The Journey to Pascha

March 12, 2026 • Dr Andrew Mellas • Luke 7:36–50, Luke 15:11–32, Matthew 25:31–46

This is a one off talk given to the youth group at St Gerasimos church in Leichhardt. Dr. Mellas, through navigating the hymns and iconography of the Church, gives us insight into the journey to Pascha. “Tears are a beautiful gift that God has given to us so we might find our way back home, and home is paradise.”

Scripture and Patristic Literature

March 11, 2026 • Very Rev. Gerasimos Koutsouras

α) Father Gerasimos opens the series with an introduction into the importance of using the Church Fathers to understand Scripture ontologically.

Oral Tradition to Written Scripture

March 11, 2026 • Very Rev. Gerasimos Koutsouras • 2 Corinthians, Romans

β) An outline on how the Apostles came to write the New Testament. From the experience of the Resurrected and Ascended Christ came an explosion of life, they believed His return to be imminent. The New Testament was a bequeathing to the Apostolic Fathers, and so, was necessary for the Church. The Orthodox Church follows the teachings of the Church Fathers, who connect tradition & philosophy within the context of the time.

Divine Economy

March 11, 2026 • Very Rev. Gerasimos Koutsouras

γ) How does divine economy work within history in the human experience? Father Gerasimos gives a rundown of Jewish history which relates to the Bible, for our understanding of events and the Jewish attitude to Christ in the Bible. This being the Seleucid Kings, Maccabean Revolt, Hasmonean Dynasty, 1st century BC Rome and the subsequent Herodian Dynasty, to the Birth of Jesus Christ and 70AD. He also looks at the Greco-Roman pagan context that Christian Literature is written. The Didache by the Apostles is mentioned, as an important informative text for Christians to engage with.

Worldly Love vs True Love

March 9, 2026 • Fr Savas Pizanias • John 15, Luke 10:25–37

This is the first talk in our two part series on living Christian love in practice. Discover how modern perspectives of love and relationships enable worldly and selfish attachments which digress from Christ's teachings on love. In all our relationships, if that be with a husband or wife, a friend, a family member, or our neighbour, learn the common issues these dynamics face and how to overcome them through humility, patience, and sacrifice.

Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas

March 8, 2026 • 1. Archbishop Makarios • Mark 2:1–12

The Centrality of Humility for the Christian Life

March 8, 2026 • Dr Philip Kariatlis

This podcast explores the central place of humility in the Christian life—especially pertinent for Holy and Great Lent— drawing on the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church Fathers, especially St Isaac the Syrian. It reflects on how true humility—born from the recognition of God’s boundless love and our dependence on His grace—leads the human heart to what is described as “doxological contrition,” where both sorrow/repentance and thanksgiving arise together before God. 

2nd Sunday of Lent

March 8, 2026 • Fr Michael Psaromatis • Mark 2:1–12

March 8th 2026 Fr Michael Psaromatis, of the parish of St Demetrios, Salisbury in Adelaide, speaks of St Gregory Palamas and the Gospel reading on the Paralytic. He refers to the sickness of sin and the restorative nature of forgiveness in Christ.

St Isaac the Syrian: Homily 66 - "The Blossoming of Spiritual Knowledge is Divine Love"

March 6, 2026 • Very Rev. Emmanuel Stamatiou

St Isaac the Syrian: Homily 66 - "The Blossoming of Spiritual Knowledge is Divine Love"

The Meaning of Lent

March 5, 2026 • Dr Lydia Gore Jones • Isaiah 48, Luke 15:11–32, Genesis 11:1–9, Isaiah 61, John 10:11–18

Dr Lydia’s talk explored the universal human condition shared by all people, drawing on examples from Scripture, literature, and culture to show that every person experiences a sense of exile and longing for restoration. She emphasised that this shared human story ultimately points to our deep need to return from self-imposed separation to the loving Father who awaits us and offers eternal salvation.

The Presanctified Liturgy

March 2, 2026 • Fr Panteleimon Toumbelekis • Matthew 5:1–12

A talk given to SOFIA UNSW during Lent about the history, structure and spiritual meaning of the Presanctified Divine Liturgy. The Presanctified Divine Liturgy reveals how the Church sustains the faithful during the spiritual struggle of Great Lent by offering Holy Communion in a service marked by repentance, silence, and longing for God. It teaches that Christ nourishes us not only in moments of celebration but especially in seasons of struggle, quietly strengthening us on our journey toward Pascha.

The Hymns of Triodion, Great Lent and Holy Week

March 2, 2026

The hymns of Triodion, Great Lent and Holy Week are profoundly theological. They offer a sacred path of repentance that invites us to enter into Christ’s suffering, to experience His Passion and to journey toward the hope and joy of His Resurrection. The Parish and Community of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene in Liverpool, NSW hosted a Byzantine Music Concert featuring ten soloists chanting these sacred hymns. With more than 300 people in attendance, the evening stood as a powerful testament to the beauty of Byzantine hymnography; uplifting, spiritually enriching and deeply moving.

The Will of God

March 1, 2026 • Rev. Fr. Petros Georgiadis

Sunday of Orthodoxy

March 1, 2026 • Dr Philip Kariatlis

In this episode, Dr Philip Kariatlis explores the Sunday of Orthodoxy as the Church’s triumphant proclamation that the Incarnation truly sanctifies matter, revealed through the restoration of holy icons and the defeat of iconoclasm. He highlights that this feast is not only historical but existential, calling believers to become living icons of Christ by embodying the restored image of God within them.

Sunday of Orthodoxy

March 1, 2026 • 1. Archbishop Makarios

Saint Paisios the Athonite

February 28, 2026 • Father Demos Nicolaou

In this talk, Father Demos offers a thoughtful and in depth reflection on Saint Paisios the Athonite; one of the most beloved contemporary Orthodox saints. He explors his life, asceticism and lasting legacy. In 2023, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia declared Saint Paisios the Athonite as the Patron Saint of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia.

Why Should One Study Theology?

February 26, 2026 • Dr Philip Kariatlis • John, 1 Corinthians, 2 Peter 1:4

The talk explains that theology matters because it answers humanity’s deepest existential question about purpose, showing that we were created to know and participate in God’s eternal love and life. Drawing on Scripture and the Fathers, Dr Philip argues that true fulfillment is found in union with God, where human longing for immortality and meaning is satisfied through Christ’s victory over death and gift of divine life.

St Isaac the Syrian: Homily 65 - "Silence is a Mystery of the Age to Come"

February 26, 2026 • Very Rev. Emmanuel Stamatiou

Father Emmanuel discusses the themes of Homily 65 - Silence is a Mystery of the Age to Come.

Forgiveness Sunday 2026

February 22, 2026 • 1. Archbishop Makarios • Matthew 12:12

St Isaac the Syrian: Homily 65 - "Stillness and Silence and The Inner Eye of Divine Vision"

February 20, 2026 • Very Rev. Emmanuel Stamatiou

What Is Prayer?

February 18, 2026 • Fr Panteleimon Toumbelekis • Matthew 6:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

1 of 6 | Prayer is not a ritual but a living relationship with God, the breath of the soul that keeps us spiritually alive. When we pray, we return to our true purpose — communion with the One who created us.