Roads From Emmaus

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says farewell to this podcast after 10 years and nearly 400 episodes. But he's not going anywhere, and he's also announcing two new podcasts beginning this year, as well as some very special news.

In the time of social distancing and isolation away from corporate worship, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says Christians must prepare now for their return to church. He gives five concrete ways to do that.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick tells us that angels were present and involved at the giving of the Law to Moses. The Lord Jesus says that the 'sons of the resurrection' are 'sons of God' and 'equal to the angels.' So then what does it mean to be saved?

On the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses how idols are radically different from icons, based both on man's encounters with the visible God before and after the Incarnation and also on a thorough understanding of how idolatry actually works.

On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses what sexual immorality does to a person, noting how its devastating corruption is inward and difficult to uproot.

With the parable of the Publican and Pharisee, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick shows how the Pharisee was actually an idolater. He adds further comments on the nature of idolatry and why it always turns back toward the self.

On the feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses Christ's role as the First-born and what it means for us to share in his inheritance.

Using the Gospel of the Ten Lepers, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses how leprosy put the lepers outside society, how their healing has a purpose beyond physical health, and how that relates to the Kingdom of God and the immortality of its citizens.

On the Eve of Theophany, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick charges straight ahead into dragon territory, discussing what it means to confront the dragons in the water and also asking: Why don't we seem to see dragons any more?

Abraham is called by God out of Ur of the Chaldees, a descendant of the civilization founded by the first murderer Cain. Yet when he reached the Promised Land, he lived in tents. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses why and how this relates to Christmas and to us.

There are some who say that Christian dogma is unchanging but morality can be revised over time. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick shows from Scripture that the original Apostolic dogmatic statement included moral commands from God and talks about why moral revisionism is anti-Christian.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick points out that the woman bent over by a 'spirit of infirmity' was under demonic attack and addresses the place of angels and demons in the life of the Christian, insisting that exorcism is actually a key component of the gospel.

With the parable of the Rich Fool, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick explores where life really comes from and why feeling deep feelings about God is not the same thing as loving Him.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick highlights a passage from a speech by Patriarch John X of Antioch that emphasizes the integrative character of the Christian life, giving over all things to God and thus becoming whole, including some extra notes about how Orthodoxy is neither anti-intellectual nor elitist.

Sometimes, we wish God would just show up so that He would remove all our doubts and we could believe in Him without question. But what are we really asking for? What would happen? Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses this question in light of the Gospel of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

'God loves a cheerful giver.' We might take that as an ironic thing to say, especially since we usually don't feel like giving -- especially our money. Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick opens up what this 'cheerfulness' is about and Who it comes from and why.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick preaches on the feast of St. Jacob of Hamatoura, who had been forgotten and yet made himself known again, telling what it means that God gives us saints and why He does so.

Speaking on the raising of the son of the widow of Nain, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick gives us the 'backstory' on what it means when God visits His people and about how we can be prepared for this visitation.

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick asks: Is it any wonder that, since the shaping of the world into order from formlessness and void in Genesis was begun with a light shining in the darkness, that the coming of Christ into this broken world of chaos and horror would also be begun with a star shining in the darkness?

Using the images of the Exodus, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick shows how the Hebrews were freed from slavery not just to the Egyptians but to their gods. And with that freedom, they worship the one true God by using the Ark of the Covenant within the Tabernacle, prefigurations of the Holy Theotokos, whose Nativity is being celebrated.