An Episcopal Priest's Sermons, Prayers, and Reflections on Life, Becoming Human, and Discovering Our Divinity
A new liturgical year begins this coming Sunday, December 2, 2018, with the First Sunday of Advent. The Season of Advent consists of the four Sundays before Christmas. The liturgical color for Advent is purple or sometimes blue. We will…
Read More Shh, Be Quiet, It’s Advent.
Psalm 62:1. "For God alone my soul in silence waits; from him comes my salvation." One Sunday, years ago, I knelt to pray before the liturgy began, as was my usual practice. I always had something to tell or ask…
Read More Prayer Begins When the Words End
A Word from the Desert Abba Macarius the Great said to the brothers at Scetis, when he dismissed the assembly, 'Flee, my brothers.' One of the old men asked him, ‘Where could we flee to beyond the desert?' He put…
Read More Lent with the Desert Fathers: Fasting From Words
The 14th century Sufi poet and mystic, Rumi, wrote, “Return to the root of the root of yourself.”¹ His words remind me that I often live on the periphery or circumference of life, disconnected from the root of my being…
Read More Silence, the Way Home
You need a spiritual pilgrimage. Begin by closing your mouth. - The Sayings of the Egyptian Fathers (Quoted by John McGuckin in The Mystical Book of Chapters, 47).
Today, March 19, the Episcopal Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph, his life and faith. 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…
Read More St. Joseph, a Man of Silence
And therefore you should observe silence! In that manner the Word can be uttered and heard. For surely, if you choose to speak God must fall silent. There is no better way of serving the Word than by silence and…
Read More You Should Observe Silence
In a world of busyness, noise, and distraction one sometimes seeks a place of stillness, silence, and centeredness. Sometimes this means making a change in our external circumstances, always, though, it is about our inner enviroment. I have found that…
Read More The Silence of Music – Angelic Light: Music From Eastern Cathedrals
"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…
Read More St. John of the Cross on “Our Most Important Task”
Abba Poeman said... A man may seem to be silent, but if his heart is condemning others he is babbling ceaselessly. But there may be another who talks from morning till night and yet he is truly silent; that is,…
Read More Abba Poeman on Silence
Interrupting the Silence 