Roads From Emmaus

Reflecting on the 20th anniversary of his reception into the Orthodox Church, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick talks about 6 things that he's learned along the way, most of them things he couldn't quite imagine 20 years ago.

Jesus enters triumphantly into the Holy City of Jerusalem, as celebrated on Palm Sunday. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick relates that to His entry into the Jerusalem that is our hearts and talks about what happens when that occurs.

On the great feast of the Annunciation, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick speaks of how very different was the God Who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ than the lesser deities who had been worshiped before.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick speaks on the kind of secular age we are actually in (it may be not what you think!), how we evangelize and minister in this context, and how we live a true Christian life here. (This talk was given on Mar. 17, 2018, for the OCA Diocese of New York & New Jersey annual teen retreat.)

Jesus said that anyone who would come after Him should deny themselves and take up their crosses. We may think this is about doing hard, painful things, but Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick tells us it's actually an invitation.

Sharing more of the wisdom he learned from his experience Athonite monasticism, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses how even at the heart of where everything is being done 'right,' the Orthodox Christians there are focused completely on Jesus Christ.

With the Sunday of the Last Judgment, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick makes the point that both the question of what we eat during Lent and how we understand the coming Judgment are really about our orientation toward Jesus.

Reflecting on his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick connects some of the wisdom he heard there with the parable of the Prodigal Son and what that means for our own prayer and repentance.

After His baptism, the Lord Jesus begins His preaching: 'Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,' and Fr. Andrew unpacks what that means for us. He also gives further comment and talks about his anticipation for going on a very special pilgrimage.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick focuses on the four phrases in 2 Tim. 4:5 ('Be watchful in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry') and uses that verse as a summary of what it means to be Christian.

With his Christmas Eve sermon, Fr. Andrew emphasizes that history is not just an aspect of the Church but key to the whole Christian Gospel. In his additional commentary, he shares a meditation titled 'Who Shall I Be at Christmas?'

Using St. Paul's image of putting on the whole armor of God in wrestling against spiritual powers of darkness, Fr. Andrew applies this to how we do ministry in church and in our own lives.

In looking at St. Paul's exhortation to 'walk not as unwise, but as wise,' Fr. Andrew talks about what that means and contrasts it with how we usually use our wisdom.

Connecting both St. Paul's command to 'walk worthy' of the calling we received with the Gospel account of the rich man who asks Jesus about eternal life, Fr. Andrew takes on the question of how we give to God in our churches.

Fr. Andrew looks at the conversion story of St. Paul and relates that to how each of us is also called to be a 'chosen vessel' of the Lord.

With the Parable of the Sower, Fr. Andrew connects the need for a seed to fall into the ground and die in order to be fruitful with how we thwart that process with a distorted view of the Church, as expressed by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom.

With the raising of the son of the widow of Nain, Jesus gives people an experience of God who are not used to seeing God. Fr. Andrew further comments on how we see God even in our difficult modern world.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick journeys into the hollers of central Appalachia and encounters one of the least-known forms of American Protestant religion, exploring their faith, their music and one of their churches, through the eyes of an Orthodox priest raised in that tradition.

Discussing Jesus' command in Luke 6 to love our enemies, Fr. Andrew talks about what that means in daily life, who are enemies are, and just what love actually is. Bonus commentary addresses a complication: Do you have to love an abuser?

Fr. Andrew talks about the religious and irreligious space we now inhabit and draws on the writings of a saint of celebrated on the day, Silouan the Athonite, for a way forward. (Spoiler alert: Our age is more like the apostles' age.)