Family Matters

Presvytera Melanie shares a personal reflection on how recognizing the fragility of life can make us more thankful for the idiosyncrasies of our loved ones.

Fr Alex Goussetis offers a book review and encouragement to consider using this workbook during the upcoming Advent season.

Presvytera Melanie speaks with Jennifer Hock about her experience as a parent of both biological and adopted children with a variety of special needs, and the challenges of being a foster parent with limited access to medical history. She shares how attending weekly weekday liturgies at the encouragement of a parish priest was like a "hospital stay" for her, providing yearned-for peace and a transformation of goals.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with Susan Zacharia-Sanders on the practical and emotional dimensions of suicide that families face when a loved one is considering taking their life.

Fr. John and Khouria Alexis discuss how they had a "long distance relationship" until the past year, and how intentional communication, even when they didn't feel like it, got them through all the time apart. They also discuss how marriage is constant important work and how they figured out how to fight by deciphering whether issues were really about each other or about other things.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with Dr George Stavros about rising above the sometimes routine and drudgery of daily life and experiencing sacred moments of transcendence, boundlessness, interconnectedness, and spiritual grace.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with social worker Melinda Johnson regarding the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America’s Directory of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals, an excellent resource for families.

Anna and James discuss how they met at the Naval Academy, how they see their differing Christian faith backgrounds (Orthodox and Catholic) as an opportunity instead of a hinderance, how their combined military experience and James' deployment in Afghanistan have shaped their perspective on what real “problems and challenges" are in life, and how they maximize their time together despite their different jobs in the Coast Guard and Marine Corps.

Presvytera Melanie speaks with Charlotte Riggle about her familial experience of invisible disabilities; how she came to see God's commandment to not bear false witness against one's neighbor as the virtue of philoxenia—the love of strangers—the Giant Cookie Test; and the value of online support for families with special needs.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with Dr Philip Mamalakis on the trends in society and what conversations we can encourage with our children.

Fr. Alex Goussetis speaks with Dr. Philip Mamalakis on the trends in society and what conversations we can encourage with our children.

In "Out of the Mouths of Babes You Have Perfected Praise: A Discussion at the Intersection of Anthropology and Theology," Presvytera Melanie speaks with Sarah Riccardi-Swartz about her involvement with disability rights, how her Autistic daughter further developed her advocacy role, the need for the Church to listen to and incorporate the stories of those with disabilities and their guardians to develop a theology of disability, and the pure-hearted offerings to God in triumphant "Amens!" and Daniel Tiger songs.

Presvytera Melanie speaks with Matt and Louise Heusel on medical practitioners' adverse reactions to prenatal discoveries of disabilities and the pressure put on parents to abort their children, how their daughter with Down Syndrome has enriched their family life, and the special gifts she contributes to their parish family.

Meet Bruce & Natalie Batson, an Orthodox couple from Indiana who have been married for 4 years with three children from Bruce’s previous marriage. They discuss moving across the country after meeting once, going from Buddhism to Orthodoxy via YouTube, what it’s like being a blended family, the emotional struggle that comes with being a step-parent, and how they overcome challenges that arise in life.

Presvytera Melanie speaks with Natalie Kapeluck Nixon, the Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and founder of the St. Nicholas Program, a church camp experience for persons with special needs of all ages, and their families. https://www.uocyouth.org/stnicholasprogram

Presvytera Melanie speaks with His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh on theological "whys" of disability, the need for all of us to learn an etiquette regarding disability, and his exhilarating experience on an OCF Real Break mission trip when visiting "The Four Homes of Mercy," a group home for persons with disabilities.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with Fr Timothy Pavlatos on Scriptural and Patristic resources, as well as practical suggestions, on the impact of judging others, being judged, and judging ourselves.

Meet Athanasia and Niko, an Orthodox couple from Colorado who have been married for 8 years with 2 children. They discuss how they struggled in their first years of marriage, dealing with stay-at-home mom “guilt," how doing activities together is important for their marital bond, and finding that "magic button" for communication.

Fr Alex Goussetis speaks with Dr Vasilia Vamvakis on the challenges and opportunities of balancing the demands of family and career.

Presvytera Melanie continues her conversation with William Christy, this time including his father and mother, Father Paul and Presvytera Mary, and his twin sister, Gabriella. Each family member shares their personal perspective related to William's diagnosis of cerebral palsy—the joys, challenges, and the way their love for God and his love for them was made manifest through their experiences.