Somewhere deep inside, Beneath my titles, My work, My relationships, My words, and If I'm being honest, My own noise ... There is a flame burning. I did not kindle it. It was given as a gift. It was fostered by saints, (and, oddly, some sinners too). I tended to it by Sacrament and Silence (not nearly enough ... yet!) And it has never once been extinguished ... Ever! This is the great, joyful secret of my life (it could be yours too, by the way). God is not far away. The ligh

Love is the key to the life of the monastic in the desert, and just as much to the layperson in the world. St. Isaac the Syrian teaches that when silence and seclusion leave no room for active charity, it is enough before God to offer mental love, which is prayerful intercession. In other words, the Christian ideal has two sides: active mercy and contemplative stillness. Spiritual fathers and mothers may live either or both. St. John Maximovitch rescued refugees from Shanghai

Written on the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001 I. The morning the words ran out I made my living with words. I was trained as a journalist. I spent years in public affairs and crisis communication for energy and chemical companies, writing the sentences that get said when something has gone badly wrong. I studied how disputes are negotiated and how public arguments are framed. By the autumn of 2001 I was in Houston, teaching and advising at a graduate school of theolog

Today, on Tabor, the Light that has no night, breaks forth. And just as the disciples fell on their faces in its presence (Matt. 17:6), our eyes are opened wide to the source and summit of our hope. You see, Tabor (Transfiguration) and the Upper Room (Pentecost) are ultimately two parts of one movement. On the mountain, the mystical Light shines on, and through, the Body. In the upper room, the Fire descends within it. Moses and Elijah reveal themselves as the confluence of f

Freedom is transfiguration The self ... Opened ... Illumined ... Indwelt by the ineffable God. On Tabor ... The veil between Heaven and earth thinned ... Christ was transfigured ... Apostles beheld uncreated light. The mystery's promise? Humanity's destiny ... Radiant with uncreated glory! Tabor's end and Upper room's beginning! Freedom is Pentecost(al) Winds blow while Hidden chains disappear Tongues of fire ... Set people ablaze. Contemplation stills the heart Confession un

Five weeks from today, on August 6, we celebrate the great Feast of the Transfiguration, when Christ ascended Mount Tabor and shone before Peter, James, and John with a light not of this world. I have stood on that mountain. Tabor rises alone from the Jezreel Valley. The road to its summit climbs in tight switchbacks that force you to slow, to turn, to ascend in earnest. At the top, looking out over the green hills of Galilee, I felt my own calling to the contemplative life q

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: "That we may become worthy to be filled with holiness through the use of this water by the invisible revelation of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord" (from the Great Blessing of Water ). Ponder: In this petition, we are humbly acknowledging that the water blessed at Theophany acts as a type of spiritual medicine through which the Spirit sanctifies our souls and bodies.

There is a river lying deep in the soul. Its waters flow from the Jordan and through Every Baptism since. There is also a light shining...

How often do you wake up wishing your life was different? Probably more than you care to admit. The good news is that you're not alone....

My mountain My mountain My poor, dear mountain, How I weep for you! You who bowed under The feet of Our Lord. You who lifted up Moses and Elijah. You who witnessed the Transfigured Christ and Sheltered the Apostles, Who could not bear His light. I wail for our people. These children of Abraham Who suffer and hate.... As much as they love and celebrate. How do I know? I see it. I hear it. I live it. I will not forget that birthday When I set my eyes on you. After 3 days A tomb