Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
Wisdom! Advent is drawing to its close, and it’s time again for the O Antiphons. These antiphons are part of the prayers at the liturgical hour of Vespers for the 17th through the 23rd of December – the 24th is of course the Christmas Vigil itself. They are ancient prayers, possibly dating back to the earliest days of the Christian […]
» Read moreIn every age the Church is supported by the light and strength of God, that is fed in the wilderness with the bread of His Word and the Holy Eucharist. And so in all tribulations, through all the trials that she meets during the times and in different parts of the world, the Church suffers persecution, but always wins. And […]
» Read moreThis morning, the second reading from the Office of Readings struck me, so I thought I’d share it with you. It reminds me of the Dark Night of the Soul of Saint John of the Cross, as well as many of the psalms of longing. It’s beautiful. From the Proslogion by Saint Anselm, bishop Desire for the Vision of God […]
» Read moreThe Liturgy of the Hours runs through the psalms in a four-week cycle. Every fourth Wednesday at the hour of Vigils (a.k.a. Matins, or the Office of Readings) we pray Psalm 103. There’s one stanza that never fails to give me pause. As for man, his days are like grass; he flowers like the flower of the field; the wind […]
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Nearly everybody knows about Saint Francis. He’s the plaster birdbath guy, right? The saint who hung around with fuzzy pastel animals. Well, sort of. “Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.” (Saint Francis of Assisi) I very nearly took “Francis” as my confirmation name. It might have been awkward, though, what with being engaged to Francine at the time. Reading […]
» Read moreToday is celebrated in the western Church as the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the eastern Church, it is known as “the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-creating Cross”. The feast commemorates a number of events: the finding of the True Cross in 326 in Jerusalem by Saint Helena, the later dedication of the Church […]
» Read moreDuring Lent, I am reading the Desert Fathers. On occasion I will post sayings that strike me during my Lectio. Abba James said, “We do not only need words, for at the present time there are many words among men; but we need works, for this is what is required – not words that do not bear fruit.” This of […]
» Read moreAs part of my Lenten reading, I have been devouring Pope Benedict’s book Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection. This passage on the atonement appears on page 232: Again and again people say: It must be a cruel God who demands infinite atonement. Is this not a notion unworthy of God? …[I]t becomes […]
» Read moreDuring Lent, I am reading the Desert Fathers. On occasion I will post sayings that strike me during my Lectio. A meeting was held at Sketis about a brother who had sinned. The Fathers spoke, but Abba Pior kept silent. Later, he got up and went out. He took a sack and filled it with sand and carried it on […]
» Read moreDuring Lent, I am reading the Desert Fathers. On occasion I will post sayings that strike me during my Lectio. This pretty much sums it up. Abba Paul said, “Keep close to Jesus.”
» 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. This particular passage strongly reminds me of Tao Te Ching. Abba John, who had been exiled by the emperor Marcian, said: We went to Syria one day to see Abba Poemen and desired to question him concerning purity of the […]
» 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 morePalladius said: One day when I was suffering from boredom I went to Abba Macarius and said, “What shall I do? My thoughts afflict me, saying, you are not making any progress, go away from here.” He said to me, “Tell them, for Christ’s sake, I am guarding the walls.”
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