Insidious recusancy is The soul's refusal To kneel without surrendering. In an earlier time, the recusant At least confessed his division openly. Bearing the cost of his conscience before God. But this generation? Its quieter defiance keeps the refusal and Forsakes the honesty. It comes to worship, Lifts its voice in the psalm, Bows at the appointed hour. In other words, It withholds the heart, The one true offering that is asked. Outwardly faithful, Inwardly withdrawn, It pr

I look up and I ask Why me? You have the whole of heaven And the entire universe And all the angels and the saints. Nothing and no one that grows weary. Yet, You still know me and Care about me You come to me in my sin You come to me in my silence You even have a will for me As if You have nowhere better to be and No one better to help. But this is Your way. You walked in the garden In the cool of the day, Calling and calling. As it turns out, I was the one who heard You, And

There is a quiet violence in covert resistance. Here I do not mean the kind of opposition Born from the desire to be free. Absolutely not. Not at all. Here I am speaking of the Insidiousness of the withheld hand. The help that is named but never given. The agreement that never becomes action. Covert violence offers the face of cooperation While the heart stays closed. It claims to live with integrity, but A chasm remains between word and deed. Yet wisdom asks something of us

When the mind, Heart and soul grow quiet In ways that frighten us. When our thoughts of God grow dim and Saints and angels seem to slip away, It is tempting to believe it is an end. But the fading away of our spiritual selves Is often the soul retreating under a great sorrow, Gathering itself somewhere deeper than memory. This spiritual pseudodementia reminds us that Grief, loneliness, and unspoken pain Can wear the face of forgetting or unbelieving. But healing is still poss

James and John asked Jesus an impertinent question: can we sit at your right and left hands? St. Mary of Egypt asked one too: can I enter the kingdom without changing who I am and what I do? This Sunday, we are challenged to ask ourselves the most pertinent questions of all: who am I ... really? Do I love and live for God? Do I know my vocation? Do I live it fully? We all have to learn to be more honest about ourselves and to follow God with our whole mind, our whole heart, a

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "If the Holy Spirit is peace of soul ... as He is in reality, and if anger is disturbance of heart, as it actually is ... then nothing so prevents His presence in us as anger" (St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent , Step 8: On Freedom from Anger, #14). Ponder: Anger is a killer that destroys our relationship with God, self, and others. Here are a few steps we can take to reduce or e

Bleak winters and Bright Summers Falls that are crisp and Springs that brighten the spirit. There's never a time that Lacks love, save the hearts that Cry for help and souls that Search the dead. Even so, the barren ground still Holds the colorful promise That under a cold silence New green is being kept. And we, like the seasons, Return and returning, To find something deep within. A warmth, a light A sprig of peace Watered by the tears that Wash away the fear, and Give birt

What a trio they've been Taking their turns Denying their actions Reframing events Misdirecting priorities Dread-inducing tirades Demanding obedience Plotting an ignominious decline. It all began so simply, so quietly Feelings dismissed Thoughts doubted Mind questioned Heart damaged Love twisted Loyalty muddled Priorities confused. Then it worsened Belittling continued Apologies demanded Never valued Second guessed Future scrapped Confusion reigned Evidence destroyed. Their p

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : " Illumination : 'That you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light' (1 Pt. 2:9). " Understanding : 'I bless the Lord who gives me counsel' (Ps. 16:7), for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of guidance and understanding. " Knowledge of the principles of truth : This is one of the essential attributes of the nature of the Holy Spirit and it is

Heavenly Father ... Through the life of St. Anthony the Great, You reveal the beauty of Complete surrender. He heard Your call, Left everything behind, and Sought You alone In the silence of the desert. Though tempted and Tested by the enemy, His heart remained fixed on You. Grant us, O Lord, Even a measure of his courage, To release our attachments To embrace simplicity, and To trust in Your provision. May his example kindle deep within us A deeper hunger for prayer and Stil