God warns us against idols not because He is jealous of our misguided affections, but because of their dangerous powers of transformation. Our pursuit of them does more than merely turn us away from Him; it changes us—subtly, but inextricably, altering the way we perceive the world, and destroying our ability to correctly recognize the […]
Accidentally and pleasantly discovered this song by William Fitzsimmons called “Passion Play.” (listen) I should not have hid Where my heart can’t follow Cause this grace gets so far And too hard to swallow I’ve been running from Saul, He’s been giving chase When I look in his eyes All I see is his face […]
In further reflection on the song “Laughing With” (see lyrics and this post), the word transcendence has popped into my head. Paradox points to transcendence, to something more. To transcend means to rise above, to see more. It does not deny what is, it just gives a wider vision of what is, depth, a larger […]
somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond any experience,your eyes have their silence: in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me, or which i cannot touch because they are too near your slightest look will easily unclose me though i have closed myself as fingers, you open always petal by petal myself as Spring […]
Your grief for what you’ve lost lifts a mirror up to where you’re bravely working. Expecting the worst, you look, you look, and instead, here’s the joyful face you’ve been wanting to see. Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be […]
When your eyes are tired the world is tired also. When your vision has gone no part of the world can find you. Time to go into the dark where the night has eyes to recognize its own. There you can be sure you are not beyond love. The dark will be your womb tonight. […]
An explanation for some forms of suffering… by Daryl Furuyama at Whitehat Blackbox
From Fr. Boyer’s homily on Sunday on the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2-10): If Peter, James, and John no longer saw a man from Nazareth but the glory of his exaltation, then we no longer see bread on this altar; but what it becomes for us. If Peter, James and John no longer saw the man […]
I return to my favorite place along the river Sitting on the grass in the cool shade of a tree Watching, listening, being… An old philosopher said “You can never go to the same river twice.” I wonder— What changes What stays the same And what exactly is a river? The water, the banks, the […]
My heart is a little giddy with excitement and anticipation for tonight’s Easter Vigil Mass. It is my favorite Mass of the whole year, with Christmas Midnight Mass a close second. It has been a long and dark Lent for me, and the hope Easter brings is fresh and renewed. It is easy to live […]
O wondrous exchange, eternal life is promised to us by the humility of the Lord, who bowed himself down to our pride. — St. Augustine, Confessions Thank You.
Some quotations from Crisis of Faith, Crisis of Love by Thomas Keating that have been lanterns of hope along the path through the valley… The absence of the felt presence of The Lord is his normal means of increasing our faith and of getting us to the point of believing in the power of his […]
This song by Natalie Grant is really a prayer. It says much about where I am at lately. I can’t do this. I need Your help. I trust in You. I’ve been silent instead of speaking up Gave my advice instead of giving love I have been unfair, faithless and unkind I have shut my […]
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote a wonderful little book called You, which is really about us and our relationship with God. Although the cultural references are a little dated, here is a cursory explanation, sprinkled with golden nuggets of insight, of why we worship God. If you are a father, do you not like to […]