Frederica Here And Now

I believe that it's good to set yourself a prayer rule that you won't be able to fully complete.

St. Paisios has come reassuring comments about our struggle against sin. Here is the prayer that Frederica shares in this episode, "O Merciful Lord, you who are all-good and all-loving and patient with me, I know I have sinned; in word, deed, and thought, in knowledge and in ignorance, voluntarily and involuntarily. It is impossible for me to list all my sins, because of their multitude, and my forgetfulness, but especially because of my stony insensibility that prevents me from even noticing them. I truly repent of all these sins, including the ones I don’t remember or prevented myself from recognizing as sin. Please forgive me, you who love mankind, and help me to do better; make me your dwelling place, so that I will love holiness and pursue it more closely every day, until the day when at last I see your face."

How does practicing the Jesus Prayer differ from "mindful" meditation?

Why do we dislike living in peaceful times?

Frederica Mathewes-Green reads the first essay she ever published, a secular, feminist presentation of the pro-life cause.

Frederica Mathewes-Green explains that traditions can be beneficial for a family or community, and that all churches have their own “tradition.”

Frederica Mathewes-Green ponders the tremendous amount of work it took to weave fabric by hand, and how it felt to be clothed in someone’s labor; what we miss, by living entirely amid machine-made things.

The Mother of our Lord is often a stumbling block for Protestants who are exploring Orthodoxy. Frederica Mathewes-Green discusses how to disregard medieval excesses, and see how the early Christians saw her.

Frederica Mathewes-Green presents a Romanian elder’s take on the simple faith that is held by many Americans, and how God responds to it, and she also reports a prayer experience that conveyed the same idea.

Recently, I uploaded an old video to YouTube, of one of the strangest and funniest experiences I ever had with an interview. It was 1996. A producer for a viewer-call-in political talk show, "Capital Watch," phoned me about the work I was doing with a group called Common Ground for Life and Choice. We brought pro-life and pro-choice people together in dialogue, to get better understanding of each other's beliefs. (To get past misunderstanding so we could arrive at genuine disagreement, I used to say.) I put it on my calendar, and drove to the studio on Capital Hill. But while I was standing just off the set, waiting to be introduced, I heard the host say I was going to talk about common ground between Republicans and Democrats. I knew nothing about that. I didn't follow politics at all. But in a matter of seconds I had to walk on the set, sit down, and basically fake it for 20 minutes. I guess the producer had written "Common Ground" on the schedule without any further explanation, and that's what the host

Frederica Mathewes-Green explores, in three parts, her experience as a beekeeper. She mispronounces “propolis” every time!

Frederica Mathewes-Green explores, in three parts, her experience as a beekeeper. She mispronounces “propolis” every time!

Frederica Mathewes-Green explores, in three parts, her experience as a beekeeper. She mispronounces “propolis” every time!

Frederica Mathewes-Green reads the life of St. Mary of Egypt as found in her book First Fruits of Prayer.

Frederica Mathewes-Green recounts an unusual and somber dream.

Frederica Mathewes-Green offers an analogy for the way prayer sometimes “clicks” and becomes a genuine connection with God.

Frederica Mathewes-Green explores the ways the 22nd/23rd Psalm reflects a year of shepherding a sheep.

Frederica Mathewes-Green defends pro-lifers’ right to wear that name, and choose for themselves what causes to support.

Frederica reflects on the earliest depiction of the Theotokos with the Christ child dating back to the 2nd century.

Frederica Mathewes-Green interviews author and AFR podcaster Michael Haldas about the life and impact of J.R.R. Tolkien.