HOLY SILENCE

My life is a Synergy of divine call and Human response That can Only be called an "Elegy and Eulogy" It is a wonder, really. Not me, of course, But this life I have been given And the life I am making of The life I was given. Mourning and rejoicing. It's true. My physical reality My emotions My intellectual pursuits My relationships and Most of all My spirituality. All of it is a study in Love and prayers. Sin, too. Stumbling, of course, and the Serious work of salvation. In

James and John asked Jesus an impertinent question: can we sit at your right and left hands? St. Mary of Egypt asked one too: can I enter the kingdom without changing who I am and what I do? This Sunday, we are challenged to ask ourselves the most pertinent questions of all: who am I ... really? Do I love and live for God? Do I know my vocation? Do I live it fully? We all have to learn to be more honest about ourselves and to follow God with our whole mind, our whole heart, a

A cool breeze Moves through the Late afternoon like a Generous thought. Unhurried Unannounced Loosening the hold of the new Heat, which waits patiently To take on everything and Everyone. Never asking, just arriving and Demanding summer. But the wind, sudden and full, Spills out from the ocean and Stretches across the sky Insisting on spring and lots of laughter The most human of sounds. Unguarded, contagious, and Committed to briefly abolishing All the seriousness of life. R

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : "Do not go outside, return within yourself; in the inner man dwells truth," (Bl. Augustine, On True Religion ). Ponder: Augustine's call to turn inward reminds us that the Holy Spirit is the indwelling presence of God. In other words, the third person of the Most Holy Trinity does not remain aloof and closed up in the heavenly kingdom. He also lives within us and permeates our body, mind, and

Spring's light does not arrive by force, But by a slow, faithful return. Each day grows longer, and What was once frozen strives to become A little more alive. Discernment shares this rhythm. There's rarely a blazing stroke of clarity, No sign carved bright in the sky. But a patient, quiet thaw. A subtle brightening, a gentle breathing. The soul leans into this warming Because it waits for the Spirit To whisper through what clamors. Stirring the inner life Relieving the soul

What a trio they've been Taking their turns Denying their actions Reframing events Misdirecting priorities Dread-inducing tirades Demanding obedience Plotting an ignominious decline. It all began so simply, so quietly Feelings dismissed Thoughts doubted Mind questioned Heart damaged Love twisted Loyalty muddled Priorities confused. Then it worsened Belittling continued Apologies demanded Never valued Second guessed Future scrapped Confusion reigned Evidence destroyed. Their p

My soul is scattered Like ashes in the wind. Gray, dry, gaunt Drifting aloft On a cold, Cloudy day speckled with Drops of rain and Long shadows dancing on The burnt embers that have lost their glow and Chased by the howling and cheering and Jeering of faces with glee that a Life is smothered and a soul is lost. Unknown, Unwanted, Forgotten, and Forsaken There is nothing but death and The stench of failure that Strains at the irony of Eking out the one refrain That never forge

When I wake up in the morning, I experience In equal amounts, Hope and dread. The hope comes from the Expansiveness of the Eternal and the Depths of the Divine, both of which Comfortably make a home in the depths of my soul. The dread comes from the Depraved diabolism and the Maleficent machinations that Perniciously taunt me through the windows of my soul. The former is a pure gift given Despite my sin Separate from my failures and Filled with forgiveness. The latter is an o

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 : "Ever assailed in my soul by the storms of destructive passions and spirits, I set my hope of salvation on thee, the most good Paraclete, in that Thou art God" ( St. Maximos the Greek, A Canon to the Divine, Worshipful and All Holy Spirit, the Paraclete , Ode 1). Ponder: It is truly disappointing how badly our liv

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