Explore every episode of the podcast What God is Not
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picard and Parts Work: Make it So with Dr. Gerry Crete | 25 Sep 2024 | 01:24:51 | |
This week we're joined by special guest Dr. Gerry Crete. Dr. Gerry and Mother Natalia talk about some of their favorite Star Trek episodes and how they relate to parts work. | |||
| Impoverished and Insecure Freedom | 18 Sep 2024 | 00:59:05 | |
This week Mother Natalia reflects on two listener emails. One talks about welcoming people at church and the ways we can be stretched. Another talks about recognizing the humanity in Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia in the beginning episode banter. Mother Natalia also reflects on a passage in a book by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom. | |||
| Co-Authoring My Life | 17 Jul 2024 | 01:06:58 | |
This week Fr. Michael responds to a correction from a listener, and uses that as inspiration for this week's topic. We talk about letting God work through us and using the gifts He's given us. We talk about how the authors of scripture were so in sync with the Holy Spirit that it showed in their inspired writings. | |||
| Wrestling with God | 26 Oct 2022 | 00:48:37 | |
This week Father Michael talks about the wrestling and grappling with God that we must undertake daily as part of our Christian life. | |||
| Coward! | 19 Oct 2022 | 01:04:41 | |
This week Fr. Michael reflects on four saints that inspire him to holiness and persistence despite the perceived dangers or negative perceptions from the world. Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia reflect on the inspiration these saints bring and how we can imitate them in our daily lives. | |||
| Virtual Unreality with Matt Fradd | 12 Oct 2022 | 01:07:38 | |
This week we're joined by special guest Matt Fradd of Pints with Aquinas. Mother Natalia talks about our online interactions and the way we perceive and interact with people online vs in-person. This topic is an extension of some of her reflection on the Bridegroom's Banquet video, so check that out if you haven't already! | |||
| Various Vocations | 05 Oct 2022 | 01:00:59 | |
This week’s episode starts as a mini topic and then becomes a full blown topic! This week Father Michael takes a listener question on vocations and talks about how we can each live out our call within the church. Father Michael and Mother Natalia talk about areas we can serve the church directly in the liturgy but then also out in the wider community. | |||
| Reflections on the Run | 28 Sep 2022 | 00:58:28 | |
On this week’s episode Mother Natalia talks about running and how different experiences of a run can equate to experiences in our spiritual life. | |||
| Feasting Live | 21 Sep 2022 | 01:09:01 | |
This week we have another in-person, live episode, this time with many guests! Father Michael talks about feasting and fasting, and how they're both intertwined. We have a few guests talk about memories of their favorite feasts. | |||
| "Wasting" Time with Jesus | 14 Sep 2022 | 01:06:50 | |
This week Mother Natalia talks about her retreat and the fruits of her retreat. She talks about how this retreat helped her learn or relearn to “just be” with Jesus, not necessarily learning anything, or having a divine revelation, but just learning to be and rest. | |||
| Married Priesthood | 07 Sep 2022 | 01:11:32 | |
This week we're joined by special guests Fr. Nathan Symeon and his wife Ali. Fr. Nathan Symeon and Ali talk about married priesthood from their own perspective and experience. They talk about the joys and struggles, and ultimately how this path they're on is the one they believe is for their sanctification and holiness. | |||
| The Culture of Bears | 31 Aug 2022 | 00:57:55 | |
This week we're joined by several special guests who participated in an escape room with Mother Natalia and Father Michael. Mother Natalia reflects on how they each reacted within the escape room (one of those haunted house type ones), and how the reactions tended to break down by gender lines. | |||
| Convo with a Cradle Copt | 24 Aug 2022 | 01:08:17 | |
This week Mother Natalia and Father Michael are joined by two special guests, Mother Gabriella from Christ the Bridegroom Monastery and Natalie Bishay, a Coptic Orthodox since birth. Natalie shares some of the beauties of Coptic Orthodoxy, including their mentality of being servants and their process of electing men for the priesthood. | |||
| Rupture and Relationship with Fr. Boniface Hicks | 10 Jul 2024 | 01:04:28 | |
This week we're joined by special guest Fr. Boniface Hicks. Mother Natalia talks about the importance of repairing relationships which have suffered a rupture, regardless of the type of relationship. They give some examples of where ruptures have occurred in the past, and how a repair might come about. | |||
| Having Completed the Course of Her Earthly Life | 17 Aug 2022 | 00:58:33 | |
This week Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia do a "reaction audio" of the canon for the Dormition of the Theotokos. They talk about the links back to the stories of the Old Testament, the paradox of Christian life that's talked about in the canon, and the overall beauty of the prayers. | |||
| 3 Types of Friend | 10 Aug 2022 | 01:14:53 | |
This week Fr. Michael uses Aristotle's writings to talk about the three types of friend in preparation for an article he's writing on friendship. He talks about the three types of friends, examples of how those friendships can be seen in action, and how we see friendship growing. | |||
| Marks of a True Christian | 03 Aug 2022 | 01:05:41 | |
This week we're joined by special guest, Fr. Travis! In today's episode, Mother Natalia reflects on Romans 12 where St. Paul describes the marks of a true Christian. Mother Natalia talks about some practicalities in interacting with others, those that are interested in our true Catholic selves and those that aren't. | |||
| Holy Land and Holy People | 27 Jul 2022 | 01:00:39 | |
This week Fr. Michael recaps his recent time in the Holy Land where he was the chaplain for a 10 day pilgrimage. He talks about the areas they traveled, where the Lord spoke to him in prayer, and being inspired by the people he encountered on the trip. | |||
| The Woman in Heaven | 20 Jul 2022 | 01:08:47 | |
This week Father Michael talks about the difference between men and women, the wholistic beauty of the human person, and how Mary epitomizes everything which is good and beautiful about women. It's an interesting one! | |||
| Work Transformed | 13 Jul 2022 | 01:20:33 | |
This week Mother Natalia uses a reflection from Bishop John Michael Botean about work as her inspiration for today's episode. Mother Natalia reflects on work, both what it is and what it is not. She uses quotes from the Church Fathers to help our understanding, and gives practical examples of how to live a life more focused on God and less focused on work. | |||
| Involuntary Sin with Father Maximos | 06 Jul 2022 | 01:14:17 | |
This week we're joined by Fr. Maximos of Holy Resurrection Monastery. Fr. Maximos talks about how "the East" defines involuntary sin, and what that can look like practically in the confessional. There's a great discussion about healing and presenting yourself to the divine healer in confession. | |||
| Wisdom in the World (but not of it) | 29 Jun 2022 | 01:02:07 | |
This week Mother Natalia uses a homily given by Bishop Malesic of the Diocese of Cleveland as her inspiration for a topic. She talks about living in a society where there is always an opportunity to be photographed or videoed, and how that can remind us that all our actions are known by The One and will eventually come to light for all of us. | |||
| Leaning In | 22 Jun 2022 | 01:15:50 | |
This week we're joined by special guests Libby and Sandy! They're both Roman Catholics who talk about embracing the Byzantine fast for the first time. We hear about their joys, struggles, and how they learned to integrate the fast with prayer. It's a worthwhile listen, especially while we're still in the Apostles' Fast. | |||
| What Leisure is Not with Mother Gabriella | 15 Jun 2022 | 01:09:27 | |
This week Mother Gabriella joins us to talk to us about leisure. She uses the book Leisure by Josef Pieper as her jumping off point, and talks about what leisure is and what it is not. We learn how to rest and how that's different than vegging out. It's a thoughtful conversation that will stick with you! | |||
| The Hermeneutic of Moms | 03 Jul 2024 | 00:55:42 | |
This week Fr. Michael continues his discussion from several episodes ago on living out the gospel as a mom. Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia respond to some reflections that listeners passed along about life as a mom and creative almsgiving. | |||
| Diary of a Russian Priest | 06 Jun 2022 | 01:17:56 | |
This week Mother Natalia talks about a book she's reading, The Diary of a Russian Priest, and inspiration she's received from it. The discussion covers a variety of topics including wearing masks to hide our true selves, finding inner peace, vocations, and our conscience. Bridegroom's Banquet - the monastery's annual fundraiser is Saturday, September 10th. All details can be found here, including a link to register to attend in-person, and a link for donations if you can't attend in-person. Thanks for your generosity! | |||
| Mother-daughter Natalia | 01 Jun 2022 | 01:18:48 | |
We're back with part two of our "meet the parents" series. This week Fr. Michael interviews Mother Natalia's parents, Barbara and Dave. They talk about how both of them have benefited from Mother Natalia's vocation, and how they've left something behind but have gained so much more. | |||
| Leave Your Sins to Satan | 25 May 2022 | 01:11:13 | |
This week Fr. Michael walks through three prayers said over adults who are entering the church who also are being baptized. Fr. Michael and Mother Natalia talk about the uniqueness of the prayers and how they call both the catechumen and the congregation to faithful living. We are reminded that Satan gets our sins! | |||
| Father-son Michael | 18 May 2022 | 01:16:46 | |
This week we have special guests! Bob and Marie O'Loughlin join us for an interview from Mother Natalia. Bob and Marie first introduce each other and we hear a little about how they met. Bob and Marie talk about what it was like when they knew Fr. Michael wanted to be a priest, the blessings they've received through his priesthood, and some of their memories. It's a touching interview with just a few tears! | |||
| Word(s) from a Poustinik: Awareness of Self and Humanity | 11 May 2022 | 00:53:25 | |
We're doing back to back episodes where Mother Natalia reflects on words she received while she led a poustinia with Wyoming Catholic. On this episode she talks about having an awareness of self. | |||
| Word from a Poustinik: Motherhood | 04 May 2022 | 00:51:17 | |
We're doing back to back episodes where Mother Natalia reflects on words she received while she led a poustinia with Wyoming Catholic. This episode she talks about motherhood, the graces she receives from giving spiritual direction, and how God can work through any circumstance to reach us where we're at. | |||
| 100 | 27 Apr 2022 | 01:28:24 | |
We're so excited to celebrate episode 100. We had a live recording where were joined by some listeners for vespers, dinner, and the recording. In this episode you get a bit of a behind the scenes look at "how the sausage is made" and then we dive into listener questions. Thank you so much for your support. We really appreciate it! | |||
| Letter to Diognetus | 20 Apr 2022 | 01:05:44 | |
This week Fr. Michael uses the Letter to Diognetus (chapters 5 and 6) as a jumping off point for our episode this week, inspired by Deacon Michael Hyatt's episode on this same topic. Fr. Michael talks about the paradox of being in the world but not of it. | |||
| What Suffering is Not with Mother Iliana | 13 Apr 2022 | 01:11:43 | |
This week we continue our "Meet the Nun" series with Mother Iliana! Mother Iliana talks about suffering and sickness, and how we encounter God in our suffering. She also talks about visiting the sick and how allowing others to visit you when you're sick helps them fulfill Jesus' command to visit the sick. | |||
| Gratitude and the Hand of God | 06 Apr 2022 | 01:06:12 | |
This week Fr. Michael uses Isaiah 10:15 as a jumping off point to talk about recognizing God's hand at work in everything, even in the things that we're good at. Many times we're aware of the work God is doing in our life in relation to "bad things" or things we're working on, but we may not always be aware of the work God is doing in our life for things that come naturally to us. | |||
| The Inmost Self with Dr. Gerry Crete | 26 Jun 2024 | 01:12:21 | |
This week we're joined by special guest Dr. Gerry Crete. We talk about some of the concepts from his book, Litanies of the Heart. We talk about the studies and prayer he's had over the years which led throughout his work. We talk about the inner self, the different parts that make up ourselves, and how the parts can interact with each other and our inner self. | |||
| Not "That" Episode on Sin | 30 Mar 2022 | 01:00:37 | |
This week we're joined by Fr. Jeffrey Dufresne who gave a homily on sin that inspired Mother Natalia! Mother Natalia talks about sin as a sickness, how this sickness can spread to others, and how we can seek healing for our sin. | |||
| Personal Relationship with Jesus | 23 Mar 2022 | 01:03:34 | |
Trigger warning - some discussion on the realities of the Holocaust. | |||
| Poverty vs Destitution | 16 Mar 2022 | 01:09:06 | |
This week Mother Natalia walks through the differences between destitution and poverty following a homework assignment she gave one of her spiritual daughters. Mother talks about how poverty is the lack of any barriers between us and God, and how that should be our long-term goal. Mother Natalia talks about the poverty Adam and Eve had before the fall. | |||
| OLO-Biography | 09 Mar 2022 | 01:20:10 | |
This week Fr. Michael shares his vocation story. He starts early - with his grandparents - and then makes his way to childhood and college years. Fr. Michael shares how the Lord worked in his life to show him the peace and joy he'd receive as a priest. | |||
| Searching for the Searcher | 02 Mar 2022 | 01:07:33 | |
This week Mother Natalia talks about Zaccheus, the searching he did to find Jesus, and how that searching is in response to Jesus searching for him. This is the same in our lives. We are searching for Jesus as a response to Him searching for us. Mother Natalia talks about how Zaccheus was "all in" with Jesus and how that's a model for her life, including in her response to hospitality. | |||
| SEEK and You Shall Find | 23 Feb 2022 | 01:00:33 | |
We were featured on SEEK in December and we're dropping the episode here in case you missed us! Father Michael and Mother Natalia share stories of their friendship, how SEEK played a part of their lives, and then talk about Divine Liturgy.
| |||
| Fostering Ecstasy Dail-y | 16 Feb 2022 | 00:48:23 | |
This week we’re joined by special guest Casey Dail. Casey talks about her experience as a foster mom and the balance she has to practice of attachment and detachment. She links some of her experiences to the ecstasy experienced in the cross. | |||
| Loneliness | 09 Feb 2022 | 01:02:11 | |
This week Father Michael talks about the reality of loneliness within our vocation. We talk about relying on God instead of others to satisfy loneliness. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis | |||
| From Whence Mother Natalia Came | 02 Feb 2022 | 01:17:24 | |
This week Mother Natalia shares her vocation story up to the decision to enter the monastery.
An Explanation by Luke Spehar | |||
| Melkite Joe | 26 Jan 2022 | 01:19:36 | |
This week's episode is long but so worth it! We're happy to welcome to the podcast special guest Melkite Joe. Melkite Joe shares a bit of his life story that led to his discernment to enter Holy Transfiguration Monastery in California. | |||
| Practical Suggestions for Daily Prayer | 19 Jun 2024 | 01:04:46 | |
This week Fr. Michael walks through some of the prayers of the church which can be incorporated into your daily prayer life. These are everything from prayers before and after meals to a daily examination of conscience. | |||
| All Rise for Judge Natalia | 19 Jan 2022 | 01:10:52 | |
This week Mother Natalia talks about judgement. She gives some practical examples of judgement and the way it causes a block or barrier between herself and the person as well as herself and God. | |||
| Unanswered Prayer | 12 Jan 2022 | 00:50:38 | |
Father Michael uses two Gospel passages along with some prayer requests in his life to talk about unanswered prayer and how our unanswered prayers unite us with our forefathers. | |||
| Love Heals Both Sides | 05 Jan 2022 | 01:05:16 | |
This week Mother Natalia talks about how loving people shows us the love of God, and that in loving, both the the lover and the beloved receive fruit. The ability both to give love and receive love are because God gives us those abilities. In loving each other we love God, and that love can heal us. Growing in holiness helps us to grow in love. | |||