Interrupting the Silence

Category: Saints

  • There’s Something About Mary – A Sermon for the Feast of the Annunciation; Luke 1:26-38

    The collect and readings for the Feast of the Annunciation may be found here. The following sermon is based on Luke 1:26-38. There’s something about Mary. The Archangel Gabriel, God’s own messenger, declares her to be the “favored one” (Lk. 1:28). God is with her. Her cousin, Elizabeth, says Mary is blessed among women (Lk. 1:42). Read more

  • The Feast of the Annunciation 2012

    Today is the celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation. It has a fixed date of March 25 but is transferred to today because this year the 25th fell on a Sunday and the celebration of Sunday takes precedence over the Annunciation. The following is from Holy Women, Holy Men – Celebrating the Saints: Today’s Read more

  • The Prayer of St. Ephrem

    O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk; grant rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother. For blessed art Thou unto Read more

  • Ave Regina Caelorum

    The Feast of the Presentation of our Lord is the hinge between Christmas and the cross. It holds in tension life and death, light and darkness, the salvation Simeon sees in the child and the sword that will pierce Mary’s soul. With the Feast of the Presentation the Marian hymn following compline is the Ave Read more

  • Richard Rolle on Devotion to the Name, Jesus

    And seeing that you yearn to be God’s lover, I appeal to you to love this name, Jesus, and meditate on it in your heart so that you never forget it wherever you are. And, assuredly, I promise you that you will find great joy and strength in it; and because of the love with Read more

  • St. Bernard of Clairvaux on the Feast of the Holy Name

    January 1 is the Feast of the Holy Name. St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote the following about the Holy Name of Jesus: The sweet Name of Jesus produces in us holy thoughts, fills the soul with noble sentiments, strengthens virtue, begets good works, and nourishes pure affections. All spiritual food leaves the soul dry, if Read more

  • St. Thomas and St. Joseph, Faithful Doubters

    How interesting that today, December 21, just four days before Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle. Think of Thomas and most will think about “Doubting Thomas.” Before we can get to the Nativity of our Lord, the manifestation of the incarnation, we must first face Thomas and his “doubts” about the resurrection. Read more

  • Irenaeus and the Purpose of the Incarnation

    How could the human race go to God if God had not come to us? How should we free ourselves from our birth into death if we had not been born again according to faith by a new birth generously given by God, thanks to that which came about from the Virgin’s womb? – Irenaeus Read more

  • St. John of the Cross on “Our Most Important Task”

    “Our most important task consists in remaining silent before this great God, silent with our desires as well as with our tongue. He understands only one language, that of silent love.” – St. John of the Cross in a letter to a Carmelite nun Related post: The Feast of St. John of the Cross – Read more