As I continually read, watch, and listen to the multitudinous stories of the atrocities committed against Christians around the world these days, I have repeatedly found myself meditating deeply and frequently about Christian identity, Christian unity, persecution, and martyrdom. In the midst of such a reflection, I also find that I am asking God if and what I should do to help those afflicted. While I certainly can’t recount here the entirety of His mildly astonishing answer to me, I can tell you that I was reminded of what St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” In other words: miracles can and will happen! Miracles are vital to our understanding of a vibrant faith. They are the bridge that God gives to us in order to see the path between a world dripping with evil and sin, and the world of God in heaven. Miracles happen because God loves us. They come about because God is holy too. They are clear signs that He is interceding for us. God performs miracles not only because He wants to give us every possible chance to escape from our sinful selves and the vicious acts of the devil, but also because He calls each and every one of us to experience a foretaste of eternal unity with the Most Holy Trinity in the heavenly kingdom. Thus, one of the lessons I learned in my recent meditations was this: instead of always looking at what is wrong in our world, I need to take the time to recount what good that God is working throughout the world too. For example, it is a miracle that the good news of Jesus Christ still exists in places where people are doing their level best to kill Christians. It is a miracle that there are legions of good Orthodox and Catholics who are willing to sacrifice life and limb to bring the message of God into a godless world. I also re-learned that I need to remind myself of all the miracles that have happened in the past, both as an acknowledgment that God has been working miracles in the world since the beginning of time and as a way of finding a path that is modeled after all those saints who somehow received those miracles. You can do the same. Start by looking at the liturgical calendar every day and learn more about God’s actions in and around the saints. Then remember the miracles that are already happening in your life. Finally, and foremost, pray. Nothing can happen in your life without it. #prayer #miracles #persecution #saints

The glory and power of God can weigh on us sometimes. But not for the reason you might think. You see: most people assume that because God is divine He imposes His will on us. While it is certainly true that God is great and glorious, and far beyond our comprehension, the real reason we most often feel God as a weight is that we use our humanness as an excuse to remain human. In other words, we use our human nature to justify our rampant sinfulness, and therefore we feel the weight of the difference between us and the Divinity of God. But the Ascension teaches us that God is offering us something quite different. Not only did God become incarnate in order to save us from our sin and degradation, but also to transfigure our humanity so that it could become divine. In other words, God made it so that we could grow closer to Him now and in eternity. The Apostles learned this in their own lifetimes by witnessing Jesus Christ – both in His humanity and divinity – ascending to heaven. "And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’" (Acts 1:9-11). Think about the Ascension this way: every time we approach the altar to partake of the Most Holy Eucharist, we know we are not merely ingesting bread and wine, but feeding on the Christ who is fully present within the gifts. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the material reality of the bread and wine is being transformed into a comingled reality of materiality and divinity. In a vastly superior way, God is willing to transform the singularity of our humanity into a comingled reality of humanity and divinity. This is precisely what happened to the Prophets and Apostles. As they gave themselves over to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to step into the unknown (and often mysterious) realm of the divine. Think about it like this: in a similar (though still mysterious way), each of them were willing to step deep into what is known as the cloud of unknowing: Moses in Exodus 24:15-18; Mary in Luke 1:35; Peter, James, and John in Matthew 17:5-8 (cf. Mark 9:7-8 and Luke 9:33-36); and now, today, the Apostles in Acts 1:9-11. In other words, these people were willing to step out of their typical human smallness and sinfulness, and into the mystery and glory of God. Each and every day, we must work hard to have faith enough to step into this mysterious cloud of divinity so that God may transform us. "Let us run with confidence and joy to enter into the cloud like Moses and Elijah, or like James and John. Let us be caught up like Peter to behold the divine vision and to be transfigured by that glorious transfiguration. Let us retire from the world, stand aloof from the earth, rise above the body, detach ourselves from creatures and turn to the creator, to whom Peter in ecstasy exclaimed: Lord, it is good for us to be here" (An excerpt from a sermon by St. Anastasius of Sinai). Trusting in the lives of the Prophets and the Apostles, let us pray for one another so that we may live our lives in this way. #StAnastasiusofSinai #SacredScripture #luminousdarkness

With at least one new report each day of the kidnapping, torture, or death of Christians and other groups around the world, it is stunning how quickly reporters and government officials call for “normalcy,” “routine,” and a general position of “non-intimidation.” The tenets of crisis management dictate this sort of talk, of course. But what tends to get lost in the desire to “move on” from such incidents is the natural and absolute need to remember that God alone protects and provides. ‘Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation 21:3-5) These are beautiful and life-changing words for sure, but they are very difficult too. Not because we don’t believe them, but because we don’t know how to live them. Think about it like this: While attentively sitting in a pew at Church or comfortably stretched out on your favorite chair at home, you can easily say to yourself: “Oh yes, Christ is my salvation. He will protect me and bring me into His kingdom in death. Yes. He is good and I love Him.” But how tough are these words sitting in an emergency room, no less because of the wounds you suffered were because you are a Christian? Far too often when we face the most difficult circumstances in our lives, even if we pray, we tend to psychologically flee from God. While we are taught and believe that we must use human means to take care of ourselves and each other in times of suffering, it is also vitally important to remember that these means are limited and that God alone protects us and provides for us in our needs. Thus, a vital component of living the gift of faith during the uneventful moments in our lives is to prepare spiritually, emotionally, and physically to put our entire self directly in the hands of God, especially when things go horribly, violently wrong. This is what St. Paul meant when he said: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). The curious reality is that nations can choose to heed these words too. St. John the Apostle recounts in the Book of Revelation that the Lord will heal all of the nations of the earth in the end. “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and its gates shall never be shut by day -- and there shall be no night there; they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations” (Revelation 21: 22-26). Let us pray that we remember God alone protects and provides. #SacredScripture #BookofRevelation #obedience

The light that emanates from the triune God is what draws man into faith, hope, and love. It causes man to know that God exists; it helps man to know that God is communicating with him, and it helps man to desire to respond to God in prayer. Myriad examples from the New Testament bear this out. The most obvious example comes from the Holy Gospel According to St. John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it " (John 1:1-5; emphasis added). Another well-known example comes from the epistles of St. John: "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness , we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:5-7; emphasis added)." The important point here is that the Triune God, particularly the Second Person of the Trinity, is the light for all mankind. Thus, the Holy Spirit illumines the light of God, which is Christ, who leads man to the light of the universe, which is the Father who is in heaven. As much as it is not a surprise that common scholarship and belief about the presence of God is described as an experience of light, it is also not a surprise that common scholarship and belief about the concept of the presence of God in darkness is largely reserved for (or relegated to, as the case may be) Old Testament exegesis. As justification for this, scholars and believers alike, often quote the most obvious example where God was to be found in the darkness, which occurs in the Book of Exodus (20:18-21) when Moses climbs Mt. Horeb (emphasis added): "When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.’ Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was ." Another well-known example comes from Psalm 18:7-15: "Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens, and came down; thick darkness was under his feet . He rode on a cherub, and flew; he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering around him, his canopy thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him there broke through his clouds hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice. And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils" (emphasis added). There are other examples in the Old Testament of course, but the important point here is that the concept of finding God in the darkness is an important aspect of a developing prayer life. So let us pray for one another that we may live our lives within God's illuminated darkness. #luminousdarkness #SacredScripture

Western Christianity seems to have acculturated to the noisy, busy behavior of the wider secular culture such that well-meaning Christians are actually engaging in theological attitudes and spiritual practices that tend to pull them further and further from God. Now, to be fair, we are not saying here that the entirety of Western Christianity is without pockets of extremely devoted, deeply faithful Christian bishops, priests, and laypeople. However, we cannot ignore that there have been far too many movements over the last 60 years that have embraced a reductionism that forces a false choice between forms of "spiritual healing" and "fulfilling social service initiatives" over and against true, deep mystical prayer that leads to union with God, Here are a few examples of what we mean. First, "contemplatives in action" prayer movements that try to convince their adherents that merely incorporating sound bites of prayer into their otherwise busy lives will make contemplatives out of them. What's worse is that believers are often taught that it is they who control their ability to contemplate, as if they had to tune into a kind of 'contemplation channel' in their mind to commune with God. Second, "centering" prayer movements tend to utilize the language and behaviors of non-Christian religions (Hinduism and Buddhism in particular) to explain spiritual theology. What's worse is that believers are taught to perform mantras and abandon Christian categories in order to achieve some promised form of higher consciousness outside of Christ. Third, the "social action" movements attempt to convince otherwise devout Christians that the busier they become providing for the social welfare of others, the closer to God they will become. What's worse is that believers are simultaneously convinced to support social movements and government programs that, in the end, are contrary to Christian teaching (e.g. abortion and contraception as methods of population control to reduce famine). As you can see, while we are sure to find a love of God and man in the motives and actions of the people involved in these activities, we also discover that there's is a false love because, ultimately, these movements tend to lead people away from the Christian tradition, which leads them away from the deeper, mystical love that man can share with God, and each other. What we need then is to make sure these movements and these people understand that a "hesychastic" love (a love which is grounded mystically in stillness and silence) must undergird everything we do or our actions will end up looking no different than those of social service agencies, or worse, distorting our faith so that it doesn't look like anything Christian at all. #love #silence #prayer

Man was created in the image of God, but through sin, denial and a lack of knowledge he no longer understands and believes that he is a partaker of the divine nature. Not only does this create a sad and dangerous reality for those who have fallen away from the Lord, but also demands a sober and serious response by those of us who call ourselves believing and committed Christians. To understand this a little more clearly, take a moment to understand what we are told about this in Sacred Scripture. In Psalm 82, verse five we are reminded that “They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.” At one level this means that there has always been and always will be a segment of the population that neither acknowledges God nor desires to a live a life in and through him. At another level this also means that many of us who know God and say we live for God are now and will continue to persist in sin and obstinate denial of His will for our lives. The good news, however, is that the story doesn’t end there. Verse six of the same Psalm continues: “I say ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you’”. Again, at one level this means that we share in the life of God simply because we were created by Him through love; and that we should live our lives according to this love. At another level, though, this means that we actually partake of the divine nature of God. The reason for this is that God is so loving and good that He desires for us to be in union with Him now and into eternity. St. Peter explains it this way: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4). St. John the Theologian adds this: "For he has given them power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). For the early Church Fathers, man’s ability to share in the divine nature of God is not simply a metaphorical return to the blissfulness that Adam and Eve enjoyed before sin. Much more than that, they believed and wrote that since Jesus had both a divine and a human nature, it became possible for man to participate in the divine through the sacraments, as well as by literally joining his human activities (i.e., synergy) to God’s operation in the world. This is what is known as theosis (θέωσις) or the union with God that begins now and culminates in eternity. St. Irenaeus wrote that God “became what we are in order to make us what he is himself” (Adversus haereses, book 5, preface). He also wrote, “If the Word became a man, it was so men may become gods” (Ibid). St. Athanasius wrote, “He became man that men might be made gods” (Athanasius, On the Incarnation, 54). St. Gregory of Nazianzus and St. Basil the Great wrote similar statements too. As you delve deeper into prayer, take a few moments to meditate on how little we must think of ourselves when we pat ourselves on the back for human achievements or despair over the things in life that we know are small or petty. Then compare that to how much more God is inviting us to be, and think about how that ought to inform and change the way we pray and live every day. #prayer #theosis #StAthanasius #StPeter #StIrenaeus #StGregoryofNazianzus #StJohntheTheologian #scripture #StBasiltheGreat

We are called to union with God and the only way to do this is through silence, stillness, and unceasing prayer. Ephesians 3:14-21 is a beautiful prayer of faith, love, and more than anything else, hope that each person strengthens their inner life. St. Paul is praying that we constantly remember the divine goal of our human life: theosis or deification, which is growing into union with God now and into eternity. Theologically speaking, theosis or deification is attained by grace and by synergia, which is working together with God. Prayerfully speaking, this working together with God happens through our unceasing prayers in which we (1) seek the love of God in order to (2) align our faith in and love for Him for the soul purpose of (3) following His will now so that we may (4) live in union with God in eternity. But how do we know this is happening for us? It's like a loving revelation, a divine gift that illumines and transforms our intellect. It is a deepening experience of a personal bond with the personal God who reveals Himself to us through communion with Him. So, let us pray for each other today as St. Paul does: "that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (v. 19). Ephesians 3:14-21 [14] For this reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [15] from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, [16] that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, [17] that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- [19] to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [20] Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, [21] to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. #SacredScripture #continualprayer #StPaul

The palpable discontent that normally grips the American electorate during the political high-season seems to have given way to a soul-rattling restlessness. The evidence for this is that the standard right-left wedge issues have been replaced by the even more fundamental question of the relationship of the voter to God, himself, his fellow man and the state. “Though mankind is stricken with wonder at its own discoveries and its power, it often raises anxious questions about the current trend of the world, about the place and role of man in the universe, about the meaning of its individual and collective strivings, and about the ultimate destiny of reality and of humanity. ( Gaudium et Spes , December 7, 1965, §3)” While these concepts seemed too lofty to expect the average voter to consider as he entered the voting booth in the past, we are now being reminded that these are the questions we ultimately face every day.  Simply put, there is hope to be found amidst the fevered political discourse this year because the larger body politic is beginning to remember that a vote is not merely a political decision, but a personal one, and therefore a deeply religious and spiritual one. Of course we’ve known this for years vis-à-vis abortion, assisted suicide and embryonic stem cell research.  The difference now is that the questions seem to be forcing Americans to ask, “What’s next for me, my family, my country and the world?  How will my decisions now impact my end and our end?” In order for people to answer these questions properly, not only must they be catechized, but they must be properly prepared for and disposed to a sincere prayer life.  If we accept that the single most important goal in this life is to achieve union with God in the next – theosis – then our prayer lives must necessarily be the single most important “thing” we “do”.  And yet, we spend so little time understanding true prayer, let alone actually engaging in it.  This is important to our lives because communal prayer (liturgy) and personal prayer are the means by which we communicate with God (in terms of dialogue and union). Unfortunately, too few parishes around America are truly preparing their people to understand that the human capacity for participation in the divinity of God is prayer itself (which is the state of intimate communion with God) and that the spirituality we embrace (which is the type or degree to which one desires and/or seeks a more intimate communication with God) determines our commitment to a life of prayer.  Think about it: when was the last time in your parish that a priest, monk, nun or deacon publicly took a long, sober, traditional look at what needs to be present in the Church in terms of prayer? And when was the last time a multitude of believers gathered to learn how to pray using Scripture and the authentic Tradition with depth and sincerity? One reason this has rarely taken place over the last four decades is that the province of prayer and spirituality has been hijacked by those who, amidst the burgeoning egalitarianism that arose after Vatican II, sought roles (e.g. spiritual director) that could exert enormous influence over the laity. Another reason spirituality and prayer are in bad shape is that these same people have sought to mold the ancient and venerable practices of prayer into a modernist, quasi-psychiatric or therapeutic discipline. To illustrate this point further, simply peruse the websites and newsletters of far too many Roman retreat houses across America.  For example, one retreat center in the South, run by Catholic nuns, works awfully hard to avoid using the word “Catholic” in its publications and boasts the biographies of the 46 contributors who lead their various programs. The problem is that this list includes a registered yoga instructor, a trained “psychodramatist”, Presbyterians, Methodists, Quakers, Lutherans, a minister from the United Church of Christ, and a host of psychiatrists and therapists. Aside from the obvious scandal this has caused, what we have been left with, it seems, are the people on one side for whom spirituality is a communal activity, marked by feel-good slogans and soft, self-affirmations. It would be equally imprudent to endorse those on the opposite side who would reduce spirituality to a merely individual activity marked largely by intellectual pursuits and quasi-ascetic disciplines. Neither version leads to a healthy understanding of prayer, which was modeled for us by Jesus Christ, or spirituality, which was and is imparted to us by the Holy Spirit. The bottom line is that the importance of prayer cannot be overstated.  Tradition has time and again reaffirmed that the life of prayer is the most powerful of all realities.  “The principal fruit of prayer is not warmth and sweetness, but fear of God and contrition (Theophan the Recluse in The Art of Prayer , p. 124).”  And this is why Scripture originally described the spiritual life in terms of fire, water, a pillar of cloud, a thunderous noise and a rushing wind. In order to reignite this kind of bold intensity in our spiritual lives we must set our minds on what comes next.  “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:1-3).” We also must be vigilant.  “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).” And, finally, we must do our best to overcome the obstacles in our world: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My father on His throne (Revelation 4:21).” Even though the political discourse will assuredly plummet to new lows by the time this election is over, because of the topics that have been broached this year we no longer have an excuse not to engage people at their core, which is about man’s origin and his destiny.  Doing so will continue to push people to grapple with what it means both to grow in communion with God by deeper communication with Him and how this life in God ought to determine their every decision (even in the voting booth!).  Hopefully these considerations will move mankind a little closer to taking more seriously the need to spend dense periods of time with God in prayer. _______________________________________ This article originally appeared here: Politics and Prayer ( catholicexchange.com ) Pexels Stock Photos

In the hours and days that passed after the horror of the attacks on September 11, 2001, when the shock began to wear off and the fear began to set in, Americans flocked to their churches and flooded into town squares to do the only thing we could do: pray. Rarely can it be found in the annals of American history when, as a people, we so willingly enjoined each other in a spontaneous and deeply-felt expression of prayer. All across the nation Protestant joined with Catholic and Orthodox while Jew joined with Christian and Muslim to utter the words of our faiths in the hope of gaining help from the one, true God. We sought wisdom, we sought signs, and most of all we sought simple answers to our most fundamental problems. What came next were calls for the creation of ongoing opportunities for inter-religious and ecumenical prayer services that sprang up from all corners of the religious world. Dialogue became the watchword for universities and the ideas of peace and co-existence occupied the heads of adult education programs in churches across America. There was a palpable desire to learn more about religion and an even greater commitment to prayer. Looking back, it is good that many of the so-called prayer services and dialogical programs began after September 11 are now defunct. Too many of them were visceral reactions to a devastating attack and ended up becoming a platform to apologize for the supposedly hegemonic history of Christianity. Under the banners of “tolerance,” “diversity” and “inclusivity,” too many Christians chose to hide from their beliefs in the Trinity and the Hypostatic Union, and far too many of those used these occasions as an opportunity to once-and-for-all embrace a “spiritual” life over an explicitly “religious” one. Having said that, nine years later it is important to ask the questions that should haunt us: Where have all the prayers gone?  Where are the throngs of believers publically begging God for love, forgiveness and mercy?  Where is the genuine desire within the homes and communities of Christians to stand spiritually before God with an ardent desire to submit ourselves to Him? After everything that has transpired since September 11 – not the least of which has been the engagement of two wars and an economic collapse not seen in more than a generation – one would think that this desire for an outpouring of prayer would be somewhere near as strong today as it was nine years ago. Since it is clear that the desire has waned, the time has come to renew our understanding of and commitment to prayer.  We must re-learn why we pray, how to pray and what it means for our lives. “To pray is to stand spiritually before God in our heart in glorification, thanksgiving, supplication, and contrite penitence. Everything must be spiritual.  The root of all prayer is devout fear of God; from this comes belief about God and faith in Him, submission of oneself to God, hope in God, and cleaving to Him with the feeling of love, in oblivion of all created things. When prayer is powerful, all these spiritual feelings and movements are present in the heart with corresponding vigour (Theophan the Recluse as quoted in The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology , p. 93).” Simply put, we must pray because prayer is tied to the whole point of our existence, which is theosis or union with God. The Father teaches us this in the Old Testament. Even with a cursory look at the Psalms alone we find a juxtaposition of the life of the godly with the life of the ungodly relative to prayer. We are exhorted to meditate day and night. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the troublesome; but his will is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by streams of waters, that produces its fruit in its season; and his leaf shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper…for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalm 1).” We know that prayer is tied to the whole purpose of our existence because the Son taught us to pray in the New Testament. First, even as God, He set the example for us by praying. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed (Mark 1:35).” Second, He showed us how to pray. Not only did He find a solitary place in order to be free from distraction, but also He did so early in the morning to demonstrate that prayer should be our first priority and the conduit through which we help others. We know that prayer is tied to the whole purpose of our existence because the Holy Spirit is with us to this day, teaching us all we need to know through prayer. “‘These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name. He will teach you all these things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:25-27).” We are always in need of reinvigorating our life of prayer not because we are witnesses to thousands of deaths, but because it is the very tool we were given to join with God now and in eternity. Jesus Himself reminded us to persevere in our prayer (Matthew 26:41) and to know that prayer is powerful (Matthew 21:22). And now, just as we willingly opened ourselves to the Holy Spirit on that particularly dark day in September nine years ago, we can find Him now if only we have the courage to listen for Him without the need of a deafening explosion. _______________________________ This article originally appeared here: Where Have All the Prayers Gone? ( catholicexchange.com ) . Burning Charcoal · Free Stock Photo ( pexels.com )

In the span of a mere nine weeks during late spring, the faithful are exposed to the most important elements of the faith. On the post-Vatican II Roman liturgical calendar, we find the institution of both the Eucharist and the priesthood on Holy Thursday, the humanity of Jesus on Good Friday, the Divinity of Jesus on Easter Sunday, the existence of the Holy Spirit and the gift of the Church at Pentecost, and the triune nature of God on the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. The reason it is important both to understand and to seriously reflect on the meaning of this spiritually-rich and theologically-intense time period is not merely because we need to be catechized (which we do) or that we need to be more obedient (which we do) or even that we need to live more virtuous lives (which we do). We must reflect on the meaning of these weeks because they form the mystical center of our faith. In other words, they contain everything we need to know God, to love Him and to return to Him in eternity. The arc of these weeks shows us who God is, who man is and what is contained in the relationship between the two. They explain in a whisper that from all eternity God loved us to the point of creation and continues to love us to the point of consummation. These weeks softly speak the gentle encouragements of a God who tells us that there has never been a time when He didn’t love us and there will never be a time when He does not desire our eternal return to him. In these weeks God also makes the thunderous demands of one who intends to cleanse us of our fallen nature by the power of bread, wine, water and oil. Sadly, too many of the lay faithful doubt they have heard His whispers and tend to ignore His booming voice because they have been taught over a four decade or more span that their thoughts, feelings and day-to-day experiences are the valid conduit through which God will save them. In other words, the trend among spiritual bureaucratic types in the Church has been to train lay narcissists fully convinced that “where they are” is simply enough. The rationalization, of course, is that life of the layman is inherently noble with its struggles in and with spouses, children and work. Certainly, marriage and family are estimable and laudable. That goes without saying. But at a time in history when technological advances have trained us to desire ever greater speed in all facets of life, when loans and credit cards have trained us to desire ever greater material goods, and when individualism has given way to voyeurism and exhibitionism, then we cannot allow the person in the pew to remain content with the ubiquity of a type of spirituality that is self-absorbed, therapeutic and minimalistic. So, just as the Church has been working to clean up relativist theology and secularist liturgy, the time has come to clean up humanistic spirituality. What I am proposing here is that all of those whose work somehow touches on spiritual formation (especially priests and religious) employ their charisms to the task of encouraging an understanding of and practices that can lead to legitimate, authentic and traditionally understood mysticism. The time has come to remind the lay faithful that “the perfection of man does not consist in that which assimilates him to the whole of creation, but that in which distinguishes him from the created order and assimilates him to his Creator” (Vladimir Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church , p. 114). What I am talking about here is ridding seminaries, retreat centers and parishes of solipsistic spiritualities. These are the programs of spiritual formation and direction that tend to utilize psychological paradigms rather than spiritual ones. I am also proposing that we begin to scale down what I term “spiritual direction mills” that churn our so-called spiritual directors who have little or no directly contemplative experiences with God. So, what I believe we need is a new breed of spirituality (which is, in fact, quite old) that directs the lay faithful to more fervently work toward union with God. It’s just like what Pope John Paul II wrote in his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici (§60): “There is no doubt that spiritual formation ought to occupy a privileged place in a person’s life. Everyone is called to grow continually in intimate union with Jesus Christ, in conformity to the Father’s will, in devotion to others in charity and justice.” Instead of directing the lay faithful to focus almost exclusively on the “devotion to others in charity and justice” at the expense of the call “to grow continually in intimate union with Jesus Christ”, I propose that the time has come for the ordained (and/or those in professed vows) to lead the laity to that precipice where God is experienced in a type of mystical fullness. It is equally time for the lay faithful to demand from themselves and their spiritual directors that theosis or union with God be the focal point of their spiritual life. This is the only way we can guarantee that true charity and justice will reign in our lives here on earth. One of God’s great gifts is that He grounds us in our creation and lifts us up toward His kingdom. The experience of Him in between – in this life – is already awe-inspiring and life-changing. That is why we must learn to live like it. By His wisdom we can see the world as He sees it and by His love we can see our end in his heavenly kingdom. We can see the beyond that has been inaugurated in this world and will be consummated in the next. So now is the time for us to decide we are going to embrace a spirituality which – instead of merely enfolding ourselves in our humanity – awakens in us that which is divine. _____________________________________ This article originally appeared here: Time to Clean Up ‘Lay Spirituality,’ Too ( catholicexchange.com ) Person Holding Red Candle in a Dark Room · Free Stock Photo ( pexels.com )

Standing at the base of an old, graying, wooden ladder I didn’t know what I would find in that mountain-cave turned church. As I ascended those ten or 12 steps my heart pounded, my breath grew short, and my eyes were filled with awe. What I found in that stone-cooled room in the middle of the Cappadocia region of Central Turkey would change my life forever. As I stood on the top rung of the ladder, I peered inside to see just what those ancient Christians saw: a white-stone room cut no more than six feet wide, eight feet deep and seven or so feet high. To the left and right were stone benches and in front of me was a stone-carved iconostasis (the screen or wall between the nave and the sanctuary in an Eastern Church). As I pulled myself up into the Church, I discovered an altar behind the iconostasis and a grotto cut into the wall to be used as a tabernacle. Standing in the middle of this roughly 1,500-year-old Church I couldn’t believe I was physically touching one of those ancient sites made holy by Christians who understood what it meant to believe. These people of Asia Minor knew in the pits of their stomachs that God became man; that He lived, died and rose again. At the very center of their lives — and often at the very cost of their lives — they believed that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). These people — who cut through rock with the most basic tools in order to build a temple for the Lord — knew without questioning. They knew at the level of their being what it meant to be a Christian. They knew their job was to honor Jesus and model themselves after Mary. They knew then by practice what we know by definition: that true worship is standing forever before God with your mind in your heart. Without explanation or incentive, they lived their lives in types of mangers (whether in mountain caves or underground caverns). They gathered what they could to live and allowed their minds to sit comfortably on the thrones of their hearts, which had been built by the stone of Divine Wisdom, the fire of the Holy Spirit, the flesh of the Incarnation, and their own simple gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They testified to their faith with their very lives, and I am here to bear witness to them. In that cave, like the dozens of others we visited during that May of 2007, I could hear the hymns of praise, I could smell the incense they used, I could feel their worries and their pains, and I could feel their hopes and their joys. I could see them processing in and out of the Church, in and out of their lives, knowing that God was with them and in them. They were unified in the one Holy Spirit, and, like St. Paul, they knew that “living is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). To say I couldn’t believe my eyes would be an understatement. To say that I was speechless would be an understatement. Especially when you consider that I knew something was ‘happening’ even before I saw the ancient Cappadocian land of St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Gregory Nazianzen. In fact, while standing on a corner in Istanbul, across the street from the Hagia Sophia (Christendom’s largest Cathedral for 1,000 years) I was already beginning to feel the Spirit coursing through my veins, filling every tissue, girding every bone and pulsating in every muscle. Today, the only possible words I can find to describe what happened was that the Holy Spirit literally entered into my mind like a rush of wind or fire or water, moved through my entire body and came to rest in the deepest part of my being. While experiencing the presence of God is not new in my life — in fact I’ve never gone through a time when I “didn’t feel” God within me or that I “couldn’t experience” the presence of Christ at Liturgy or “see” the Spirit in the world — these particular moments threw me back on my heels. Perhaps like Moses at the burning bush or Peter, James and John at the Transfiguration, I witnessed something even more profound. I was humbled then, and I am humbled now. I still question my worthiness for such an experience, but these days I am mainly working at being, learning to live nestled firmly in the care of The Good Shepherd (John 10:11) knowing all the time I am on a journey toward the Eschaton, being ushered forth by His Spirit toward that moment when we will see the New Heaven and the New Earth (Revelation 21:1). As I have relayed this story to others, I am often asked how such a thing “happened” to me or how it might “happen” for them. The simple answer is that I do not know. Having spent much time with a spiritual director, I can tell you that any potentially emotional or psychological reasons for these experiences were long vetted. Since this occurred about two years ago (meaning that a significant time has passed) and it is as real for me today as it was at the time, I can continue to affirm for you that what happened was the truth and it was given by God. _____________________________________ This article originally appeared here: The Caves of Cappadocia ( catholicexchange.com )