No doubt you had doubts Dear Fisherman and Apostle Peter. It is clear you had fear When accused by crowds, Leader of Twelve. You could not Stop protesting a Relationship with Jesus. "I do not know Him." "I am not" His. I don't "know what you" say. You objected three times To the questions Put to you that night. When "the Lord turned and looked at" you, With bitter anguish You wept. Then, there was a breakfast On a shore When you were asked anew. "Do you love me more than thes

When you were ill, Lazarus, Jesus said it would not end you. He transformed your misery, So the Glory of God could be revealed. Pray that our suffering is not wasted. The apostles warned Jesus not to go, But He reproved them. We must walk in the Light And stay far from the dark of night. Help us destroy the tombs we make. Thomas encouraged the disciples To die with you, Lazarus. When Jesus arrived, your body was buried. For the sake of life in the Trinity, Teach us to die a l

Awake and arise my little children. I am not here to tell you a bedtime story, I am here to tell you the truth. Awake and arise so I can tell you about the Christ. Did you not hear me my little ones? He is risen. Truly, He is risen. Why do you not leap to your feet and run to Him? Can you not say a word? Filled with fantasy you cannot recognize Him But only the characters in slumber’s play. You have been lulled to sleep You cannot see Him anymore. Re-live the farce of His be

An inestimable gulf exists Between what I am And what You made me to be. That is why I stare with longing Across the waters That lie between us. Maybe that's the point? Of this life lived so long On the shore of desire, To stand watch For what is true and real To seek and to find the Divine. Oh, this journey of mine! I hope and I love I hear, I see, and I know You are the One that Keeps me, while here, Only to walk upon the bridge Built by Christ and Sanctified by Your Spiri

Icons tell more than a story. They explain the faith As brought to us by God Who came in the flesh Himself. They illustrate the love of God Through the lives of those who lived And breathed to their last breath The Holy Spirit among us. Icons point us to our own inner journey And guide us on our exterior one. They open us to God who walked in our shoes And remind us that God has never left our side. We are clear on what icons are And what they are not. We do not worship them.

When was the last time I reflected on The possibility of Eternal punishment? It's such a sick, sad, twisted affair. No, not this thing We call damnation. Not even the fate of sheep and goats. It's this place we call life That really bothers me. The pit we call human relationships. A real cesspool of humiliation and degradation. All the while These two realities Stare us straight in the face: The world of now and the world to come. Rarely a motivator Infrequently a rejuvenator

With eyes closed, Hands clasped, and On bended knee It rushes over me... The pain of others Reaching out For love and Forgiveness. How am I able To make them stable In faith and in hope? When it occurs to me... I have nothing to offer, Except, perhaps Love and love and love for you My prayer, too? They need more! Than my meager words And simple actions. For I am nothing. Without your mercy Without your love Without you as a gift Nothing will release them from the rift... That

Do not despise our feeble petitions In times of trouble. Rescue us from the curses that convulse The wretched lips of our enemies. Born into a world of sin, We struggle to maintain faith within. Teach us to partake of the Mysteries, Giving our all to God. Joachim and Anna Brought you into the Temple They presented you to the Lord, Who entered your womb. Brought up in piety Protected from vanity, You became the Mother of God And Mother to all. Within thy love and compassion, W

The sun is setting in your eyes I can see it on your face. Your head is bowed And your back low. The brightness of your Illumination Is lost in the darkness of your Consternation. Were you not there When the waters of life poured From your head To your soul? Do you not remember When the eternal light Scorched your past And lit a path? Feet of clay are expected Not of heart Not of spirit Not from you. Arise My spiritual child Arise!

Holiness for humans is based in our love for God and our determination to do everything we can to draw ever closer to Him who loves us...