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 lives can be turned inside-out and upside-down by our own choices. This is caused by what we call the 'passions' or sin or just plain self-involved, self-inflicted stupidity. That's why the words of St. Maximos are so important. He's naming a very real, very human, very common experience of the storm within (today we might simply call it a hot mess). St. Maximos is also identifying the destruction caused by spiritual attack. While the obvious interpretation is that evil has its way with us at times, there is also the undeniable fact that not only do we choose not to see, hear, feel, and act on the holiness that the Holy Spirit is trying to build within us, but also that we consciously and subconsciously seek diabolical influence. The good news in all this, though, is that hope remains alive! How? Because the Holy Spirit is our 'advocate,' 'counsellor,' and 'helper.' Simply put, the Paraclete is with us all day, every day. That is why, like St. Maximos, our prayer should frequently turn toward the Divine Spirt who is in our midst, showing us the path to the Heavenly Kingdom, aiding us in our times of need, reproving us for the sins we commit, and leading us to know and to live God's will for us in this life. Pray : "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. If you can, please donate by clicking here .

In this noisy, chaotic, and increasingly violent world, people everywhere want to be released from the darkness that surrounds them. That is why Giving Tuesday , December 2, 2025, is so important. It is a reminder that our generosity can be an instrument of grace, creating ripples of goodness far beyond ourselves. And that's why we need you! Your donation to holysilence.org  will help sustain a ministry that guides people toward authentic spiritual growth, deep healing, real peace, and communion with God at a time when such gifts are desperately needed. You see, the mission of Holy Silence is to renew, teach, deepen, and encourage the ancient practice of contemplative prayer, which offers something increasingly rare: genuine calm. More specifically, our growing brotherhood and sisterhood follows the mystical tradition of Eastern Christianity. That means we focus on the practice of hesychasm—acquiring inner stillness through silence and the use of the Jesus Prayer and/or the Holy Spirit Prayer. So, your contribution enables us to continue providing retreats, offering pastoral care, building digital content, and offering contemplative conversations (e.g., webinars and podcasts) to parish groups, youth groups, students, families, and individuals seeking to heal and grow through prayer. These gatherings provide rare opportunities for pilgrims to come together to reflect, learn, and experience lasting spiritual transformation. So, please remember us on Tuesday, December 2. Photo Of Jetty During Dawn · Free Stock Photo

There is a sumptuous vision within the writings of many spiritual mothers and fathers which describes prayer as a genuine pathway to divine encounter and transformation (dare I write: transfiguration?). Many of them draw on Luke 11:13 — " If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Put simply, God responds to our longing, genuine prayers with love, generosity, mercy, spirit, and the gift of salvation. To go one step further, the effect of authentic, humble, simple prayer lies in its capacity to open our hearts to God's indwelling presence. Through love and earnest supplication, we discover the interior treasures of divine strength and spiritual insight, which, in turn, enlivens our walk along the path of salvation and sanctifies us for the benefit of others who seek spiritual wisdom and understanding. In the end, prayer addresses humanity's deepest need: clothing the soul with divine grace. Just as physical nakedness brings a type of shame, spiritual nakedness—the absence of God's presence—leaves us vulnerable to a life of chaos and spiritual disorder. Thus, prayer becomes the remedy, the means by which believers receive what St. Macarius and others call "the garment of salvation." Silhouette of a Person Standing on the Beach · Free Stock Photo If you can donate, please click here .

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 : "In the Holy Spirit is an ocean of divine gifts, a wealth of glory, a great depth of judgments..." (from Antiphon 3, Matins, 23 Nov 25). Ponder: Truly, take some extra time today to read and re-read the passage above. It is not only beautiful and moving, but also theologically and spiritually deep. The Holy Spirit is both divine gift and divine giver of gifts. And here we are not merely talking about the natural skills and abilities we are born with. The gifts mentioned here go astronomically far beyond genetics, environment, rearing, personality, and personal choice. What is mentioned here are the eternal, mystical things ... those gifts that are provided to us to participate with God ... those gifts that go beyond the physical, emotional, intellectual, and relational ... the spiritual gifts that flow through us as pure gift from God in order to help us do His will on earth with, and for, others. This is partly how we get to participate in the wealth of God's glory and develop judgments that are more akin to God's ways than our own. Give away your pride, seek the Holy Spirit, let this ocean cleanse and make you new. Pray : "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. To donate, please click here .

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 prayer is a choice to honor God's will! "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Mt. 6:9-10), and "Not my own will, but yours be done" (Lk 22.42). The greatness of prayer grants holiness! The greatness of prayer builds spiritual vision! The greatness of prayer manifests the kingdom of God! Body of Water during Dawn · Free Stock Photo

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 : "In the Holy Spirit is universal dominion, which the armies in heaven worship, as does every breathing being on earth' (Matins, Antiphon 3, 16 November 2025). Ponder: Take note of the second phrase. The heavenly armies worship God. Think about such an awe-inspiring occurrence: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Powers, Dominions, Principalities, Virtues, Archangels, and Angels bow down to the Holy Spirit. Spend time considering the third phrase. It says that every being on earth also worships God. Is that true? Perhaps ... perhaps ... at an ontological level, the level of being itself, every breathing thing knows and worships God. But, practically speaking, at a physical level, an emotional level, an intellectual level, a relational level, and especially at a spiritual level ... many people DO NOT worship the Triune God and DO NOT have a specific relationship with the Holy Spirit. So, ask yourself - is my spiritual life true, good, and beautiful? Make sure you live your life focused on prayer and the love of God. Join the heavenly armies in your worship. Pray : "Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me." A Coptic Orthodox icon of Pentecost. To donate, please click here .

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 guiding me during the earliest days of my life. You have always exemplified for me a life of contemplative prayer and servant leadership. A depiction of St. Hugh of Lincoln.

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. "Thomas, the faithful servant and disciple of Christ, filled with divine grace, cried out from the depth of his love: 'You are my Lord and my God!'" (Kontakion — Tone 4). Icon depicting the Theotokos giving her cincture to Thomas the Apostle.

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. "In you, o venerable Father Paul, the image of God shone forth, for you carried your Cross and followed Christ. By so doing you taught us to disregard the flesh for it passes away, and to care instead for the soul since it is immortal, wherefore your soul forever rejoices with the angels" (Troparion — Tone 8). An icon of St. Paul the Simple

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. An icon of Edward the Confessor written by Aidan Hart .

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. Today, I am reminded of the motto of your Carthusian Order: "Stat crux dum volvitur orbis" (Latin for "The Cross is steady while the world turns"). Saint Bruno of Cologne, by Nicolas Mignard.

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 loving, guiding, and inspiring my grandmother, Concetta. A photograph of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.