No one wakes up one morning and Decides to become bitter. It happens the way erosion happens, A little rain and A little wind... Season after season. A slight remembered. A kindness withheld. A small compromise made because You were tired, and because You had been hurt. “Gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and He knows it not” (Hosea 7:9). The heart ages unnoticed. Love does not break; it cools (Matthew 24:12). The conscience is not silenced by a shout, but By a thousand quiet refusals to listen. Then one day you catch your reflection In a harsh word, and You do not recognize the face. You have become, In some small measure, What once wounded you. Do not despair. Asaph, who confessed that His soul was embittered, Found his way back by Entering the sanctuary (Psalm 73). The prodigal “came to himself” (Luke 15:17). Waking is the beginning of repentance, and The Lord is not slow to meet the one who stirs. “Awake, O sleeper... and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14). You are not too late! The One who walks beside the wounded Walks beside the weary, and he is patient. Soften what has hardened. Begin again, gently. A photo of a dim candle with an unlit candle in a church. If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here.

There is a hurt that comes from the hands of others, and It is the hardest to carry quietly. A friend who became a stranger overnight. Christ knew this road: “When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; When he suffered, He did not threaten, But entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). And from the cross he whispered, “Father, forgive them, For they know not what they do.” This is nobility: Not the proud refusal to be hurt, But the quiet refusal to hate. I think of the evening light on a monastery wall, How it lingers a moment after the sun has gone. So, love can linger in the heart That has been wounded. A small flame Guarded with a cupped hand against the wind. Do not hurry to be vindicated. Let the Spirit, who speaks without sound, Sit with you in the dark. “Bless those who persecute you,” Paul writes (Romans 12:14). Teaching us that Blessings arise from quietude, A held breath, A tear that does not become a curse. You are not abandoned. The Wounded One walks beside you, and By His bruises you are healed. Sunlight filters through an ancient Armenian dome, illuminating the sacred architecture. Stock Photos If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here.

Stop talking to yourself. And Stop talking to others Who cannot stop Talking about themselves. These are the gods of Your own self-making that Demand you worship them Instead of the one, true God. While there is no doubt that... Self-awareness is vital. Self-respect is necessary. Self-care preserves the life Each was given by God. There comes a point... When self-talk becomes Quite plainly, self-love. And group-talk becomes Quite plainly, group-love. This is narcissism and Fundamentalism On display in the mirror and In the public square. Sad and Sickening. Destructive and Deadening. The point of life is Much more than that. The point of faith must be So much more than that. If it isn't and If it's not Then we're all doomed To become like those who... Put other gods before God. A truly damnable thing. But it doesn't have to come to that Because there is another way. Enter into God. Through sacrament. Through prayer. Through sacrifice. But none of that will truly take root... Unless you learn to listen to the Sound of sheer silence (1 Kings 19:12) and Choose to enter the Cloud that will overshadow you (Luke 1:35). Then your soul will magnify the Lord (Luke 1:46). This icon can be found in the St. Elizabeth Convent catalog: The Descent of the Holy Spirit (obitel-minsk.com). If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here

I spoke to the moon once and All I heard was the light of the night. I spoke to the sun too and All I heard was the heat of the day. I spoke to the sky and All I heard was the wisps of the clouds. I spoke to a tree and All I heard was the creaking of branches. I spoke to the rain and All I heard was the patter of droplets. I spoke to the ocean and All I heard was the rolling of waves. Then, I got to thinking ... These things that I saw and that I heard ... gave me peace ... A certain kind of peace A peace of place A peace of the moment A peace of mind ... Away from the world Apart from concerns Absent from cares They gave me a deep, satisfying breath. The kind that settles you down and Improves your perspective. But it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. And that's when I knew I wanted more. I wanted to seek the source of nature's Not-so-silent silences I decided I needed to Speak to silence itself. The silence that is empty of the world's Sight Sound Smell Taste and Touch. The silence that is filled with the kind of Depth and Breadth that Stretches for eternity Teeming with Creativity ... Truth, Goodness, and Beauty Filled with Love ... Agape and Eros, too Imbued with the Divine ... Hope, Healing, Mercy, and Gladness. Silhouette of Trees on an Afterglow · Free Stock Photo If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here

No matter how hard we may try, it is impossible to avoid prayer in silence altogether. Aside from the natural silences that come with sleep, sickness, satiation, sadness, or a winter snow, we may also encounter the impromptu silences of everyday life while first sitting up in bed, during a long day's drive, staring up at twilight, or fighting tired eyes getting heavy before bed. With all this silence interrupting our noise, perhaps there's more to it than what meets our ears. Just think about it for a moment. What do you do when there’s silence? Does it make you nervous? Do you find ways to avoid it? If those questions give you pause, then take time today to remember that prayer is a universal human vocation, which means that God calls everyone to it. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). What that means is that we must work harder to savor the silence that not only preserves our emotional and physical well-being, but also prioritizes the all-encompassing spiritual self, which is given as a loving gift from the Most Holy Trinity who is the source and summit of everything we are and do. By protecting and preserving personal prayer in silence and cherishing communal prayer (which finds its highest form in the Divine Liturgy when we partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ), we will more naturally reorient our lives toward a kind of human kenosis (a transliterated Greek word that means ‘self-emptying’). In other words, when we use silence as prayer, we will be opened up to the mystical union with God that culminates after death. Prayer unfolds in time, but essentially it transcends time. That saintly people ‘lose a sense of time’ while praying is not merely the psychological result of an intense concentration: what really happens is a transfer into eternity. Prayer is made ‘through Christ’. Yet the time of Jesus is not simply one of earthly duration; he guides time to its fulfillment and entirely governs it. The time of prayer is in itself sacred by the mere fact that it belongs to ‘the age to come’. It tends no less towards the fullness to come and is directed toward the Day of the Lord (Tomáš Špidlík, SJ, PRAYER: The Spirituality of the Christian East, Volume 2, p. 109). Since secular society seems intent on forever distracting us by noise, it seems to stand that the true believer is defined by what he or she does with silence. So, before going to bed tonight, ask God to close your eyes so you can see Him and close your ears so you can hear Him. This more decisive path of silence will serve you on the path to union with God in eternity. Icon of the Virgin Mary of Stillness. It can be purchased from St. George Monastery in Jerusalem by clicking here: Virgin Mary of Stillness Icon Printed (English) | Oceanitissa. If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here

I try to understand How it is That You are So near to me? I want to know why? I want to know how? But why do I want to know? Is it so that I can understand it? Is it so I can explain it to others? You fill me. You surround me. You are above me. You raise me up. You keep me grounded. You use my hands to bless. ...to anoint. ...to absolve. ...to commune. ...to immerse. You use my mouth to taste Your sacrifice. ...my eyes to see Your presence. ...my ears to hear Your heavenly hosts. ...my nose to smell prayers rise like incense. With such a gift Why do I still feel a hole within? What is in the hole? Or, rather, what is lacking in me that created a hole in the first place? Is it simply sin? Is it obstinance? Is it anger? Over what? The wounds of my searching are A failure to remember That the clanging cymbal Neither hears, nor sees, nor remembers. The hole that remains Must be filled with the silence You already told me was mine. Heal my wound. Silence O beautiful silence! Be mine Today, tomorrow, and forever! A Coptic Orthodox Icon of Pentecost If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here

The debate over the impact of the media on the minds and hearts of adults and children has raged since the onset of radio and television and never more pointedly than in the two decades since the explosion of the Internet. During that time we have argued over explicit song lyrics, ratings systems for movies and television, the sub-text of commercials and even the availability of and free speech arguments for pornography online. Modern Iconoclasts Hard at Work What is less obvious, and sometimes more insidious, is the subtle twisting of the words that are ordinarily used to define and defend the most important aspects of our faith. Simply put, pop bands and pornographers are not necessarily the liars, they don’t hide their identities. But the omnipresent words and images that drench the American landscape through advertisements and press releases are subtly distorting the meaning of words traditionally in the comfortable possession of popes, patriarchs, priests and deacons. Just try conducting a web search of the following: the second coming, true religion, seven deadly sins, incarnate, heaven and resurrection. Would it surprise you to know that these words are used to describe everything from clothing and food to cars and games? Though their etymology is long and varied, the modern distortion of these words makes it all that much more difficult for the Church to catechize the young and old alike. The Sacred Canopy On page 48 of his book, Why Religion Matters, the late Huston Smith offers one explanation for the problem: Today we do not live under a sacred canopy; it is marketing that forms the backdrop of our culture. The message that advertising dins into our conscious and unconscious minds is that fulfillment derives from the things we possess. Because this is not true, the message serves us badly, so we need to be aware of the worldview that sponsors it. By and large this quotation speaks for itself, but I do want you to take note of an important item within it. Dr. Smith uses the phrase sacred canopy, which evokes for us an image of the tabernacle. Think about that. Envision the tabernacle. It provides protection for what is sacred and holy. The Church, in general, does this for us too. It provides the sacred canopy that shelters us by defining and protecting what is true, good and beautiful. The marketing backdrop, on the other hand, cannot, by design, provide long-lasting structure and true meaning. So why should it surprise us that in the most recent surveys Americans seem to be growing ever more lax in their faith? Responsibility Goes Both Ways During the Second Vatican Council there emerged a minimally-publicized document. Inter Mirifica, The Decree on the Media of Social Communications, set a course for how the Catholic Church would view, use and challenge the media. It starts by recognizing the benefit of the media as early as paragraph two: The Church recognizes that these media, if properly utilized, can be of great service to mankind, since they greatly contribute to men’s entertainment and instruction as well as to the spread and support of the Kingdom of God. But that same paragraph continues with the recognition of a problem that has been visible in every living room in America since the 1950s. “The Church recognizes, too, that men can employ these media contrary to the plan of the Creator and to their own loss.” So, the Church called on the laity “…to instill a human and Christian spirit into these media, so that they may fully measure up to the great expectations of mankind and to God’s design” (§2). In other words, the Church was asking those who work in advertising and public relations to take upon themselves the responsibility of being the guide for what is acceptable when it comes to the words and images that are used to promote companies, products, services and ideas. At the same time, though, the Church did not abdicate the viewer, listener or reader from his responsibility of turning off the radio, television and Internet or putting down the newspaper, magazine and book. Paragraphs 10 and 11 in Inter Mirifca bear out the idea that responsibility works both ways. “Those who make use of the media of communications, especially the young, should take steps to accustom themselves to moderation and self-control in their regard…” And, “The principle moral responsibility for the proper use of the media of social communication falls on newsmen, writers, actors, designers, producers, displayers, distributors, operators and sellers, as well as critics and all others who play any part in the production and transmission of mass presentations. It is quite evident what gravely important responsibilities they have in the present day when they are in a position to lead the human race to good or to evil by informing or arousing mankind.” Evangelizing the Communicators These and other documents — particularly the 1997 Ethics in Advertising — showed how media abuses became realities and not hypothetical possibilities. And now, today, we are faced with a tough dilemma: with so many people struggling to understand the faith, how do we catechize them and, at the same time, change the culture of anti-religious and anti-Eucharistic advertising and public relations? While we should keep sending e-mails and making phone calls to companies when their product advertising offends us, we should also talk to local news outlets when their stories contain obviously biased material. More than that, the time has come to evangelize those who work in the fields of marketing, advertising and public relations. In the absence of knowing who to call inside an advertising agency, I suggest you start by seeking out those professionals already in your parishes. Encourage them to have strength in the workplace. We want them to know the Church supports them when they are being productive and creative but remind them that they too have a responsibility when it comes to the building up of the Body of Christ. After all, that is exactly what Pope Benedict XVI wrote on the occasion of the 42nd World Communications Day in 2008: the task of “seeking and presenting the truth about humanity constitutes the highest vocation of social communication” (§5). The bottom line is that words and their definitions matter, and for too long the faithful have watched as advertising and public relations professionals twist and torture ours. If the words we use in faith became any more muddled among the masses we will find it increasingly difficult to evangelize the unchurched and catechize, inspire or incite action among the faithful. _______________________________ This article originally appeared here: Give Us Back Our Words, Please (catholicexchange.com) A painting of the Annunciation. If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here.

Copy of an article Orthodoxy in the Galveston Daily News If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here.

"The silence of the soul is one of the mysteries of the coming age." - St. Isaac the Syrian, The Four Books of St. Isaac the Syrian, Bishop of Nineveh (3, Arabic version). A photo of the sun peering through the clouds over mountains and the water. If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here.

There can be any number of reasons that we feel susceptible to emotional harm. Whether we recall experiences of the past that have taught us not to trust or we're entering a new phase in life and don't yet feel grounded in it, we all find ourselves in a place of not feeling like we have the personal support we need to feel safe. Without pretending like this doesn't hurt, we also have to remember that our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds can deceive us. All balled up with pride, self-loathing, shame, and guilt - they trick us into thinking we're all alone. We're not. God is with us. He is always with us. We forget that the Holy Spirit is no less present for modern humans than Jesus was with the Apostles. Even though we can't see Him, we must try to remember that He fills us. "As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive..." (John 7:38-29). So this is what you do the next time you're feeling vulnerable. Sit still. Be silent. Get out of the way of the work of the Spirit. He "...helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words" (Romans 8:26). God loves you. The Holy Spirit is with you. Listen to Him. A photo of the sun shining on mountains and a river. If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here.

With all of the fear and concern about COVID-19, we encourage you to pray for your recover using this beautiful prayer below. Remember, the Lord never abandons us. He is with us until the end of days (Matthew 28:20). "O Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, the Physician of our souls and bodies, Who didst become Man and suffer death on the cross for our salvation, and through Thy tender love and compassion didst heal all manner of sickness and affliction: do Thou, O Lord, visit me in my suffering, and grant me grace and strength to bear this sickness with which I am afflicted with Christian patience and submission to Thy will, trusting in Thy loving kindness and tender mercy. Bless, I pray Thee, the means used for my recovery, and those who administer them. I humbly pray Thee: look upon my weakness, and deal not with me according to my sins, but according to the multitude of Thy mercies. Have compassion on me, and let mercy and justice meet, and deliver me from the sickness and suffering I am experiencing. Grant that my sickness may be the means of my true repentance and amendment of my life according to Thy will, that I may spend the rest of my days in Thy love and fear; that my soul, being helped by Thy grace and sanctified by Thy Holy Sacraments, may be prepared for its transition to eternal life, and there, in the company of Thy blessed saints, may praise and glorify Thee, with Thine eternal Father, and life-giving Spirit. Amen." - The Divine Liturgy Prayer Book, Narrow Path Bookstore, 2005, p. 124. A picture of steppingstones across a pond. If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here.

You can help during this Covid-19 Pandemic. Pray for those who are sick and suffering. Here's a short and effective prayer you can use. "O Lord our God, the Physician of our souls and bodies, look down upon Thy servant (insert name), and cure him/her of all infirmities of the flesh, in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy Most Holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen." - The Divine Liturgy Prayer Book, Narrow Path Bookstore, 2005, p. 124. A photo of the sun on mountains and a river. If you have a question or prayer request, please reach out here. If you can donate, please click here.