HOLY SILENCE

In this time of great upheaval, confusion, doubt, and fear, ask Archangel Michael not only to protect you and your family, but also the Church, bishops, priests, all laity, and the nations in which we live. While this is a clear example of a vocal prayer, the highlighted portions can become for you a reflection that acts as an entry point for more serious and ongoing silent meditative prayer. "O great and holy Michael, Archangel of God, standing at the head of the angels befo

Sadness, difficulty, anger, and fear seem to be a part of life. But from where do these arise? Setting aside illness and death for the moment, these emotional responses flood our minds frequently, if not daily, as expressions of disappointment in ourselves and others. As humans, partly through the fact of sin and partly through the conditioning of our culture, we tend to think we are not capable or good enough. Often, the expectations others put upon us are inappropriate. Som

"Woe betide us if He finds us overcharged with the cares and sorrows of this life! For who will be able to bear His anger, who will bear the wrath of His countenance? That is why it has been said: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Mark 14:38), that is lest you be deprived of the Spirit of God, for watching and prayer brings us His grace." - St. Seraphim of Sarov. "The Aim of the Christian Life." On Acquisition of the Holy Spirit, S.A. Nilus, ed., CreateSpace I

"Of course, every good deed done for Christ's sake gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives us this grace most of all, for it is always at hand, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit. For instance, you would like to go to church, but there is no church or the service is over; you would like to preserve your virginity, but you have not the strength to do so because of your temperament, or because of the violence of the wiles of the enemy which b

The Jesus Prayer is the simplest and most profound vocal prayer. It goes like this: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." These words come to us through Sacred Scripture, specifically Luke 18:10-14: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast

Do not lose heart dear ones, we are all weak! If we seek comfort and courage in the Lord and in each other, we can work through the frailties of the human mind, body, and spirit. This might help you get started. The following reflection explains how and why we drift from God. It also talks of the strength we need to move beyond the difficult times. If you read this slowly and clearly, and give yourself some quiet time to think, it can lead you into a better understanding of y

Below is a reflection that will help you consider the current state of your spiritual life. All of us drift from God, focusing on our wants and desires instead of on our salvation and what God needs from us in this life. If you read this slowly and reflectively, you may feel the pain from your past and present sins. You may even feel the weight of changing into something new. Please do not worry. We all feel like this. But if we remain constant in our desire to be closer to G

For some, it seems odd that we should pray for the dead. "After all," they say, "the Lord will take care of them one way or another." But this just doesn't make any sense. At a higher level, if we take at all seriously Christ's prayer "that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:21) - then we can reasonably assume that God has made it possible for us to remain contin

We have a tendency to shy away from prayer when we feel bad about ourselves. Sometimes we think we can't talk to God or ask Mary and the Saints for help because we feel dirty, ashamed, guilty, or that we just can't live up to God's promises. The truth is that God is loving and merciful and He knows what already ails us even before we ask His help in changing. Granted, at some point we have to change the very thing that troubles us most. But the way to that permanent change al

Below is a vocal prayer that offers much to meditate upon (the bold type is added to assist you in starting a meditation). Before you read it, though, understand some its background. Pentecost is both a particular Feast Day and a time period in the Church calendar that spiritually, theologically, and psychologically affirms the role of the Holy Spirit within the Most Holy Trinity, as well as in our lives. During Vespers, on the evening of the same day we have celebrated the D