Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
I was deeply moved today by a homily posted by Deacon Greg Kandra today. Several years ago, a priest from the Archdiocese of New York was visiting Rome. As he was walking into a church to pray, he noticed a beggar at the door. Something looked vaguely familiar about him. As he began to pray, he realized what it was. […]
» Read moreAlthough it does not appear on the Universal (Roman) calendar, today is one of two feasts of Saint Benedict celebrated by Benedictines throughout the world. If it is true that the Irish saved civilization, it’s worth remembering that they did so largely in Benedictine Monasteries. Today, I have three short passages from one of Benedict’s spiritual and monastic forebears of […]
» Read moreDuring Lent, I am reading the Desert Fathers. On occasion I will post sayings that strike me during my Lectio. Yesterday I also received my pre-ordered copy of Pope Benedict’s new book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection, and I’m devouring it. I may have to back up and re-read properly when I’m […]
» Read moreDuring Lent, I am reading the Desert Fathers. On occasion I will post sayings that strike me during my Lectio. A brother who had been wronged by another brother came to see Abba Sisoes. He said to him, “My brother has hurt me and I want to avenge myself.” The old man begged him, saying, “No, my child, leave vengeance […]
» Read moreDuring Lent, I am reading the Desert Fathers. On occasion I will post sayings that strike me during my Lectio. Three old men went to Abba Paphnutius to ask a word from him. The old man said to them, “What do you want me to say to you? A spiritual word, or a bodily word?” They said, “A spiritual word.” […]
» Read moreDuring Lent, I am reading the Desert Fathers. On occasion I will post sayings that strike me during my Lectio. A brother who followed the hesychastic life in the monastery of the cave of Abba Sabba came to Abba Elias and said to him, “Abba, give me the way of life.” The Old man said to the brother, “In the […]
» Read moreLeading up to the great celebration of the mysteries of the death and resurrection of Christ during Holy Week, the Church calls us to forty days of penitence. The Lenten Season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving has been observed by Christians since Apostolic times. Indeed, Christ himself retreated to the desert for forty days, where he was tempted by the […]
» Read moreToday is the Feast of the Universal Doctor of the Church and one of my name Saints, Thomas Aquinas. When (certain) people, told of my conversion, said to me “oh, you’re Catholic – you don’t need to think any more”, I always pointed them to Thomas Aquinas. Here’s a guy who was observed to simultaneously dictate three different books to […]
» Read moreJust got home from a conversation with Fr. Beuzer. As before, he’s given me much to think about and much to pray about. Although we had a fairly far-ranging discussion, talking about everything from my job search to Alaska, it all revolved around the Lectio assignment he gave me the last time we talked, the first chapter of the Gospel […]
» Read moreThere are two kinds of people – those who know the value of silence and those who do not. The silent man may be moved to speak, to shout, and even perhaps to bellow in righteous indignation if the circumstances require. He may do so reluctantly or even with fear, but when he is roused he is terrible and, because […]
» Read moreToday I attended the funeral of a young woman named Renae Fusako Stewart. I have never met this woman, though by God’s Grace I may meet her yet. She was a convert, having asked for Baptism while in hospital after suffering a stroke. She was, by all accounts a cheerful and engaging young woman. Her health suffered terribly after her […]
» Read moreToday I met Fr. Vincent Beuzer of the Society of Jesus. My pastor, Fr. Sacco, had recommended him to me as a spiritual adviser. I called him this afternoon, and we met at 3:00 at Bellarmine, where he is a resident with the other Jesuit Fathers. The object of our talk was to determine whether or not God was calling […]
» Read moreYesterday I came upon something which struck me as so self-evidently true that I sort of wondered why I haven’t done something about it. I’m taking the quote out of context, but not much. Prayer presents difficulties today, difficulties which maybe [were not so much present] in the past, in a time in which the rhythm of life was a […]
» Read moreToday I resolve to listen to the Ninth Symphony, and probably the Third as well. You should too! Yesterday evening I attended our parish Advent Reconciliation Service. I arrived late, having had to walk up the hill from downtown, and of course I ended up dead last in the longest line for confession. It gave me some additional time to […]
» Read moreI‘ve been trying to write this post for two days. On Saturday, we went to the Sinfonietta through the magic of free tickets. Francine and I were enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon, and the day sort of got away from us. We completely lost track of the time until Mel called us to ask where we were. It was 7:00, […]
» Read moreToday is Yom Kippūr, the day of atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. This is the day where observant Jews fast and forgive all those who have wronged them in the previous year. In the time of the Temple, this is the day when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies, sacrificed, and made atonement for all […]
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Into Great Silence, which we saw at SIFF last week, is ostensibly a documentary about the Carthusian monks of Grande Chartreuse. I say ostensibly, because it is actually a great deal more and less than that. Like the lives of these monks themselves, this film is a meditation on silence. If you are looking for a typical documentary, with history […]
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