In today’s episode, we began with a discussion of Pentecost and its history in the Jewish tradition. Father Aaron explained the significance of this pilgrimage feast and its connection to our understanding of Pentecost as Christians. First, the Feast of Pentecost commemorates the giving of the Mosaic Law in the wilderness. More broadly, this includes the Torah—the first five books of the Old Testament—which is the foundation of all of Scripture. Second, there is a connection between the Jewish o...
Jun 10, 2020•17 min•Ep. 36
Today we examined the epistle reading that is designated for the Saturday of Souls services as well as the funeral service. Our discussion began with the theme of hope. As Christians, our hope is that we will be found as St. Paul says, “in Christ.” Here again, we were reminded that faith is not just an intellectual concept, but one that requires a trust in God to reverse the judgment of this world. Properly understood, we see that our hope as Christians is intimately connected to the judgement. ...
Jun 03, 2020•17 min•Ep. 35
Today’s discussion began with Theophilos, to whom St. Luke addresses both his Gospel and the Book of Acts. This opening address shows that St. Luke’s writings were not intended for any one individual, but for the broader community. Next, in examining the importance of the Ascension, we were given a few points to remember. Father Aaron explained that we should heed Christ’s words and get to work sharing His message. We concluded the discussion by noting the meaning and significance of Jesus being...
May 27, 2020•15 min•Ep. 34
We began today’s podcast with a discussion around the significance of the name change of the great Apostle to the Nations, from Saul to Paul. These names provide us with clarity on the role they play in the biblical story. We also highlighted the conversion story of Paul and how it mirrors the calling of the twelve disciples during Jesus’ life. We concluded by noting we, too, should respond to God’s call by planting the seed of the Gospel.
May 20, 2020•14 min•Ep. 33
We begin by discussing why the Jews were amazed when the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles, as well as what exactly that means from a practical perspective. We then turned our attention to the fact that no one, including the Church, "controls" the Holy Spirit. Instead, we must learn to discern and submit to the Holy Spirit. We conclude by discussing how this phenomenon is expressed in the service of chrismation/confirmation.
May 13, 2020•16 min•Ep. 32
Today’s episode focused on a comparison of the apparent outcomes of both Peter and Stephen’s sermons in the book of Acts. First, we discussed why the Bible is systematically critical of those with power and authority. We then examined the outcome of Stephen’s ministry. At first glance, it may appear that Stephen failed, having an outcome entirely different from that of Peter. But as Father Aaron explained, we must be careful not to judge our success based on our results. Rather, our success shou...
May 06, 2020•20 min•Ep. 31
We discuss the significance of James’s martyrdom and Peter’s being freed from his chains. Having been unsatisfied merely with the crucifixion of Christ, Herod Antipas--like the rest of the Jewish leadership--moved to also bury Jesus’ message. Herod chains Peter physically with the hope of restraining the message that Peter is spreading. Peter is guarded by four squads of soldiers, indicating Herod’s desire to encompass and eradicate the Gospel. Related to Peter’s freedom from chains, we are all ...
Apr 29, 2020•19 min•Ep. 30
Today’s reading from Acts finds Peter in the midst of a sermon given to many devout Jews who were in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. We began by examining the purpose of Peter’s use of Old Testament Scriptures in his sermon and how Jesus Christ comes from the Old Testament tradition. The only way in which Jesus’ message can be properly understood is to have a fundamental understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures; to understand Christ in the light of the Old Testament. In this way, the ...
Apr 22, 2020•18 min•Ep. 29
We discuss why John 1 is read at Pascha rather than an account of the Resurrection. Fr Aaron connected the beginning of this Gospel to the reading from Matthew 28 at the Vesperal Liturgy prior to the Paschal Liturgy that concludes with “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” At Pascha the following day, we here from John 1, “In the beginning was the Word.” Because the church revolves around Pascha, we end our year with a reminder that God’s Word was there in the beginning, and th...
Apr 15, 2020•19 min•Ep. 28
In today’s episode we examined Hebrews 12 and how we might apply his instruction to our current situation. On the subject of fear, Fr Aaron stressed that rather than allowing fear to consume us, we should direct our concern and our care for those who are most vulnerable. We were reminded that—by our nature—we are social beings (even those of us who are naturally introverted). It is important that all of us make an effort to reach out to people we know who may be struggling with isolation. Furthe...
Apr 08, 2020•18 min•Ep. 27
Having received the promise of God to be the father of many nations, Abraham grew impatient and took it upon himself to have a child. Further illustrating his unbelief, Abraham laughed at God. Many years after the child of promise is born, God tests Abraham to see if he has learned to trust him. This time, Abraham passes the test and is told by God that, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” This promise is fulfilled in the life, ministry...
Apr 01, 2020•17 min•Ep. 26
We addressed some of the common misconceptions regarding Mary and why she is paid such great honor and respect in the Orthodox Church. We call to remembrance her example—as well as all the saints--so that we might use them as a model. This is in no way meant to replace the perfect model, our Lord, and God and Savior Jesus Christ. We were then reminded of what is meant by, “Taking up your cross” and suffering for the Gospel. This is not a physical suffering, but a willingness to suffer shame for ...
Mar 25, 2020•17 min•Ep. 25
Today’s episode provided an important clarification of how God can be both our fear and dread, and yet also become a sanctuary. Father Aaron stressed that we must first recognize God as Father in a biblical context, as the fearful Judge. He alone decides our fate, and we must respect and fear that judgement. And yet, God loves mankind and desires all men to be saved. With this understanding, we know that in God we have a fair judge. If we live our life by extending to others the mercy that God g...
Mar 18, 2020•13 min•Ep. 24
Fr Aaron's sermon for Sunday, March 15, is being shared as a special episode. Father discusses how we have a unique and special opportunity to practice Lent this year. He argues that social distancing, self-quarantining, etc., requires an act of faith on our part because we do not see the results until the end. These practices by otherwise healthy people require us making real sacrifices, sacrifices that do not directly benefit us, but do benefit the most vulnerable in society. This opportunity ...
Mar 16, 2020•16 min•Ep. 23
We began today’s episode by discussing who St. Paul was referencing as the “great cloud of witnesses.” Father Aaron explained that Paul’s specific reference here was to highlight the theme of faith. In discussing what it is to have biblical faith we were reminded that our faith is not based on an intellectual belief, but how we should behave. We concluded by focusing on Paul’s teaching about discipline. Just as parents discipline their children out of love, the Lord disciplines us because he lov...
Mar 11, 2020•15 min•Ep. 22
Today’s discussion focused on the reading of the book of Genesis during the first week of Lent. Fr Aaron began by clarifying that, while the Bible mentions many things we would condemn today—particularly in the Old Testament--this does not mean that the Bible is condoning this behavior. We then explored the critical importance of viewing Jesus “in the light of the Old Testament.” In other words, if we remove Jesus from the context of the Old Testament, we lose all sense of God’s plan of salvatio...
Mar 04, 2020•18 min•Ep. 21
In today’s episode we examined the various purposes of fasting; both what it is and what it is not. Father Aaron stressed that fasting is not meant to be a form of suffering or punishment. Instead, we should enter into periods of fasting with joy and gladness. As we were created in the image of God, we have the unique ability to override our carnal desires. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we discussed how fasting offers us an opportunity to relieve the hunger of others.
Feb 26, 2020•14 min•Ep. 20
We begin by correcting our understanding of God's desire towards piety. Father Aaron clarified for us that--contrary to what is commonly thought of today--the scribes and Pharisees were actually well respected in their time. And in our present time, we have people within the church who fit this same mold—who appear to be righteous and moral--but fail to show mercy and compassion to those who are struggling and in need. In our desire to be able to measure our own progress toward salvation, we oft...
Feb 19, 2020•16 min•Ep. 19
Today’s discussion began with recognizing that most of us have been taught to expect rewards for good behavior and punishment for bad behavior. This mindset often translates into our expectation that our life will go well if we trust in God and follow His commandments. However, we must stress--both in our own life and in teaching our children—that God’s ways are not our ways. We must recognize and teach that God is merciful to us when we fall short, but only if we show that same mercy to others....
Feb 12, 2020•16 min•Ep. 18
We begin by clarifying who it is that St. Paul refers to as the “principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” We make the case that Paul is not only referring to the angels, but also to the earthly rulers—and more specifically, the Roman Emperor. Paul is telling us that Jesus has been revealed both to mankind and to the angels, as the true emperor—the God above all gods. We were then reminded that as humanity was created in the image of God, we should not be surprised to learn that God’s p...
Feb 05, 2020•12 min•Ep. 17
Today we focus on listener questions related to salvation, both what it means and what it is we are being saved from. Father Aaron explained that salvation is comprised of the Final Judgement, where we will receive either a guilty or not guilty verdict (while discussing the important distinction between being "not guilty" and "innocent"). The other component of salvation is that we are continually being spiritually healed. This healing is a process and not a one-time event. We then discussed the...
Jan 29, 2020•16 min•Ep. 16
This is the first of two episodes answering listener-submitted questions. We begin by discussing the topic of forgiveness, specifically if a crime is committed against us and our participation in the trial of the accused. We also discussed that by not forgiving others, we are allowing them to remain in control of our lives. We further explored the biblical concept that the only reason we have to forgive others is because God first forgave us. Finally, on this topic, we discussed if "forgetting" ...
Jan 22, 2020•18 min•Ep. 15
We begin by addressing the significance of the threefold repetition of Jesus’ question to Peter, “Do you love me?” This repetition restores Peter from his previous threefold denial of Christ. We then turned to Jesus’ referral to Peter as, “Son of Jonah,” which Father Aaron explained as a deliberate comparison of Peter to Jonah the Prophet. Like Jonah, who resisted taking God’s message to his enemies, Peter also was resistant to Jesus’ command to reconcile with his Roman enemies and to accept the...
Jan 15, 2020•18 min•Ep. 14
We discuss the tempting of Jesus in the wilderness. Unlike the first Adam who was tempted and failed the test, Jesus, the new Adam, shows us that God has empowered us with the ability to say “no;” to show us that we can resist and overcome the tempter. We also discussed the use of Scripture by the devil to ensnare Jesus. Fr Aaron explained that knowing Scriptural verses does not necessarily mean that Scripture is being accurately represented. We were reminded of the importance of understanding S...
Jan 08, 2020•14 min•Ep. 13
Starting from Jesus' teaching in Mark 10 that we should "sell what [we] have," we discussed the central tenet of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels: that our own righteousness must be laid aside, so that we might put our trust solely in God. Fr Aaron referenced a passage from Philippians where St. Paul, in very strong terms, tells us that we are to despise our own righteousness. To put it another way, every Christian must sell their own righteousness and accept that Christ alone is righteous, and th...
Dec 18, 2019•16 min•Ep. 12
We discuss the underlying meaning of the story commonly referred to as “The Road to Emmaus” from Luke 24. While saddened over the recent death of Jesus, the disciples anguish was primarily focused on the fact that Jesus, whom they believed to be the Messiah, the one who would deliver them from Roman occupation, had been utterly defeated. Looking to take matters into their own hands and fight back against the Romans as the Maccabees 150 years earlier, the two disciples headed down the road and en...
Dec 11, 2019•19 min•Ep. 11
Today’s episode provides clarity on the differences between three Jewish groups (the Sadducees, Pharisees, and scribes). Our discussion then turned to the Sadducees and their scenario of the woman with seven husbands. We highlighted how this story helps us realize we must begin living our eternal life in the here and now. By following God’s commandments in our earthly life, we will be better prepared to continue in our life eternal to experience the joy and peace that comes with obedience to God...
Dec 04, 2019•19 min•Ep. 10
We discuss St. Paul’s declaration of equality and what it means to be sons of God by adoption. Fr Aaron explained that we will be judged only by whether we followed the law of Christ and not preferentially based on our social status, our gender or ethnicity. In breaking down the barriers between Jew and Gentile, we were reminded that Christ brought His message so that all might be saved. To be a son of God by adoption, we are to be like Him in all things; to be gracious to all people; and to not...
Nov 27, 2019•19 min•Ep. 9
In today’s episode we examine the Parable of the Talents and how it is often misunderstood. While Jesus refers to money in the parable, money is actually used as a metaphor for mercy. Jesus is instructing us to use the mercy he has given us and to spread that mercy to others. In doing so, he will provide us with even greater mercy. But to those who squander that mercy they have been given by Christ, and keep it to themselves, they will have that mercy taken from them, unto the resurrection of co...
Nov 20, 2019•20 min•Ep. 8
In today’s episode we discuss tax collectors in Jesus’ time and why the Pharisees were offended with Jesus sitting at table with them. In examining the passage, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” we learned that this teaching is actually found throughout the Old Testament. Yet, as is the case today among Christians, the Pharisees narrowly focused on their own external traditions with little attention paid to caring for the poor and showing mercy. Finally, we unpacked the quote of Fr John Romani...
Nov 13, 2019•19 min•Ep. 7
