Religion & SpiritualityChristianity

What God is Not

Father Michael O'Loughlin and Mother Natalia

A Byzantine Catholic Podcast about Divine Mystery WhatGodIsNotPodcast@gmail.com

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23 episodes
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Avg 53 min
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Episodes 23

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August 26 · 50 min
The World's Refuse
This week Fr. Michael reflects on a passage from 1 Corinthians. He considers what it means to be scum of the earth, the world's refuse, and to be holy fools. He talks about what it means to be imitators of St. Paul, who in turn is aiming to be an imitator of Christ. References: 1 Cor 4:9-16 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
August 19 · 1 hr 2 min
Monastic Heart of Mary
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 Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us Fan Mail Support the show
August 12 · 40 min
Ignore Evil
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 Website Our Nonprofit Send us Fan Mail Support the show
August 5 · 50 min
We Have Seen the True Light
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 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
July 29 · 1 hr 1 min
A Monastic, A Theologian, and Jess with Fr. Chris and Jess
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
July 22 · 52 min
A Confession Practicum
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 spiritual direction, or retreat, or a scheduled confession where the priest has much more time to listen. References: Fr. Damien Ference on NPR Life Hacks: Going to Confession 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
July 15 · 59 min
Child-like not Child-ish
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
July 8 · 1 hr 7 min
Family, Concert, and Bar Ministry with Adam and Noelle Mering
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 Ideology by Noelle Mering No Contact: How a Seductive Ideology Broke Families and Friendships and How We Can Repair Them by Noelle Mering 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
July 1 · 1 hr 9 min
Discerning Married Priesthood with Nick and Lorena Towle
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 Send us Fan Mail Support the show
June 24 · 43 min
Growing in the Daily Grind
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
June 17 · 1 hr 1 min
Fire, Water, Work, and Community
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
June 10 · 1 hr 7 min
A Long-Expected Parts Episode with Dr. Gerry Crete
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 Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us Fan Mail Support the show
June 3 · 41 min
Convictions from St. James
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 Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us Fan Mail Support the show
May 27 · 39 min
Tabitha Arise!
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
May 20 · 50 min
The Greatest Intimacy
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
May 13 · 41 min
Arrow Prayers
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 Mail Support the show
May 6 · 1 hr 5 min
Only the Lover Sings with Fr. Chris Seith
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 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
April 29 · 1 hr 2 min
A Few Evangelization Stories
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
April 22 · 33 min
Becoming Me
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 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
April 15 · 32 min
A Few of My Favorite Things
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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