Hearts and Minds

Christ came to be with us in our darkness....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on what is essential for facing any storm that may be coming....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on the Exodus story as a metaphor for our journey of faith....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on the ramifications of Professor Peter Singer's brand of utilitarianism....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on simplicity....

Christians are called to live life differently....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on how helping others helps us fight our own battles....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on suffering....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on the recent hurricanes....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on the need to take responsibility for one's own sins....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on the connection between Creation and the Cross....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on pride and humility....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on the true meaning of freedom....

The Ancient Faith Men's Retreat runs August 22-25, 2024....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on the boundaries within our hearts....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on the role evil and suffering plays in drawing us closer to God....

Fr. John Oliver shares the story of the reclamation of a church after the end of the Soviet era, reminding us that "we walk by faith, and not by sight."...

Fr. John Oliver reflects upon the difference between being nice and being holy....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on spiritual blindness....

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."...

Fr. John Oliver reminds us of the true focus of Christian life....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on forgiveness, and the energies of the heart....

Fr. John Oliver talks about the crisis of exclusion...and its greatest remedy....

Fr. John Oliver reminds us that we work out our salvation in the individual particulars of our own lives....

Fr. John Oliver explores the desire to change one's life....

Fr. John Oliver discusses our responsibility to the lonely....

Fr. John Oliver invites us to think about how we would treat others if we had our own little island....

Fr. John Oliver talks about integrity....

Fr. John Oliver explains why we need the "Four S's" to energize our lives....

Fr. John Oliver shares a remarkable story of service to inspire us to joyfully use our gifts in service of others....

Fr. John Oliver deepens our understanding of what is meant by "freedom."...

Fr. John Oliver tells the story of the unsung hero of the Apollo 13 mission....

Fr. John Oliver explains how we can repel the Holy Spirit, and how we can become alive in the Holy Spirit instead....

Fr. John Oliver reflects on what makes us truly happy....

Fr. John Oliver wonders what might happen if we were to reach out for vital connection and deep healing....

Fr. John Oliver considers the mystery of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos, that is known most fully in the heart....

Fr. John Oliver helps us to understand why life can be so hard, and how to find joy in the midst of the struggle....

Fr. John Oliver helps us to discover where true freedom lies....

Fr. John Oliver considers whether blessings can be found in the midst of the unexpected suffering of mental illness....

Fr. John Oliver asks whether an Orthodox Church can truly welcome all who come no matter their spiritual illness....

Fr. John discusses the teachings of St. Nicodemus on listening to music....

Fr. John notes how Orthodox Christians see things in an iconographic way-- the images are connected to the larger reality they represent....

Using the writings of St. Nicodemus, Fr. John discusses how the eye can lead to sin or spiritual peace....

Fr. John discusses why we are enslaved to pleasure, as explained originally by St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain....

In Part Three of the ongoing series based upon "A Handbook of Spiritual Council" by St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, Fr. John discusses the five senses and their relationship to the will....

Fr. John continues his series on Society and The Soul, presenting us with St. Nicodemus' vision of man as "a kind of royal palace, built by the superb architectural skill of an omniscient Creator." ...

With this podcast, Fr. John begins a new series based upon "A Handbook of Spiritual Council" by Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, a work which examines the five human senses: sight, hearing, smel...

Fr. John discusses the importance of the Synaxis of the Theotokos, celebrated each year on December 26....

"There is nothing in this world more glorious, more precious, or more precarious than the human soul." Within the first few hundred years of Christian history, the Roman Empire experienced at least t...

"Are we almost there yet?" How many times will that question be asked this holiday weekend? Fr. John explores the passing of time from a Christian perspective as we travel our journey of salvation....