"Whether we believe or not, we belong to God. Whether we understand it or not, or feel His presence or not, or rejoice in that presence or not, He exists. "He is my God. He is my Lord. Even during moments of darkness and terror, when God doesn’t exist for me, He still exists. "When I feel I’m a failure, when all my efforts seem fruitless, when my life seems to have passed in vain, Christ is still my Christ. "He is there for me no matter what happens. He exists irrespective of my capabilities, capacities and comprehension. "I might imagine that God is small. But God is great. I might think that God doesn’t hear. But He does. "And He has given Himself entirely to me, so that there’s only one possibility of failure: for me to break off my relationship with the 'One Who Is' (Exodus 3:14)." - Written by Elder Aimilianos of Mount Athos (1934-2019) “The Good Shepherd” mosaic, 5th century, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy. (photo: Petar Milošević / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here. If you can, please donate by clicking here.

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read : There are varying translations of Exodus 14:14, but two of them, importantly, are rendered like this: (1) "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still ." (2) "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent ." Ponder: The first revelation in this verse may come as a surprise to you. The Lord fights for you . That is a vital reason for the Incarnation. Christ came to redeem us. The second revelation in this verse is that we must respond. We must receive this gift of divine love and return it with an equivalent gift of human love. That is a vital reason for Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came to sanctify us. Think about it. "Keep still" speaks to the restlessness in our bodies, emotions, thoughts, and relationships. Our constant impulse to plan, talk, strategize, pressure, impel, push, pull, drive, draw, act, cause, compel, displace, do, make, move, obligate, oblige, and perform - tends to force an outcome or outcomes that are not from God or for God. "Be silent" speaks to something even deeper; there is a type of inner noise that comes out as anxious prayers, constant complaint, grievance, objection, discontent, disapproval, and dissent from God's will. That is why we are called to stop moving and to stop speaking. We need to relearn to hear God and to trust that God is fighting for us. In other words, we are called to a deliberate silence and stillness that gives new life to our sense of His faithfulness. Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:1). Ponder: As we fast approach Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha, it may seem odd to be told to start thinking about Pentecost. But it makes perfect sense. First, it is important to remain firmly planted in the moment. In other words, we need to embrace each day as it is given to us. This is especially true when it comes to the cycle of Christian seasons and, more specifically, the cycle of feasts and the commemoration of saints. This creates context for our faith and grounds us in life. Second, it is equally important to live with a sense of expectation. In other words, we already embrace God and all that He has done for us in the context of creation, redemption, and sanctification. This is especially impactful (or should be) when it comes to our own lives and, more specifically, the cycles of our spiritual, psychological, intellectual, and relational realities. This enables hope as a possibility amidst the difficulties and provides for joy amidst the comforts in life. Third, it is ultimately important to live with a sense of, and desire for, living through, with, and in the Holy Spirit who is God in our midst (of course, the Father and Son are with us too, but the Holy Spirit has a particular role with us after the Ascension). In other words, while it is vital to remember and, in some way, re-experience Christ's journey to the Cross through our own repentance, it is also perfectly reasonable, and expected really, to look with great hope toward the Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost. This is the culmination of our faith and its lived reality. Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: "At that time, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Symeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him . And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. "And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ' Lord, now let your servant depart in peace , according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel'" (Luke 2:25-32). Ponder: Today is the Feast of the Presentation and you may be asking: what made Symeon so special? Why did God pick him to reveal to the world that Jesus is the Messiah? Is the Holy Spirit on and in me? How do I hear what the Holy Spirit is revealing to me? How do I become inspired? These are all important questions. Ones that all of us need to ponder each day of our lives. To help you think through this, though, it's important to remember that most vocations have something to do with everyday life. Miracles work the same too. Think about it like this. There are hundreds of little things that we're called to do where we are and who we're with. So, don't ever discount the simple acts of love, mercy, forgiveness, and giftedness in and around the people you know or don't know. At the same time, there's also those bigger things ... those Holy Spirit things ... that we may be expected to be and to do. We can't shy away from them. Well, we can, for a while, but then we wake up one day and realize that we need the indwelling and inspiration of the Holy Spirit to carry out the bigger tasks that not only impact our smaller circle of relationships ... but the entire community and even the world! I believe in you! You can do it! Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: On 25 November, we commemorate St. Gregory the Theologian (c. 329–390) who was a dear friend to St. Basil the Great. This is what he writes in paragraph 29 of the Fifth Theological Oration (Oration 31), often called "On the Holy Spirit." " Indeed, I tremble when I think of the abundance of the titles [of the Holy Spirit] ... Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, Mind of Christ, Spirit of The Lord, The Lord, Spirit of Adoption, ... of Truth, ... of Liberty Spirit of Wisdom, ... of Understanding, ... of Counsel, ... of Might, ... of Knowledge, ... of Godliness, ... of the Fear of God. Maker of all these, Filling all with His Essence, Containing all things, Filling the world in His Essence, Incapable of being comprehended in His power by the world Good, upright, princely, by nature not by adoption Sanctifying, not sanctified Measuring, not measured Shared, not sharing Filling, not filled Containing, not contained Inherited, glorified, reckoned with the Father and the Son Held out as a threat Finger of God Fire like God Creator-Spirit, Who by Baptism and by Resurrection creates anew Spirit that knows all things ... That teaches ... That blows where and to what extent He lists That guides, talks, sends forth, separates, is angry or tempted That reveals, illumines, quickens, or rather is the Very Light and Life That makes Temples That deifies That perfects so as even to anticipate Baptism Yet after Baptism to be sought as a separate gift That does all things that God does Divided into fiery tongues Dividing gifts Making Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers Understanding manifold Clear Piercing Undefiled Unhindered, Which is the same thing as ... Most wise and varied in His actions Making all things clear and plain ... Of independent power Unchangeable, Almighty, All-seeing, Penetrating all spirits that are intelligent Pure most subtle and Uncircumscript (i.e. unlimited) ..." Ponder: Recite these names in the deep recesses of your mind and heart. Meditate on what they mean. Then watch just how much you change! Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

Blessed is the one who has Tasted the cup of the Master— Rejected, lied to, Cursed and spat upon. Blessed is the one who Falls down in trembling gratitude as a Sharer in those sufferings. Blessed is the one whose wounds have become A window through which Divine light pours forth into others. Blessed is the one whose Tears have plenteously watered the Seeds of compassion. Blessed is the one whose Scars speak sermons No words could preach. Blessed is the one who Serves not despite his crucifixion, But through it. Blessed is the one whose Eyes are fixed on Pentecost, Heart ablaze, Hand raised, In blessing Over the very world that wounded him. Flames in Darkness · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can help, please click here .

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 these next 33 days, There is a transfiguration. A long Holy Saturday Filled with a great stillness Like that, which exists, right before the Resurrection. Then, in the final 33 hours of those last 33 days, I plead and I pray that Your servant rises to the promise of a new day. Wounded, yet radiant Sorrowful, yet transfigured With tongues of fire placed in the heart ... Loving others. Calling them to prayer. Bandaging their wounds. Healing their hearts, and Walking with them to the Spirit. Close-up Photo of Orange Fire · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can help, please click here .

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His own Spirit" (1 John 4:13). Ponder: Take a few minutes ... think about what this means ... the Holy Spirit is the divine gift by which believers are truly united to God ... not metaphorically but really participating in the divine life! In other words, the gift of the Spirit is not merely an external sign of God's love for us, but the actual means by which believers enter into communion with the Trinity. That makes this scriptural passage an essential witness to our understanding of theosis (also known as deification or divinization), which is the process by which we enter into union with God. Think about how glorious that is ... we get to participate in the divine life through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit ... the Holy Spirit makes it possible for God to be in us and for us to be in God ... a love that is far beyond natural human capacity! Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

Heavenly Father ... Through the life of St. Anthony the Great, You reveal the beauty of Complete surrender. He heard Your call, Left everything behind, and Sought You alone In the silence of the desert. Though tempted and Tested by the enemy, His heart remained fixed on You. Grant us, O Lord, Even a measure of his courage, To release our attachments To embrace simplicity, and To trust in Your provision. May his example kindle deep within us A deeper hunger for prayer and Stillness and Solitude with You. St. Anthony, father of monks and Brother of all contemplatives, Intercede for us, That we too may find ... God in the wilderness Both in our own hearts and through the Silent, still spaces we cultivate. Amen. An icon of St. Anthony the Great, the founder of all Christian monasticism, who is commemorated on January 17. If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can help, please click here .

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 forgets the Last two syllables of the Last measure of the last line of the Last plea that hovers in the night ... Amen. White Clouds and Blue Sky · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here . If you can help, please click here .

Each week I send a short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Read: "That we may become worthy to be filled with holiness through the use of this water by the invisible revelation of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord" (from the Great Blessing of Water ). Ponder: In this petition, we are humbly acknowledging that the water blessed at Theophany acts as a type of spiritual medicine through which the Spirit sanctifies our souls and bodies. This invisible change manifests itself, in part, as a desire for, and an ability to approach, divine stillness ... when we quiet the noise within and wait upon the Lord in silence. Thus, we pray not for a worthiness we can possess ... but a transfiguration we can receive ... matter made radiant by divine presence ... creation restored to its sacred purpose ... the soul calm ... the spirit listening. Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

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, the heavens parted. The Holy Spirit descended. Not in fire, not in wind, but as a dove, gentle, radiant, full of peace. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation now hovered over You, O Christ, as You emerged from the Jordan. In this, a new creation was revealed. The Trinity was made known: the Father speaking, the Son baptized, the Spirit descending in visible form. Three Persons, one God, united in the work of our salvation. As we receive the blessed waters on Theophany, Lord, breathe Your Spirit into them and into us. Let every drop remind us that You are no distant mystery. You came down. You made Yourself seen. You made Yourself heard. That is how we can humbly ask: as You descended that day, descend upon us. As You anointed the Son that day, anoint us. As You revealed the Father's voice that day, open our ears to hear. Fill us. Transfigure us. Lead us into all truth, the Trinity made manifest, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Ponder: Today the nature of water is transformed. What once brought death in the flood now becomes a fountain of life. What drowned Pharaoh's army now drowns our sins. Ask yourself: as I receive the blessed waters on Theophany will I allow them to enter the troubled waters of my heart and still them? Will I cooperate with God and let them wash not only my body but my soul as well? Will I rise to a new life each day by entering into this sacred mystery? Pray: "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." Ask: If you have a question or a prayer request, please reach out here . A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .