In the Desert

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of His testament was seen in His temple, and there were lightnings, and voices, and an earthquake, and great hail.  And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars”(Apocalypse 11:19-12:1).

The tomb was empty. The light poured in from the opened door, but it did not shine on a body. The rays fell on the bed where she had lain. Her body was gone. In its place were lilies and roses.

Continue reading “A Mother in Times of Need”

The love of beauty is the mark of a Christian soul. From the tiniest blade of grass to the stars in the sky, all beauty is sacramental. It exists to inspire our soul towards God. If we want to grow as Christians, we need to take seriously this work: to spend life contemplating beauty.

Continue reading “Beauty Will Save Your Soul”

She fell to sleep praying the psalms. She prayed the psalms when she woke in the night. She memorized the psalter, so that she could recite its words through the day, cleaning, gardening, and folding laundry. She was not a nun or hermit. She was an ordinary woman, a mother of eight children. The famous elder, Fr. Roman Braga, often told stories about his mother and her love for the psalms. She exemplified the life God desires, not for the saints, but for us ordinary people.

Continue reading “Why We Are Tired”

We need to learn the joy of suffering and prepare for martyrdom. The Via Appia is a road leading south from Rome. Days before his death, St. Peter walked along the Via Appia to escape martyrdom. On the road, he encountered Jesus Christ. Astounded, St. Peter asked him: “Domine, quo vadis?” — “Lord, where are you going?” Christ responded: “Eo Romam iterum crucifigi” — “I am going to Rome, to be crucified again.”

Continue reading “The Joy of Suffering & Sacrifice”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10).

The men strained at their nets and could barely pull in the fish. Rocking violently, the boat nearly capsized, tugged down by this miraculous catch. Peter had seen everything. No mortal had this kind of authority over water and earth. It was a terrifying moment, discovering before him God almighty. He trembled and collapsed:

Continue reading “Cultivating Fear and Wonder”

We have a duty, as 21st century Christians, to build a counterculture. 1,500 years ago, a young nobleman was appalled by the moral chaos of Rome. He left the world behind and retreated to the wilderness. He set up an altar in the woods, he prayed, and formed communities based on order, stability, beauty, and worship. St. Benedict exiled himself from mainstream culture and built a new culture anchored on Jesus Christ. We share the same vocation. Here and now, in this little parish, we have a duty to be counterculture.

Continue reading “Our Duty: Build Christian Counterculture”

“Amidst the racket and ridicule of people my prayer rises toward You, O my King and my Kingdom. Prayer is incense, that ceaselessly censes my soul and raises it toward You, and draws You toward her. Stoop down, my King, so that I may whisper to You my most precious secret, my most secret prayer, my most prayerful desire. You are the object of all my prayers, all my searching. I seek nothing except You, truly, only You.” ~ A Prayer by St. Nikolai Velimirovich

Hunger is the word that describes the saints. Their souls ache with hunger for God. In his book, Prayers by the Lake, St. Nikolai gives us a glimpse into this state of relentless hunger. Nothing will satisfy him short of God. Meanwhile, I find myself more interested in biting into that bacon cheeseburger. My thoughts are continually pulled away towards all the noise. The racket of day to day life gets us so distracted. How can we become more like saints?

Continue reading “When Excuses Fall Short”

We live in a battle between two spirits: the spirit of the world and the Spirit of God. On Pentecost Day, the Holy Spirit poured into the hearts of men and women. It inspired a culture with God in the center. Today, society is influenced by a different spirit, one that seeks to twist and pervert. Our task, as Christians in the 21st century, is to reject the spirit of worldliness, and to reclaim Christian culture.

Continue reading “Reclaiming Christian Culture”

We have woken up to a new era in America. The Church has new struggles. For years, the battle against Christianity has been escalating. It has taken a profound leap forward and our fidelity to Christ will be tested in every way. In all of it, we have every reason to rejoice. It is a great adventure, to belong to Christ. We know who wins the battle. We know who is in charge. Even now, even in the darkest struggles of our times, we can rest in peace and joy.

Continue reading “Rejoice in Persecution”

“Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me.”

This is the prayer of St. Patrick of Ireland. Several hundred years ago, a spoiled adolescent was captured by Irish slaves. In chains, poverty, and hunger, the boy turned to his only solace: prayer. Over time, his heart began to pray on autopilot. Through day and night, his lips uttered the name “Jesus.” He labored in the Name of Jesus. He ate in the Name of Jesus. He slept in the Name of Jesus. His whole life became the Name of Jesus. In this way, St. Patrick’s heart filled up with the divine joy Christ promises to all who pray in His Name.

Continue reading “The Pursuit of Joy”