The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom rallies excitement among Orthodox Christians every Easter. While it is tempting to be swept up in the grandeur of a winning team after fighting the good fight with long hours of fasting and prayer, it is Christ's victory, not our own, that we celebrate. St. John uses the parable of the workers found in Matthew's Gospel to remind us that the "Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first." We are called to "rejoice together – rich and poor, sober and slothful" – a poignant reminder for those who quibble over divisions among us today. 

The 2021 Holy Saturday episode of Doulos explores the imagery and poetry of St. John Chrysostom's Paschal Homily through an interview with Andrea Bakas, founder of the Los Angeles Bible Lecture Series. She takes a deeper look at the scriptural content woven into this powerful and enduring sermon. Andrea also explores the rich meaning of the Greek word, epikranthi, used as the basis for her new podcast which releases Pascha Sunday, 2021, VEXED!

See the full episode transcript.

​In our jobs, families, neighborhoods, and church communities, we expect people to exercise an appropriate level of authority to carry out their particular responsibilities. As Christians, the authority that we exercise over people or things in our care require us to serve as one under the authority of God's instruction.

Fr. Sergius looks to Christ, the Theotokos, and the faithful Centurion as shining examples of those who humbly submit to the Lord's instruction and exercise the power of that instruction to carry out their responsibilities for those in their care.

Fr. Sergius Halvorsen, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at St. Vladimir’s Seminary and contributor to Doulos – The Intensive Program in Servant Leadership, shares the final episode of a four-part series to explore serving with Christ-like authority and humility.

See the full episode transcript.