Interrupting the Silence

Category: Saints

  • Feast of St. Joseph

    Today, March 19, the Episcopal Church celebrates the life and faith of St. Joseph. St. Joseph was raised up to be the guardian of God’s incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother. The gospel reading for this feast is Luke 2:41-52, the story of Jesus in the temple at the age of twelve.… Read more

  • Feast of St. Patrick

    Today, March 17, is the Feast of St. Patrick. The following is a portion of Hymn 370, attributed to St. Patrick, from The 1982 Hymnal of the Episcopal Church: I bind unto myself today the strong Name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One and One in Three. Christ be… Read more

  • Feast of St. Gregory the Great

    Today, March 12, is the feast of St. Gregory the Great also known, especially in the East, as St. Gregory the Dialogist because he wrote a book entitled The Dialogues in which he extolled the Italian saints. Gregory served as pope from 590 until his death on March 12, 604. Though often seen as Augustinian… Read more

  • Feast of St. Gregory of Nyssa

    Most journeys can be understood in three parts – leaving, traveling, and arrival. We leave with a particular destination in mind. There is a point of arrival. We have probably all asked or heard the familiar travel questions: “Are we there yet?” “How much longer?” “When will get there?” Whether our journey is geographical, emotional,… Read more

  • Spiritual Reading – Formation or Information?

    The American Book of Common Prayer invites us to the observance of a holy Lent, in part, by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. The invitation, however, is not just to read the words but to let the Word read our lives. The goal of reading is the application, in our lives, of what… Read more

  • The Faces of Christ

    Daily the news reports to us the pain of the world. We see the hungry, the homeless, the refugees, the frightened, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the displaced, the abused, and the wounded. At first glance they may seem to be the anonymous faces of headlines. Andrew at Salt of the Earth offers some convicting words… Read more

  • How is your prayer?

    Theophan the Recluse was a Russian priest and bishop of the 19th century. In the latter half of his life he lived in solitude. Much of his life was spent writing and teaching about the life of prayer. In one of his homilies on prayer he offers the following: Let me recall a wise custom… Read more

  • The Merciful Heart

    “What is a merciful heart? A heart which burns for all creation, for men and birds and animals and demons, and for every creature. As he calls them to mind and contemplates them, his eyes fill with tears. From the great and powerful compassion that grips the heart and from long endurance his heart diminishes,… Read more

  • Feast of St. John Chrysostom

    Today is one of the feasts of John Chrysostom. He became Bishop of Constantinople in 397. His episcopate was, however, tumultuous and short. He was formed by desert monasticism and continued the ascetical life in the episcopal residence for which he was often criticized.  He incurred the wrath of Empress Eudoxia who believed he had… Read more