PODCAST

What God is Not

Father Michael O"Loughlin and Mother Natalia

A Byzantine Catholic Podcast about Divine Mystery WhatGodIsNotPodcast@gmail.com

religion & spirituality christianity

All Episodes

60:42

Melodramatic Sanctity

What God is Not ·

2025/08/27

This week Mother Natalia reflects on some insights she had during a recent Theology of the Body retreat. She talks about the need to stay present in whatever you're doing, whether that's eating an orange, answering emails, texting a friend, etc. She talks about how to be a saint in our time, by exaggerating the things the world doesn't do well to inspire them to do those things well. References: Saint Thomas Aquinas by G.K. Chesterton Humanality Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow a...

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81:07

The Beauty Beneath the Mask with Keith Nester

What God is Not ·

2025/08/20

Mother Natalia was recently on Catholic Feedback with Keith Nester and we're dropping the episode in your feed today! Mother Natalia talks a bit about how she found the Byzantine Catholic church, hiding beneath masks, sin, beauty, and how she ended up at the monastery. Thanks to Keith and his team for recording our audio and video for this week! Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Mich...

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76:52

Shared Beauty is Real Beauty

What God is Not ·

2025/08/13

This week's episode was recorded live at the Byzantine Assembly in Indiana! This week Mother Natalia reflects on a grace shared by a pilgrim about beauty. She talks about sharing beauty with people and with God. We also have some Q&A at the end of the session. Thanks to WJOB in Indiana for recording the audio and video for this episode. References: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin Register for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram...

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43:13

True Poverty and Contentment

What God is Not ·

2025/08/06

This week Fr. Michael reflects on the reaction of the shepherds to the driving out of demons from the swine, and how that reaction differs from St. Photina's reaction to encountering Christ. He talks about how Jesus can look at our true poverty and provide true contentment. References: Matt 8:28 - 33 John 4:1-30 Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Br...

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62:14

Spiritual Smorgasbord with Fr. Chris Seith

What God is Not ·

2025/07/30

This week Mother Natalia is joined by Fr. Chris Seith. Mother Natalia uses John 9 and the prayers of the week for the man born blind as her inspiration for today's episode. She talks about our gifts and how they build up our community. She also talks about God's delight in us. References: John 9 Faith, Hope, Love by Joseph Pieper Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitt...

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60:22

A Byzantine View of the Synod with Fr. Nathan Symeon

What God is Not ·

2025/07/23

This week we're joined by special guest Fr. Nathan Symeon. Fr. Nathan and Fr. Michael talk about listening to the Holy Spirit and others. They also talk about their experience as participants in a review of the final document from the synod on synodality. References: Integrated Evangelization by Monsignor Richter Sobornost by Catherine Doherty Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. M...

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68:15

A Young Priest Gets Old

What God is Not ·

2025/07/16

This week Mother Natalia asks Fr. Michael to reflect on his twenty years of priesthood, one day after his anniversary. She asks him some questions from the podcast team as well as from her. Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us a text Support the show

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44:34

Stop the Clanging Cymbal

What God is Not ·

2025/07/09

This week Mother Natalia talks about assumptions and how they can hurt others. She talks about sensitivity needed in difficult discussions and the need to listen to people instead of just blathering on to hear ourselves speak. Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us a text Support the show

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49:46

Vocation and Mission

What God is Not ·

2025/07/02

This week Fr. Michael talks about the vocation of priesthood and ways that seminarians could be guided in their discernment towards married or celibate priesthood. He talks about some practicalities of support of priests and their families by the eparchy and the related challenges. He focuses on the mission of priests and how that could be different for married and celibate priests. Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on...

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59:22

Our Hopeful Poverty

What God is Not ·

2025/06/25

This week Fr. Michael talks about the poverty we find ourselves in and how it can be attractive to others. He uses the stories of Photina, St. Moses the Black, and Mary Magdalene to show how each of them embraced some level of poverty, ultimately bringing Jesus to others. References: John 4:1-42 Luke 16:9 The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander Fr. Michael's Guest Appearances: Connor Gallagher's podcast Roots of Faith podcast Save the Date for the Bridegroom's Banquet! Follow and Cont...

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59:49

Clinging and Healing

What God is Not ·

2025/06/18

This week Fr. Michael talks about the healing of the paralytic at the pool and how his years of longing for healing was fulfilled. He relates that to healing in our own lives and how we can sometimes cling to a solution we've identified instead of relying on the Lord to identify the way we will be healed. References: John 5:1-15 Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Websit...

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65:43

Self Titled with Fr. Nathan Symeon

What God is Not ·

2025/06/11

This week we're joined by special guest, Fr. Nathan Symeon. Fr. Nathan Symeon talks about apophatic and cataphatic theology, but more specifically the differences between apophatic and cataphatic prayer. He talks about how we can experience apophatic prayer in our lives and the importance of paying attention to the Holy Spirit working in our prayer life. References: Searchers of the Lost - Fr. Nathan's podcast Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join...

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68:56

Contemplation in the Active Life with Bishop Erik Varden

What God is Not ·

2025/06/04

This week we're joined by Bishop Erik Varden. Bishop Varden, Mother Natalia, and Fr. Michael talk about recognizing Jesus in others, living a contemplative life, the Syriac fathers, and the beauty of chastity. Be sure to check out Bishop Varden's podcast, Desert Fathers in a Year, in partnership with Exodus 90. Bishop Varden also has a website he posts to regularly. References: Chastity: Reconciliation of the Senses by Bishop Erik Varden Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Fac...

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59:51

Monks in the World with Fr. Chris Seith

What God is Not ·

2025/05/28

This week we're joined by special guest, Fr. Chris Seith. Mother Natalia and Fr. Chris talk about the monastic life and how their constant life of prayer calls us to incorporate God into our lives. They talk about Orientale Lumen and the call to reinvigorate the monastic life around the world. Mother Natalia and Fr. Chris talk about some of the differences in liturgical practices in the Byzantine and Roman rites and how those can be inspirational for both churches. Follow and Contact Us! Fo...

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45:54

You Are What You Think

What God is Not ·

2025/05/21

This week Mother Natalia talks about a revelation she had about sin and listening to God. She talks about how our thoughts impact the way we act. Mother Natalia talks about the way we need to practice listening to Our Lord so that we can be aware of how the devil is tempting us. References: Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives by Elder Thaddeus Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monaster...

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47:13

Be Prepared

What God is Not ·

2025/05/14

This week Fr. Michael talks about a recent discovery he made about rest and preparation. He talks about the importance of both and how they are linked together. Fr. Michael talks about how preparation makes many things go smoothly and give us time for rest. Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us a text Support the show

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68:04

The Gift of Rules

What God is Not ·

2025/05/07

This week Fr. Michael talks about rules and the gift they can be in our lives. He talks about the difference between checking boxes and fully embracing the Church's teaching. Fr. Michael talks about how structure and order can easily veer into just checking the box instead of seeing the deeper picture. Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us a...

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62:37

Relationship > Efficiency...Or is it?

What God is Not ·

2025/04/30

This week Mother Natalia repurposes a talk she gave recently about relationship and efficiency. She talks about her initial thought that relationship is greater than efficiency and how her thoughts on that changed. Mother Natalia gives some concrete examples of relationship and efficiency in action from her personal life. References: Rekindling Wonder by Fr. Chris Seith Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter ...

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63:49

Life After Death

What God is Not ·

2025/04/23

This week Fr. Michael talks about life after death, specifically the teaching of the early church Fathers. He uses the book Life After Death as part of his main talking points. We hear a bit about how this teaching helped Mother Natalia realize that her heart was truly Eastern. References: Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church A Simple House Life After Death by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Fac...

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60:41

Unintentional Intentionality

What God is Not ·

2025/04/16

This week Mother Natalia talks about intentionally incorporating Jesus into our lives. She gives two examples of this in action in her own life, in embroidery and running, and how she was able to come to a prayerful understanding of that in her own life. Follow and Contact Us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook We're on YouTube! Join our Goodreads Group Fr. Michael's Twitter Christ the Bridegroom Monastery Our Website Our Nonprofit Send us a text Support the show

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What God is Not

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