The Simple Path to God: Recent Episodes
Fr. Spyridon Bailey, and Ancient Faith Ministries
Father Spyridon offers some thoughts on how the reality of evil is revealed through the possessed.
Father Spyridon shares a few insights on how to recognize and reject the kind of fear that bears unrighteous fruit.
In this episode, Father Spyridon explains how men can develop a better understanding of themselves despite living in a culture hostile to masculinity.
In this episode, Fr. Spyridon explains how Orthodox Christians can respond to the constant bombardment of programming designed to convince us that the things of this world can bring lasting happiness.
Father Spyridon explains how the Ascension of Christ transforms how we must understand our physical reality.
Father Spyridon reminds us that even those who believe they worship God may not, in fact, know Him.
Father Spyridon exhorts us to remember that our lives are ordered by God, and that worry stems from a refusal to recognize His providence.
Every Christian is called to a life of self-denial, but we must understand what this requires of us: a journey of humility and intense spiritual warfare.
At the beginning of the Paschal season, Fr. Spyridon reflects on how, following the Resurrection of Christ, Christians are called to live in divine power.
Father Spyridon highlights why, even as we celebrate the Feast of Feasts, we must be on our guard against demonic deception.
Christians must recognize the true nature of the philospohy of evolution in order to reject it.
The Jesus Prayer is a summary of the Gospel and is a tool for transforming our spiritual condition. Many of these ideas are found in the writing of Met. Anthony of Sourozh.
The parable of the Prodigal Son offers both assurance of God's mercy for those who repent, and a warning to those who squander God's gifts.
Christians face the difficult tension between our calling to establish peace while living in a fallen world.
God has revealed much about the journey of the soul after physical death. To avoid deception we must not remain ignorant.
The Church Fathers warn us of the self-deception that can separate us from God's grace.
Short Bible study exploring the significance of St Peter walking on the water with Jesus
As so many people feel disconnected with their lives, the path to healing will incur the world's rejection.
We translate the "holy" from the Greek "agios", meaning not of this world. Jesus teaches exactly what becoming unworldly entails.
Jesus calls us to drink that we may never thirst again, and so free the soul from the shackles of the world.
Many people express difficulty praying. Often it is a a matter of the prayer not being meaningful.
The voice of God is not silent, the same God Who spoke to the prophets and apostles speaks to us today.
When we be begin to recognise the true depth of our sin, we must resist despair and hear Christ's promise in the parable of The Prodigal Son.
Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
The Lord seizes the mightiest of the Devil's vessels, and destroys his cities - St. Theophylact of Ohrid.
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tested him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up immediately out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I bring you word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and seeing Abraham far off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented."
When asked to describe the difference between a saint and a non-saint, St. Seraphim of Sarov replied simply: "Determination"
Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
St. Gregory Palamas teaches that Christ's commandments must be understood from the context of God cleansing His creation from the disfigurement of sin.
"Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
...that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Thoughts are like airplanes flying in the air. If you ignore them, there is no problem. If you pay attention to them, you create an airport inside your head and permit them to land! - St. Paisios
"I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
However many passions afflict us, they never rise up as many. They only come against us as one.
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Then Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily I say unto you, unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
The example of Adam and Eve warns us of our pattern of sin and how death is both physical and spiritual.
St. Gregory Palamas teaches us how we can reconcile to God when we have fallen into sin.
The Church Fathers teach us how to combat evil thoughts. The epidemic of mental ill-health is partly the fruit of the harm caused by evil thoughts.
St. Gregory Palamas teaches us that the Ascension is a calling to be transformed, and that this transformation requires a living faith.
While there is still time, there is the possibility of seeking the compassion and forgiveness of God.
In order to see God, me must be elevated above the darkness and sin of our everyday lives.
God allows suffering to bring us to our senses because, to trust God, we must realize that our whole lives are in his hands.
When faced with temptation, we must listen to our conscience, understand the nature of temptation, and look to Christ as an example of how to respond to it.