Episode 6: St. Anastasia the Martyr

Episode 6: St. Anastasia the Martyr

Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen! Being in Community, Phoebe Farag Mikhail's Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Today’s short episode is about St. Anastasia the martyr - a fitting saint for this week, since her name means “Resurrection.” This is such an inspiring story for anyone who feels trapped by their circumstances. It is also a demonstration of the real power of a praying wife. Here are the sources I used (in addition to the Coptic Orthodox Antiphonary): The Martyrdom of St. Anastasia [https://st-takla.org/books/en/church/synaxarium/04-keyahk/26-kiahk-anastasia.html] Great Martyr Anastasia the Deliverer from Poisons [https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2026/12/22/103609-great-martyr-anastasia-the-deliverer-from-poisons-her-teacher-ma] As I announced on the podcast, mark your calendars for a LIVE event with author Michael Elgamal to talk about his new book, Moses: the Cross and the Gun. This book was on my Lent book list [https://phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/p/great-lent-books-resources-and-opportunities], and I loved it so much I ran a giveaway [https://phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/p/book-giveaway-reminder] for it, too. Submit your questions in advance on the Subscriber chat here: Thank you for reading and listening! I look forward to meeting many of you online on May 12th. Phoebe Consider upgrading to a paid subscription and keep this newletter and podcast ad-free. Get full access to Being in Community, Phoebe Farag Mikhail's Newsletter at phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe [https://phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 5: Fr. Macarius the Alexandrian

The Hunger for Righteousness Podcast and the Being in Community Newsletter are listener and reader supported publications. To receive new posts and support this work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. On today’s podcast episode, I share a lesser known story about a saint named Abba Macarius the Alexandrian (the priest) — not to be confused with the other Abba Macarius the Alexandrian (the ascetic) — nor to be confused with Abba Macarius the Great (the famous Desert Father also known as Abba Macarius the Egyptian). To keep it simple, I refer to this Macarius as Father Macarius, and on this episode, I share a fascinating story, recorded by the historian Palladius, about how he helped a very greedy virgin become even more wealthy. Find out more by listening to the show! Here’s my source for this story: The Paradise of the Holy Fathers Volume 1, translated by E. Wallis Budge. This book is in the public domain and its contents can be found here [https://www.ecatholic2000.com/athanasius/untitled-208.shtml]. This specific story that I paraphrased can be found here [https://www.ecatholic2000.com/athanasius/untitled-23.shtml#_Toc385681374]. If you did want a hard copy of this book, St. Shenouda Press in Australia has published one, and you can purchase it on Amazon here [https://amzn.to/3NU0hqo] (affiliate link). Thank you for listening! Next week is Holy Week for me and many other Orthodox Christians, so we won’t have an episode then, but we’ll commence, God willing, after the Feast of the Resurrection! May we fast an acceptable fast. The Hunger for Righteousness Podcast and the Being in Community Newsletter are listener and reader supported publications. To receive new posts and support this work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Being in Community, Phoebe Farag Mikhail's Newsletter at phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe [https://phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 4: St. Mary, the Mother of God, the Lover of the Poor, Healer of the Sick, and Melter of Iron

Dear listeners, First, congratulations to George [https://substack.com/profile/18797778-george], Sandra Mansour [https://substack.com/profile/12838941-sandra-mansour], and Catherine M [https://substack.com/profile/344788509-catherine-m] for winning the book giveaways from my Great Lent book list! Your books will be in the mail soon. Happy Feast of the Annunciation to all my friends who celebrated yesterday! In honor of the Feast, today’s episode is about St. Mary, the Mother of God, who loves every one of us, including the poor, who works wonders, including healing the sick, and whose prayers are so powerful they can melt iron. I mentioned a few books and resources on the show today. These include my book, Putting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church [https://beingincommunity.com/putting-joy-into-practice/]. I also quoted Elissa Bjeletich Davis [https://substack.com/profile/113325008-elissa-bjeletich-davis]’s book, The Art of Myrrh Bearing: Encountering Christ Through Serving Others [https://store.ancientfaith.com/the-art-of-myrrhbearing-encountering-christ-through-serving-others/]. I mentioned this podcast episode with Manal [https://substack.com/profile/318481806-manal] Moussa of Leaving the Jar [https://www.leaving-the-jar.org/]: I found the story of the woman with the broken leg [https://pemm.princeton.edu/en-us/stories/112] in the Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean and Egyptian Miracles of Mary Project. [https://pemm.princeton.edu/en-us] I drew from the Coptic Orthodox Prayers of the Unction of the Sick [https://tasbeha.org/hymn_library/cat/236], which can be found here, and specifically the Supplications here [https://tasbeha.org/hymn_library/view/1999], and the Seventh Prayer here [https://tasbeha.org/hymn_library/view/2421]. I also consulted St. Mary in the Orthodox Concept by Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, attached below: Again, a blessed Feast of the Annunciation to all of us who have celebrated, and may God grant us an acceptable fast. Phoebe Being in Community, Phoebe Farag Mikhail's Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Being in Community, Phoebe Farag Mikhail's Newsletter at phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe [https://phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Season 2, Episode 3: St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus and St. John, Bishop of Jerusalem

Dear listeners, Today’s podcast is about two saints who loved the poor, and also about true friendship. Listen in to learn more! Let’s just say it had something to do with silver table settings like this one: Here are the references I consulted for this episode: Saint Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus. Coptic Orthodox Synaxarium. https://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/9_17.html?lang= [https://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/9_17.html?lang=] Saint John, Bishop of Jerusalem. Coptic Orthodox Synaxarium. https://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/10_13.html?lang= [https://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/10_13.html?lang=] St. John Chrysostom On Wealth and Poverty, Popular Patristics Series. SVS Press [https://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/10_13.html?lang=]. St. Gregory of Nyssa On the Lord’s Prayer and the Beatitudes, Ancient Christian Writers series, Paulist Press [https://www.paulistpress.com/Products/0255-2/18-st-gregory-of-nyssa.aspx?srsltid=AfmBOorJYgr_mbaBquFI0kcDFw1fYY1G24xf00XgeGlnGj2u_1TYv62C]. Christopher A. Hall Living Wisely with the Church Fathers, IVP Academic. [https://www.ivpress.com/living-wisely-with-the-church-fathers?srsltid=AfmBOorYvUPEzq96N0XQNatxF086jFSx8YCb62GvRcuJ5n9N2YOaXuOQ] As I mentioned on the show, I’m running a giveaway for two books: The Way of the Desert Elders by Lisa Colón DeLay | SparkMyMuse [https://substack.com/profile/5422877-lisa-colon-delay-sparkmymuse] and Nature Poems to See By, by Julien Peters. To enter, make sure you are subscribed, and then comment on this post [https://phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/p/what-im-reading-this-lent-2026-edition]with what you are reading this Lent, and which of the two books you would like to enter for. Thank you for listening, and may we fast an acceptable fast, Phoebe Farag Mikhail Being in Community, Phoebe Farag Mikhail's Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Being in Community, Phoebe Farag Mikhail's Newsletter at phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe [https://phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Season 2, Episode 2: St. Theodora, Empress of Byzantium

To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Today’s Episode of the Hunger for Righteousness Podcast is about one of my new favorite saints, St. Theodora. I enjoyed learning about her so much that I read two books about her and consulted two more, in addition to reading a few articles and other sources. Theodora’s rise to power in the 6th century from humble means to empress of Byzantium is all the more extraordinary because she never forgot where she came from—in fact, she used her power to help everyone who felt as powerless as she once did. Sadly, I was dissatisfied with most of the books about her. Two of them rely too heavily on a very much discredited but salacious account of her and Justinian’s rule by an unsavory fellow named Procopius. Because Procopius also wrote the official history of the empire under Justinian, many historians have assumed the veracity of another account he wrote called the Secret Histories, which completely and spitefully malign both Justinian and Theodora, but especially Theodora. The best history book from the ones I read in terms of sifting fact from fiction about Theodora herself is David Potter’s book, Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint. I quoted a little bit from this book on the episode. However, because of her and Justinian’s involvement in the Chalcedonian theological controversy, all of the books mischaracterize or even get non-Chalcedonian theology completely wrong, INCLUDING David Potter’s book. When it comes to any explanation of the theology of the Oriental Orthodox churches, it is better to read from Oriental Orthodox sources. On the podcast, I mentioned a very important article by Susan Ashbrook Harvey, about the different narratives around St. Theodora. It is called “Theodora, the Believing Queen.” Ashbrook-Harvey is much better versed in Syrian Orthodox Church theology. Here article is worth a read, and you can download it here: Stay tuned later this week for a newsletter with more Lent resources and a book giveaway! May we fast an acceptable fast. Phoebe Farag Mikhail The Hunger for Righteousness Podcast is a reader-supported publication. Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to support the creation of more resources like this one. Get full access to Being in Community, Phoebe Farag Mikhail's Newsletter at phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe [https://phoebefaragmikhail.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]