of relying on the Lord to identify the way we will be healed.

References:

John 5:1-15

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This week we're joined by special guest, Fr. Nathan Symeon. Fr. Nathan Symeon talks about apophatic and cataphatic theology, but more specifically the differences between apophatic and cataphatic prayer. He talks about how we can experience apophatic prayer in our lives and the importance of paying attention to the Holy Spirit working in our prayer life.

References:
Searchers of the Lost - Fr. Nathan's podcast

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