What God is Not

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

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This week we're joined by Bishop Erik Varden. Bishop Varden, Mother Natalia, and Fr. Michael talk about recognizing Jesus in others, living a contemplative life, the Syriac fathers, and the beauty of chastity.

Be sure to check out Bishop Varden's podcast, Desert Fathers in a Year, in partnership with Exodus 90.

Bishop Varden also has a website he posts to regularly.

References:

Chastity: Reconciliation of the Senses by Bishop Erik Varden

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This week we're joined by special guest, Fr. Chris Seith. Mother Natalia and Fr. Chris talk about the monastic life and how their constant life of prayer calls us to incorporate God into our lives. They talk about Orientale Lumen and the call to reinvigorate the monastic life around the world. Mother Natalia and Fr. Chris talk about some of the differences in liturgical practices in the Byzantine and Roman rites and how those can be inspirational for both churches.

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This week Mother Natalia talks about a revelation she had about sin and listening to God. She talks about how our thoughts impact the way we act. Mother Natalia talks about the way we need to practice listening to Our Lord so that we can be aware of how the devil is tempting us.

References:
Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives by Elder Thaddeus

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This week Fr. Michael talks about a recent discovery he made about rest and preparation. He talks about the importance of both and how they are linked together. Fr. Michael talks about how preparation makes many things go smoothly and give us time for rest.

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This week Fr. Michael talks about rules and the gift they can be in our lives. He talks about the difference between checking boxes and fully embracing the Church's teaching. Fr. Michael talks about how structure and order can easily veer into just checking the box instead of seeing the deeper picture.

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This week Mother Natalia repurposes a talk she gave recently about relationship and efficiency. She talks about her initial thought that relationship is greater than efficiency and how her thoughts on that changed. Mother Natalia gives some concrete examples of relationship and efficiency in action from her personal life.

References:
Rekindling Wonder by Fr. Chris Seith

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This week Fr. Michael talks about life after death, specifically the teaching of the early church Fathers. He uses the book Life After Death as part of his main talking points. We hear a bit about how this teaching helped Mother Natalia realize that her heart was truly Eastern.

References:
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
A Simple House
Life After Death by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos
Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This week Mother Natalia talks about intentionally incorporating Jesus into our lives. She gives two examples of this in action in her own life, in embroidery and running, and how she was able to come to a prayerful understanding of that in her own life.

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

This week Fr. Michael talks about prayer, fasting, and alms-giving in relation to the Great Fast and the paradoxes that exist within each  of those. He talks about humility and how we can find a paradox within our humility as well.

Follow and Contact Us!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
We're on YouTube!
Join our Goodreads Group
Fr. Michael's Twitter
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery
Our Website
Our Nonprofit

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show