Fr.TEDTalks — Instagram

Fr.TEDTalks Instagram 19 hours ago

The Church Is a Hospital: Why We Go When We Are Sick

A speaker in a clip from Fr. Ted Talks, streaming on Logos Cinema, compares the church to a spiritual hospital. He begins with the way hospitals work: people go to a hospital when they are sick, not when they are well, and no one seeks advice from a doctor, nurse or paramedic unless something is wrong. In the same way, we go to the church and relate to a spiritual father because all of us are spiritually sick. He stresses that we do not go to a…

A speaker in a clip from Fr. Ted Talks, streaming on Logos Cinema, compares the church to a spiritual hospital. He begins with the way hospitals work: people go to a hospital when they are sick, not when they are well, and no one seeks advice from a doctor, nurse or paramedic unless something is wrong. In the same way, we go to the church and relate to a spiritual father because all of us are spiritually sick.

He stresses that we do not go to a hospital to stay there forever, and the goal in the spiritual life should not be that we remain sick but that we get better. He then describes the process a patient goes through: at a hospital a person is triaged, diagnosed, given the proper medication, and discharged when they get better. The clip is presented as a short promotional post inviting viewers to comment to receive where to watch.

The church is a spiritual hospital, and people go to a hospital when they are sick, not when they are well.
No one seeks advice from a doctor, nurse or paramedic unless something is wrong.
We go to the church and relate to a spiritual father because all of us are spiritually sick.
The goal should not be that we remain sick but that we get better.
At a hospital a person is triaged, diagnosed, given the proper medication, and discharged when they get better.

Key moments

The church is a spiritual hospital, and people go to a hospital when they are sick, not when they are well.
We do not go to the hospital to stay forever, and we do not seek advice from a doctor, nurse or paramedic unless something is wrong.
We go to the church and relate to a spiritual father because all of us are spiritually sick.
The goal should not be that we remain sick but that we get better.
At the hospital a person is triaged, diagnosed, given the proper medication, and discharged when they get better.

Fr.TEDTalks Instagram 2 days ago

Archbishop Apostolos visits parish, tonsures nineteen servers and readers

The parish community welcomed His Eminence Archbishop Apostolos for his hierarchical pastoral visit. The Archbishop presided over the Divine Liturgy and offered his blessing to the parish community. A significant moment occurred when His Eminence tonsured sixteen altar servers and three readers, blessing them as they continue their service to the Church. The parish expresses gratitude to God for the Archbishop's presence among them and describes…

The parish community welcomed His Eminence Archbishop Apostolos for his hierarchical pastoral visit. The Archbishop presided over the Divine Liturgy and offered his blessing to the parish community. A significant moment occurred when His Eminence tonsured sixteen altar servers and three readers, blessing them as they continue their service to the Church.

The parish expresses gratitude to God for the Archbishop's presence among them and describes the day as beautiful and memorable, one they will remember for years to come. The post concludes with a prayer that God grant His Eminence many years of health, strength, and faithful service to His Church, followed by the traditional Greek acclamation meaning many years, Master.

Archbishop Apostolos made a hierarchical pastoral visit to the parish
He presided over the Divine Liturgy
Sixteen altar servers were tonsured
Three readers were tonsured
The parish prayed for the Archbishop's many years of health and service

Key moments

Bless the Lord, all works of the Lord; praise and exalt him to all ages.
Bless the Lord, angels of the Lord; heavens of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, all waters above the heavens; all powers of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon; stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness; nights and days, bless the Lord.

Fr.TEDTalks Instagram 2 days ago

Archbishop Apostolos Preaches Forgiveness at Prophet Elias Church

Archbishop Apostolos visited the Church of Prophet Elias for the Divine Liturgy, marking his first visit to the parish. In his sermon he preached on the Gospel of Luke, citing the command to love enemies and to do to others as you wish done to yourself. He explained that loving only those who love you brings no credit, since even sinners do that, and that the core of the Gospel is forgiving enemies as Christ did on the cross when He said,…

Archbishop Apostolos visited the Church of Prophet Elias for the Divine Liturgy, marking his first visit to the parish. In his sermon he preached on the Gospel of Luke, citing the command to love enemies and to do to others as you wish done to yourself. He explained that loving only those who love you brings no credit, since even sinners do that, and that the core of the Gospel is forgiving enemies as Christ did on the cross when He said, "Father, forgive them," calling us to imitate Him.

The archbishop pointed to the thief on the cross who asked forgiveness and heard Jesus say, "today you will be with me in paradise," presenting forgiveness as the key to salvation and the door to paradise. He quoted the call to be merciful as the Father is merciful and recounted denying communion to those who refuse to forgive family members, because we cannot expect God's mercy if we withhold our own mercy.

The archbishop described the Church as hierarchical with bishops as successors of the apostles, noting the Ecumenical Patriarch succeeds Saint John Chrysostom and the Apostle Andrew, that Constantinople was the first Christian state, and that the Gospel has been kept unchanged for centuries. He called the young people present the present and future of the Church, identifying them as leaders, teachers, parents, and supporters of Sunday school and Greek education, and urged unity, support for ministries, and opening family doors to Christ so the Church continues its mission for coming generations.

The archbishop also noted that the prophet Elias connects the Old and New Testaments, and that the Gospel gives directions on how believers should behave toward all people, requiring generosity toward everyone when we have the ability, and emphasized that the Church, established by Christ's blood on the cross, is unshakeable.

Archbishop Apostolos made his first visit to Prophet Elias Church and preached on forgiveness from Luke's Gospel
He taught that loving only those who love you earns no credit; the core of the Gospel is forgiving enemies as Christ did on the cross
He cited the thief on the cross who received paradise through forgiveness, calling it the key to salvation
He recounted denying communion to those who refuse to forgive family members, because we cannot expect God's mercy if we withhold our own
He described the Church as hierarchical with bishops as successors of the apostles, called young people the present and future of the Church, and urged unity and support for ministries

Key moments

0:00 First visit to Church of Prophet Elias; Prophet Elias connects Old and New Testament; Gospel gives directions on how believers should behave toward all people
0:41 Gospel of Luke: "As you wish men would do to you, do so to them", the Lord's clear direction on communication and behavior
1:21 Loving only those who love you brings no credit; even sinners do that; we must be generous to everyone when we have the ability
2:06 Core message: love your enemies; Christ on the cross said "Father, forgive them," calling us to imitate Him; forgiveness opens the door to paradise
3:34 The thief on the cross asked forgiveness and Jesus said "today you will be with me in paradise", forgiveness is the key of salvation
4:47 "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful"; archbishop refused communion to those who would not forgive family members, because we cannot expect God's mercy if we withhold our own
7:00 Young people are the present and future of the Church; the Church needs them as leaders, teachers, parents, and supporters of Sunday school and Greek education
9:13 The Church is hierarchical with bishops as successors of the apostles; the Ecumenical Patriarch succeeds Saint John Chrysostom and the Apostle Andrew; Constantinople was the first Christian state; the Gospel has been kept unchanged for centuries

Fr.TEDTalks Instagram 3 days ago

Competence Is Not Maturity: Why You Need to Be Bad at Something

The speaker argues that many adults confuse competence with maturity. We get good at our jobs, learn the vocabulary, collect credentials, and build routines that work. Along the way, we also learn to avoid correction: we avoid rooms where somebody might correct us, mute the person who disagrees, choose hobbies we already excel at, explain away losses, and rename discomfort as misalignment, correction as toxicity, and being exposed as bad energy.…

The speaker argues that many adults confuse competence with maturity. We get good at our jobs, learn the vocabulary, collect credentials, and build routines that work. Along the way, we also learn to avoid correction: we avoid rooms where somebody might correct us, mute the person who disagrees, choose hobbies we already excel at, explain away losses, and rename discomfort as misalignment, correction as toxicity, and being exposed as bad energy.

The result, he says, is an impressively competent life that never requires saying I was wrong, he got me, or show me. That, in his words, is not spiritual maturity. Orthodox Christianity, he argues, gives nowhere to hide from this: we confess, we fast, we bow, we repent, and we submit to practices that keep reminding us that expertise has never made anybody self-sufficient.

He closes with the advice to become excellent, but to make sure excellence has not become the armor used to stay uncorrectable. The post promotes Episode 80 of the Orthodox Health Podcast, titled Why You Need to Be Bad at Something: The Humility of Being a Beginner. Readers who comment BEGINNER are offered the full episode. The post carries hashtags on Orthodox Christianity, humility, Christian living, and repentance.

Competence and maturity are not the same thing; adults often confuse them.
People avoid correction by muting critics, choosing hobbies they already excel at, and renaming discomfort as misalignment or toxicity.
A competent life can avoid ever saying I was wrong, he got me, or show me.
Orthodox practices such as confession, fasting, bowing, and repentance remind us that expertise has never made anybody self-sufficient.
The post promotes Episode 80 of the Orthodox Health Podcast: Why You Need to Be Bad at Something: The Humility of Being a Beginner.