HOLY SILENCE

To truly help others - to intercede for them - one must love. To truly love - to sacrifice for them - one must know God. To know God - to understand His will - one must reach for Christ. To reach for Christ - to go beyond the self - one must contemplate Him. To contemplate Christ - to reside in Him - one must let go. To let go - to enter the Divine cloud - one must trust. To trust - to be bathed in the luminous darkness - one must be sanctified. To be sanctified in the Holy S

God knows we are weak and sinful, but He will lift up all of us to find the happiness that comes from doing His will. In the ninth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke tells us that Saul was "still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" (9:1). Yet, only a few lines later, we read that God is asking Ananias to go see "Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying" (Acts 9:11). Ananias expresses concerns about ministering to Saul because of his rep

"The merciful Lord reveals to the consciousness of the converting sinner His divine world, in which our spirit is appointed to dwell. Frequently He Himself appears for the purpose of conversion in a visible way, taking on some kind of form and appearing either when a man is awake or in his sleep. In such a way He appeared to the Apostle Paul on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9), to Constantine the Great, to Eustathius Placidas (September 20), to Neanias who was going to tormen

"'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light' (Ephesians 5:14). This comparison of sinners to those who are asleep gives us certain points for a comprehensive examination of their conversion to God. For example, with one who is asleep: first he wakes up, then he gets out of bed, and finally he makes up his mind to go do something. So also with a sinner who turns towards God and repents: first he wakes up from the sleep of sin, then he comes to

God wants you to know He will not abandon you in your sorrow. Meditate on this irmos (a miniature hymn), from Ode 6 of The Great Canon of St. Andrew, which is recited on the first Monday of Lent. "With my whole heart, I cried unto the compassionate God: and He heard me, and He lifted up my soul from the depths of hell and from corruption." #God #JesusChrist #prayer #continualprayer #secretmeditation #MeditativePrayer #meditation #Conversion #Hell #HolySpirit

Meditate on this... If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world (Colossians 2:20)? #SacredScripture #StPaul #JesusChrist #Conversion

Meditate on this... He who has nothing to die for has nothing to live for (Moroccan Proverb). For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain (Philippians 1:21). #JesusChrist #StPaul #SacredScripture #Death #Conversion

Constantly in church. Bickering committees. Avoiding church. Pursuing hobbies. Where is the want to commune with God? Spiritual but not religious. Religious but not spiritual. False dichotomies. Excuses all. Where is the desperate desire for eternity with God? Whatever occupies your mind, It is transitory. God is everything. He is the beginning and the end. In the silence you will hear who is real. In the stillness you will learn what is worth doing. #silence #Stillness #lum

Thieves, one and all. Repentant? Unrepentant? I choose to fix my gaze. The cross is steady while the world is turning. Stat crux dum volvitur orbis. #Crucifixion #Cross #Sacrifice #Sacred #Repentance #obedience #ContemplativePrayer #Conversion

Why, O Lord, do they turn from you? Their eyes shut. Their ears closed. Their mouths clamoring. Teach us to be better examples. Command us to sacrifice. Lead us into union so we may be the bridge they walk over to get to you. #obedience #Faith #prayer #continualprayer #Conversion #Sacrifice #luminousdarkness