HOLY SILENCE

Intercede for me and pray for my spiritual sons and daughters so that we may have a stable foundation of deep prayer and a ministry of healing the afflicted. Please keep me close so that I may have strength to walk with everyone who comes for confession and spiritual guidance. Thank you for your example of humility in the face of great difficulty. An icon depicting St. Nektarios of Pentapolis.

We talk a lot about praying, but why do we do it? Prayer Brings Us Close to the Holy Spirit "Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance, suppresses anger, restrains pride and envy, draws down the Holy Spirit into the soul and raises man to heaven" (St Ephraim the Syrian, in Moore, Orthodox Prayer , p. 22). Prayer Keeps Us Steady "Hold on to the staff of prayer and you will not fall. And even a fall will not be fatal, since prayer is a devout, persistent coercin

Each week I send a short email to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . Read : "Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, present in all places and filling all things, treasury of goodness and giver of life: come; abide in us, cleanse us of every stain, and save our souls, O Good one." Ponder: These words of the best-known Holy Spirit prayer are recited so much that they are often forgotten

Today, we are reminded that it is not enough to follow all the prudential rules of the church (e.g. fasting). Rather, it is vital to train the entirety of the human person - body, mind, soul, and spirit - to focus entirely on God who creates, redeems, and sanctifies. Thus, it is incumbent upon each of us to follow the eternal Logos, Christ, the Word made flesh, who leads us to salvation. And to listen, to obey, and to be forever changed by the Holy Spirit who leads us into sa

I live at the end of the road Literally. I live at the far end of an island Where the land gives way to water And that water stretches far and wide. First through a gulf Then to a sea Onward into an ocean. Every day I watch that water Lap at the sand, Break onto the rocks, and Rush over my feet I think a lot about where those waters come from And where they're going. They make me think of my own origins, My comings, my goings, and my destiny too. In that ebb and flow I hear a

Each week I send a short email to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . Read : "O radiant children of the Church, receive the fiery dew of the Spirit, the cleansing of sins which brings deliverance; for now from Sion has the law gone forth: the grace of the Spirit in tongues of fire" ( Canon to the Divine, Worshipful & All-Holy Spirit, the Paraclete , St. Maximos the Greek, Ode 5, Irmos). Po

Evil entices the world, but God has given us everything we need to live in joy and hope and understanding. In other words, there is more to life than the temptations of demons and the difficulties we face. So, have faith, seek healing, and live in the love of the Lord.

Arrogant Aggravating Annoying Knowledgeable Focused Prayerful Distant Disappointing Detached Faithful Hopeful Loving Unwelcome Undependable Unwilling Silent Servant Sacrificial Lamb True people of God ... you know who I mean ... the ones for whom God is an intimate ... and the saints seem as close and as plentiful ... as raindrops that gently fall into the palm of your hand. When someone in your midst gives themselves completely to God, prayer, and faithful service, they may

Each week I send a short email to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . Read : "Have mercy on me, O Master, Paraclete and God! Have mercy on me, sanctify my soul and body, enlighten my mind and reason, and cleanse the conscience of my soul from all defilement" (A selection from the "Prayer to the Holy Spirit" in A Canon to the Holy Spirit by St. Maximos the Greek). Ponder : Did you know tha

Intercede for me and pray for my spiritual sons and daughters so that we may have a stable foundation of contemplative prayer and a ministry of healing the afflicted. Mary, my dear mother in heaven, I am deeply, deeply grateful for your protection and eternally humbled by my priesthood. Please keep me close and give me strength to walk with everyone who comes for confession and spiritual guidance. An icon representing the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos.