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  • Homily - St. John of the Ladder on the Hard Work of Salvation
    2025/03/30

    On the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder, Fr. Anthony delivers a homily that encourages us to take our pursuit of joy, peace, and freedom from anxiety seriously. He begins by asking whether we truly want these things or if we expect them to come without effort, likening it to people desiring health or success without being willing to make the necessary sacrifices. He emphasized that true peace and joy require commitment, not idle desire, and must be pursued through effort, prayer, and fasting.

    Fr. Anthony critiqued the common temptation of chasing material security and success, such as the promises of the "American Dream." While these may offer temporary peace, he warned that they are ultimately unreliable. Instead, Fr. Anthony pointed to the ascetic struggle of Orthodoxy, which teaches the importance of cultivating true love for God and others while rejecting selfishness. This process, he explained, involves training the heart to be immune to external manipulation and cutting the "strings" that vice and bad habits use to control us.

    In closing, Fr. Anthony reminds us the faithful of the spiritual disciplines of fasting, prayer, and charity, especially during Great Lent. He urges us to evaluate our progress in these practices and to recommit ourselves to the ascetic path if we have fallen short. Ultimately, the homily leaves us with this message: true joy and peace come from aligning with God’s will, casting out the demons of vice, and living according to the Orthodox faith.

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    18 分
  • Men’s Talk - Building a Safe, Healthy, and Holy Home
    2025/03/29

    Fr. Anthony leads a discussion with the men of Christ the Savior's parish on the basics of leading a Christian home. Enjoy the show!

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    40 分
  • Lenten Lesson - Loving Your Neighbor
    2025/03/27

    Still trying to “keep it real,” Fr. Anthony leads a class on the challenges that come when we try to love our neighbor. Enjoy the show!

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    50 分
  • Homily - Your Cross Needs Love
    2025/03/23

    Mark: 8:34-9:1.
    In this homily, Fr. Anthony discusses the true meaning of taking up one's cross in Christian life. He emphasizes that Christ's cross was not just a symbol of pain but of sacrificial love, where Jesus Christ gave Himself for the salvation of others. The act of following Christ involves denying personal desires to serve others, even when it's difficult or misunderstood. By sacrificing our time and efforts for others' well-being, we emulate Christ's example, aligning our actions with His purpose for eternal life. The homily highlights that true sacrifice is motivated by love and the desire to see others thrive, leading to spiritual glory. Enjoy the show!

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    17 分
  • Lenten Lesson - Loving God through Prayer and Worship
    2025/03/20

    In this lesson, Fr. Anthony talks about how necessary a prayer rule and proper worship are to knowing and loving God. Enjoy the show!

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    40 分
  • Homily - St. Gregory Palamas Sunday
    2025/03/16
    Humans are created with an innate capacity to revel in God’s glory, much like feeling the brief warmth of the sun after a long winter. This was intended to be our constant state, but we chose a different path. Yet, we still experience fleeting moments of transcendence—times of special warmth, belonging, and comfort that can arise in church, through music, gardening, or savoring well-earned rest after a hard day’s work. These moments stir something deep within us, a spiritual sense that hints at the divine. But we must ask: who is the God we encounter in these moments? Feelings, even spiritual ones, can deceive us just as our other senses do. Taste, meant to sustain us, has been twisted by culture into cravings for unhealthy foods that harm rather than nourish. Likewise, the pleasure of sex, designed to unite married couples and create families, has been perverted into experiences like pornography and extramarital affairs that erode true intimacy. So too, our spiritual sense can be manipulated by pride or a deceptive culture, leading us to relish experiences that feel good but draw us away from the true God toward spiritual ruin. The Orthodox Church, especially through Great Lent, offers a remedy to refine this spiritual sense. Fasting and denying cravings, almsgiving from a simplified life, frequent repentance like St. Ephraim’s prayer, and earnest worship prepare us for the transcendent celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. St. Gregory Palamas affirmed we can encounter God’s grace through these practices, but he warned of false experiences that mislead. The Church trains us to discern the true God—who loves and saves—from idols of our own making or the world’s fleeting promises. One day, we will all meet Him; let us prepare now to know Him truly.
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    16 分
  • Lenten Lesson - On the Ordered Mind
    2025/03/13

    After reading part of Philippians 2, Fr Anthony talks about the work we are called to do, how our disordered minds thwart it, and what we can do about it. Enjoy the show!

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    56 分
  • Conversation with Dn. Basil Belke on the Totalitarian Temptation
    2025/03/12

    Fr. Anthony talks with Dn. Basil about recent findings on religion and the authoritarian personality. Dn. Basil in a a professional therapist; his practice is Mount Tabor Counseling (mounttaborcounseling.com). Enjoy the show!

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    48 分