What God is Not

Episodes

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  Monastic Heart of Mary 19.08.2026 1h 2m

  This week Mother Natalia reflects on a talk she recently gave at the Byzantine Young Adult convocation on the monastic heart of Mary. She specifically reflects on how Mary lived out the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She also gives examples of how these counsels can be lived out by priests, monastics, and lay people. References: Orientale Lumen by St. Pope John Paul II Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodre...
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  Ignore Evil 12.08.2026 40m

  This week Mother Natalia uses a quote from Elder Porphyrios as a jumping off point to talk about relinquishing control that evil has over us and to allow God to work through us. She then talks about recognizing the truth and gently and compassionately proclaiming the truth to others. References: Wounded by Love by Elder Porphyrios 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 Webs...
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  We Have Seen the True Light 05.08.2026 50m

  This week Fr. Michael talks about a conversation he had with a pilot about the beauty of nature that is seen as the pilot flies the plane. Fr. Michael then connects the beauty of nature with seeing the True Light that is God. References: Theodochos The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Wounded by Love by Elder Porphyrios Reflection on the We Have Seen the True Light prayer A Simple Byzantine Breviary by Fr. Joel Barstad Rejoice O Virgin Theotokos by Fr. Joel Barstad Follow and Conta...
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  A Monastic, A Theologian, and Jess with Fr. Chris and Jess 29.07.2026 1h 1m

  This week we're joined by special guests Jess Allen and Fr. Chris Seith. Jess talks about intentionally practicing liturgical living. She gives examples of what that looks like practically and how it could be different in your family life vs her family life. 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 Fan Mail Support the show
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  A Confession Practicum 22.07.2026 52m

  This week Mother Natalia gives some examples of how to go to confession, specifically in the Byzantine tradition. Fr. Michael outlines some practicalities from the priest's point of view and what you will hear the priest say in confession. Mother Natalia gives an example of what it might look like to go to confession when it's the parish confession time and so you don't have tons of time for interaction with the priest. The second example is when you go to confession in the context of spiritu...
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  Child-like not Child-ish 15.07.2026 59m

  This week Fr. Michael takes us through homilies he gave on Matthew 11 while on a recent retreat. He pulls out themes of childlikeness, reflecting on Jesus' teaching of aspects that are good and bad of being a child that we should and should not imitate. 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 Fan Mail Support the show
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  Family, Concert, and Bar Ministry with Adam and Noelle Mering 08.07.2026 1h 7m

  This week we're joined by special guests, Adam and Noelle Mering. They talk about their work counseling families and doing concert and bar ministries. They talk about how they learned to be intentional in the way they interact with their children as their children are in various points in their life. Adam and Noelle talk about their accidental and now intentional ministry they do at concerts and bars. References: Family Revival Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive ...
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  Discerning Married Priesthood with Nick and Lorena Towle 01.07.2026 1h 9m

  This week we're joined by special guests Nick and Lorena Towle, parishioners at Fr. Michael's outreach. Nick recently discerned a call to priesthood and they talk about their vocation story leading up to marriage and to priesthood. References: Aim Higher!: Spiritual and Marian Reflections of Maximilian Kolbe 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 Sen...
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  Growing in the Daily Grind 24.06.2026 43m

  This week Mother Natalia shares a story of personal growth and also ways that she can improve. She connects that story to our daily need to persevere in holiness, recognizing that the times during the weeks after Pentecost are when the "real work" is done. 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 Fan Mail Support the show
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  Fire, Water, Work, and Community 17.06.2026 1h 1m

  This week Fr. Michael reflects on themes found in the scripture passages leading up to Pentecost. He talks about the meaning of fire and water, how they can both be destructive but cleansing. He talks about the need for community and diving in with reckless abandon. 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 Fan Mail Support the show
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  A Long-Expected Parts Episode with Dr. Gerry Crete 10.06.2026 1h 7m

  This week we're joined by special guest, Dr. Gerry Crete. Dr. Gerry talks about Parts Work and how we see it played out in Lord of the Rings. He talks about how we see the characters grow and change, and the different parts we see represented in the characters. References: Litanies of the Heart by Dr. Gerry Crete The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bride...
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  Convictions from St. James 03.06.2026 41m

  This week Mother Natalia reflects on scripture readings from the book of James which recently convicted her. She talks about holding her tongue, being slow to anger, and quick to listen. She talks about the beauty of answering a question directly, as opposed to answering something which was not asked in order to make any excuse. She talks about silence and how silence can help us in our lives. Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Gr...
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  Tabitha Arise! 27.05.2026 39m

  This week Fr. Michael reflects on the scripture passage from Acts where Tabitha is raised from the dead. He contrasts that with the healing of Jairus' daughter in the synoptic Gospels. 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 Fan Mail Support the show
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  The Greatest Intimacy 20.05.2026 50m

  This week Fr. Michael reflect on St. Paul's conversion in Acts. He talks about the sacraments documented in this passage, and how the Eucharist leads to community and union. Register here for The Heart of the God-Bearer - Young Adult Catholic Convocation 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 Fan Mail Support the show
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  Arrow Prayers 13.05.2026 41m

  This week Fr. Michael talks about Arrow Prayers, short prayers that can be employed throughout the day. He gives examples of ones that have been used by saints in the past and ones that we can employ in the future. He talks about using scripture to help us come up with arrow prayers we can use daily. 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 Fan...
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  Only the Lover Sings with Fr. Chris Seith 06.05.2026 1h 5m

  This week we're joined by special guest, Fr. Chris Seith. Fr. Chris shares a quote from Josef Pieper's book, Only the Lover Sings. We talk about love and music, beauty that is discovered in the one we love and in those around us, and how singing points us to love. References: Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation by Josef Pieper Face to Face: Knowing God beyond Our Shame by Fr. Stephen Freeman Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis Follow and Contact Us! Follow...
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  A Few Evangelization Stories 29.04.2026 1h 2m

  This week Fr. Michael shares a few evangelization stories, one that is ostensibly non-successful and one that is ostensibly successful. It's a beautiful witness for those of us who do not necessarily go out of our way to evangelize in this way. 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 Fan Mail Support the show
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  Becoming Me 22.04.2026 33m

  This week Mother Natalia talks about becoming the person God created her to be, using a quote from a book as a jumping off point. She differentiates between the single parts of us and the holy parts of us, recognizing that we are not our sin. References: Face to Face: Knowing God beyond Our Shame by Fr. Stephen Freeman Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer A Right to be Merry by Mother Mary Francis Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Faceboo...
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  A Few of My Favorite Things 15.04.2026 32m

  This week Fr. Michael walks through a few of his favorite things about the Byzantine church. 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 Fan Mail Support the show
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  Penthos and Tears 08.04.2026 1h

  This week Fr. Michael talks about penthos, the deep sorrow for sin, and the tears that can be related to that, using the writings of St. John Climacus as a jumping off point. He talks about sorrow for sins of the world and the different types of tears we can experience. References: Thirty Steps to Heaven by Vassilios Papavassiliou The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John Climacus The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy Quote from St. John Climacus "In the domain of creatio...