This week Fr. Michael talks to Fr. Nathan Symeon and Fr. Joel Barstad about married priests and celibate priests in the Eastern Catholic Churches. They talk about considerations that need to be taken for each option. Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us a text Support the show

This week Mother Natalia reflects on the Gospel passage where Peter walks on water and asks Jesus to save him. She talks about realizing that God works to save us in the midst of the storm, but doesn't necessarily have the storm cease. Fr. Michael prepares for the homily for the upcoming Sunday, reflecting on the Epistle and the Gospel as well. Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Mo...

This week Mother Natalia shares stories of three beautiful things that happened to her recently. She talks about relying on technology vs encountering people. She shares a story of being able to use Photina funds to give to someone in need. She also reminds us that God wants to work for good for us in everything that we're doing, even the super mundane things. References: Into Your Hands, Father: Abandoning Ourselves to the God Who Loves Us by Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen Follow and Contact Us! Fo...

This week Fr. Michael reflects on the Gospel from the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. He discovered that the root word means both shame and exalt or lift up, and he compares those in relation to how we live out our lives. He talks about bringing shame to Christ by our actions and inactions, and what it means that Christ will be ashamed of us if we shame Him. Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Chri...

This week Mother Natalia talks about our identity and understanding our identity as God sees us. She talks about recognizing our identity in God as opposed to the circumstances of our life like parenting, work, school status, etc. Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us a text Support the show

This week Fr. Michael reflects on the recent Gospel passage of the unforgiving servant. He talks about how our forgiveness flows from words, to our minds, to our heart and the differences between those areas. He talks about the need to pursue forgiveness and ask for the grace to forgive from the heart. References: Matt 18:23-35 Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Ch...

This week Mother Natalia talks about a conviction she had while listening to a homily about having a softness of heart and how that helps us when we're encountering someone we don't like. She talks about realizing that she was being overly critical of someone and how that realization was a good wake-up call. She talks about discerning being critical of what someone is saying vs the person themselves. References: He Leadeth Me by Walter Ciszek Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow an...

This week Fr. Michael continues his topic on Secrets of the Liturgy Revealed, talking about the prayers that are prayed quietly by the priest during Divine Liturgy. He and Mother Natalia talk about some of their favorite prayers and reflect on the beauty of them. References: Secrets of the Liturgy Revealed!!! Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom M...

This week we’re delighted to welcome Anthony D'Ambrosio and Andrew Holzschuh who wrote, directed, and filmed the movie Triumph of the Heart about St. Maximilian Kolbe. We talk about some of the things that inspired Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia as they watched the film, the beauty found within the movie, and the message of Christian hope that we can take from the movie. References: Triumph of the Heart Tickets Frassati Film Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Foll...

This week Fr. Michael walks through some of the prayers that the priest prays during Divine Liturgy that the congregation does not hear. He talks about some of the intention behind the prayers, including when the celebrant is asking his fellow priests to pray for him. Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send u...

This week Mother Natalia reflects on some insights she had during a recent Theology of the Body retreat. She talks about the need to stay present in whatever you're doing, whether that's eating an orange, answering emails, texting a friend, etc. She talks about how to be a saint in our time, by exaggerating the things the world doesn't do well to inspire them to do those things well. References: Saint Thomas Aquinas by G.K. Chesterton Humanality Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow a...

Mother Natalia was recently on Catholic Feedback with Keith Nester and we're dropping the episode in your feed today! Mother Natalia talks a bit about how she found the Byzantine Catholic church, hiding beneath masks, sin, beauty, and how she ended up at the monastery. Thanks to Keith and his team for recording our audio and video for this week! Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Mich...

This week's episode was recorded live at the Byzantine Assembly in Indiana! This week Mother Natalia reflects on a grace shared by a pilgrim about beauty. She talks about sharing beauty with people and with God. We also have some Q&A at the end of the session. Thanks to WJOB in Indiana for recording the audio and video for this episode. References: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram...

This week Fr. Michael reflects on the reaction of the shepherds to the driving out of demons from the swine, and how that reaction differs from St. Photina's reaction to encountering Christ. He talks about how Jesus can look at our true poverty and provide true contentment. References: Matt 8:28 - 33 John 4:1-30 Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Br...

This week Mother Natalia is joined by Fr. Chris Seith. Mother Natalia uses John 9 and the prayers of the week for the man born blind as her inspiration for today's episode. She talks about our gifts and how they build up our community. She also talks about God's delight in us. References: John 9 Faith, Hope, Love by Joseph Pieper Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitt...

This week we're joined by special guest Fr. Nathan Symeon. Fr. Nathan and Fr. Michael talk about listening to the Holy Spirit and others. They also talk about their experience as participants in a review of the final document from the synod on synodality. References: Integrated Evangelization by Monsignor Richter Sobornost by Catherine Doherty Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. M...

This week Mother Natalia asks Fr. Michael to reflect on his twenty years of priesthood, one day after his anniversary. She asks him some questions from the podcast team as well as from her. Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us a text Support the show

This week Mother Natalia talks about assumptions and how they can hurt others. She talks about sensitivity needed in difficult discussions and the need to listen to people instead of just blathering on to hear ourselves speak. Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us a text Support the show

This week Fr. Michael talks about the vocation of priesthood and ways that seminarians could be guided in their discernment towards married or celibate priesthood. He talks about some practicalities of support of priests and their families by the eparchy and the related challenges. He focuses on the mission of priests and how that could be different for married and celibate priests. Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on...

This week Fr. Michael talks about the poverty we find ourselves in and how it can be attractive to others. He uses the stories of Photina, St. Moses the Black, and Mary Magdalene to show how each of them embraced some level of poverty, ultimately bringing Jesus to others. References: John 4:1-42 Luke 16:9 The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander Fr. Michael's Guest Appearances: Connor Gallagher's podcast Roots of Faith podcast Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Cont...