Remember, it is not you who holds up the root, but the root that holds you up.

– From Saint Paul, Romans 11:18

We all come from somewhere: no one is an island. With beautiful humility, our guest’s favorite quote reminds us to thank God for all those who came before us. Gently, it leads us away from our common ego-centricity.

Today we speak with Archimandrite Christodoulos Papadeas, a Greek Orthodox Priest who lives in Denver. Graduating from the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Father Chris took his monastic vows in 1989 at the Archangel Michael Monastery in Rhodes Greece.

Five years later, he was ordained and made a Spiritual Father and Archimandrite – an honorific given to a monastic and leader of a flock. After living in solitude at the Island of Rhodes monastery and being sent on foreign mission trips to India, Albania and Canada, he was assigned to return home to Denver. There he began an urban hermitage — the Brotherhood of Saint George — which offers prayer, community and the warmth of God.

The photo above shows the entrance to The Saint Prophet Elias Chapel in Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado, while the interior image shows the Saint George Hermitage in Denver.

In this podcast, we discuss the Greek Orthodox views toward those of the Jewish faith and on marriage while serving as a priest. Father Chris discusses the “light shining bright” in a world that continually suffers from darkness. Encouraging us as adults to outgrow the natural self-centeredness of childhood, he shows us how this virtue can unfold in our lives in a balanced way.

Like me, when you hear Father Chris speak, you will be touched by his sincerity and genuine love of all that God has made in heaven and earth. Please enjoy this conversation and receive the blessings of this humble servant of God.