Fr Chad Hatfield, shown here setting foot on St Nilus Island (Alaska) back in 2006, will be our Retreat Master for this year’s annual Lenten Retreat at St George Orthodox Church.[Links to pics from my Alaska trip – here.] “Life Lessons from the Alaskan Saints” Saturday, March 7, 2009 Beginning with the Liturgy of Souls at 9:00 A.M; ending with Great Vespers at 4:00 P.M. Archpriest Chad Hatfield is chancellor of St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Crestwood, New York. He... Read more

It all started when Earl “Constantinos” Smith walked into my office and said, “Father, I got troubles, can we talk?” I said, “Sure, Earl, have a seat. What’s buggin’ ya?” He said, “Father, I’m havin’ trouble sleepin’ these says … and when I do sleep, I dream the most confusing dreams. Why, the other night I dreamed I was a teepee.” A teepee? “You heard right, Abouna. I dreamed I was a teepee. Not only that, the following night I... Read more

Fr James Early, of St Joseph Antiochian Orthodox Church, offers the latest update to Orthodox Houston’s growing list of podcasts. His talk was delivered in the parish of St Jonah of Manchuria during their annual Icon Exhibit. His is an excellent and entertaining story of his journey to Orthodoxy: From Baptist to Bosnia to Byzantium. Click here to listen — or here to view the complete list of Houston area podcasts! Orthodox Houston is a Pan-Orthodox ministry of the The... Read more

On the Obligation for All Christians to Keep Great Lent. On all days and seasons dearly-beloved, some marks of the Divine goodness are set, and no part of the year is destitute of sacred mysteries … but all that is bestowed on the restoration of human souls in the divers works and gifts of grace is put before us now more clearly and abundantly in Lent … for as the Easter festival approaches, the greatest and most binding of fasts... Read more

Blog updates have been nonexistent of late due to travels. God willing, I’ll be speaking this weekend (Friday & Saturday) at the 26th Annual Young Adult (YAL) Ministries Conference sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago. Hope to see y’all there! Image Source Read more

Some say it all started when Bill Gates admitted that the term icons — which are windows into heaven — and thus, Windows, are really trademarked by the Orthodox Church; not to mention when Steve Jobs and others finally came clean about that Apple design going back thousands of years to the very Genesis of man. Yep, after those two saw the light the money really started rolling in! Now some of our churches have icon screens that offer flat... Read more

Next week, the week following the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, there is katalysis [allowance] for all things, meaning that there is no fasting on any day of the week. During the week following the Sunday of the Prodigal Son we observe the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk or other dairy products, fish, wine and olive oil) on Wednesday and Friday. During the week following Judgment (or Meatfare) Sunday we abstain from meat and poultry;... Read more

UPDATE: I am away this week for our annual Clergy Brotherhood Retreat – Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America; blog updates and comment approval may be nonexistent.Prayers coveted. I have a suspicion that many AFR listeners may not understand this week’s podcast. Why? Because I know for a fact there’s folks out there in AFR land who are non-Orthodox — Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Anglicans — and, yes, even nominal Christians and secular types. Some people will definitely be offended. But, I... Read more

FYI – I will be speaking at St Nicholas Cathedral, Brooklyn, this weekend, January 31st, at their annual Winter Retreat — and in Chicago, February 13-14th, for the 26th Annual Young Adult (YAL) Ministries Conference sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago. If you’re in the area, join us! Click the links for details. Fr Joseph, I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that I finished One Flew Over the Onion Dome last night... Read more

While blessing homes as a Mission priest in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee … I was younger, a good bit hairier, about 40 pounds heavier, and still as foolish. In those days I would often read other church bulletins where there was, invariably, a note announcing house blessings which ended with the words: DO NOT FEED THE PRIEST! Back then I always found that admonition odd … after all, in a small parish or mission setting, a priest... Read more