HOLY SILENCE

For 33 years, Christ walked upon this earth All the way up to Golgotha Beaten, broken, and bloodied High atop a cross. For 33 months, Someone I know has been carrying a cross Down a treacherous path they did not choose. It's been a slow crucifixion made with the kinds of Nails and thorns you don't expect from familiar hands. But evil won't get its way in the end. After 33 years, Christ's tomb did not have the final word. In a similar way I ask and I implore ... That during th

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: O Lord, on the holy day of Theophany (6 Jan), we stand in wonder at the banks of the Jordan, gazing upon the mystery of Your baptism. You who are without sin entered the waters, not to be cleansed, but to cleanse all creation. You who spoke the world into being, humbled Yourself beneath the hand of John, sanctifying the very waters that once covered the formless deep. And then

Today, the people of God are enlightened by the knowledge that the Feast of Theophany/Epiphany is approaching and are awakened to the need for repentance through which we are all called to the Sacrament of Confession. As an extension of this, we are reminded in these first days of the new year to ask ourselves: what have I done and what have I failed to do? Do I bow down before God? Do I acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit inside me and outside me? Have I asked for the he

St. Seraphim, You stood in the winter forest with Motovilov, and The light of the Spirit shone from your face like the sun. You spoke so simply: The whole aim of life is to acquire the Holy Spirit. Not knowledge about Him, Not rituals performed correctly, but Him The living God, dwelling within. Sadly, I wonder How often I have mistaken the means for the end? I have prayed as though prayer itself were the goal. I have fasted and felt virtuous. I have done good works and count

St. Basil the Great, You stood in a time of confusion, When the Spirit's glory was questioned, His Divinity doubted. Careful, wise, and rooted in prayer, You gave the Church words to hold onto. You taught that the Holy Spirit is Not a creature, Not a servant, Not a gift somehow separate from the Trinity. You demonstrated that the Spirit is Equal to the Father and the Son. Worthy of the same honor Worthy of the same worship Worthy of the same love. In this way, Today and every

When the apostles witnessed Your death, They scattered in fear, with their hopes shattered. For days they huddled behind locked doors, Paralyzed by grief and confusion. So too we often find ourselves in such dark rooms— Suffering, uncertain, waiting for a Deliverance we cannot imagine. Yet You did not abandon them. You appeared, breathed peace upon them, and at Pentecost sent Your Holy Spirit to Transfigure these trembling disciples into bold witnesses. Teach us patience in o

Today, we hear of the magi - these kings, scholars, and spiritual seekers - who discover and bear witness to the fact that the universe changed at the birth of Jesus. Given what we, ourselves, have seen, heard, learned, and experienced, we too have to tell the world what we know to be the truth. Therefore, through prayer and sacrifice, sacrament and knowledge, each and every day of our lives we choose to serve God and one another. This is our witness. This is our joy. This is

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . Read: “And the angel said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God'" (Luke 1:35). Ponder: The actual fact of an Archangel visiting a person is, in and of itself, worthy of great study and deep m

We tend to take for granted that we are a people called to the heavenly kingdom by God through His love, mercy, joy, and desire for our salvation. Thus, we are reminded today to have faith in the Holy Trinity, to believe in Christ, and to seek the Holy Spirit. And this is how we live like we mean it: pray intimately with God every day in order to know His will, and to love and sacrifice for Him (and His people) with all our mind, all our heart, all our soul, and with every la

The greatness of prayer lies in its Essence as divine presence and Divine glorification. The greatness of prayer is Defined by God's limitless love and Willingness to be present in and near us. The greatness of prayer transcends our unworthiness: Through Christ's redemptive work and the Spirit's sanctifying work. The greatness of prayer is a transfiguring act, if We have a deep desire for God's presence, and when We have a real desire to be present with Him. The greatness of