The Center for Contemplative Practice
A Lay Cistercian Looks at Spiritual Reality
Year: 2021
THE DIVINE EQUATION: Mapping the parameters of sacred space.
You will never guess where I received my last Lectio Divina inspiration. I was sitting in my bathtub with a towel over my head, just concentrating on The Christ Principle. (Philippians 2:5) The thought came to mind that when Christ emptied himself of divine… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: Mapping the parameters of sacred space.”
WHAT IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE?
I purposefully stumbled on a YouTube about one of my five favorite subjects to watch (Korean Walking Tours in the Snow, Science Shows about the universe, Blue Bloods, Cowlin Cowherd on The Herd, FS1, and surgical procedures of total knee or brain tumor removal).… Continue Reading “WHAT IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE?”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: How deep is your prayer life?
My life has been a curious combination of private and public prayer, sometimes created by me spontaneously (Lectio Divina), while other times praying rituals that seek routine consistency as a way to praise God. All prayer, no matter the kind or type, is simply… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: How deep is your prayer life?”
PENANCE AND THE PENITENTIAL PSALMS
In this season of reflection and penance, the Church calls Advent, where we prepare for the coming of Christ in our hearts rather than just have the same old, meaningless merchant’s Santa Claus, I try to remind myself that my adoption as a son… Continue Reading “PENANCE AND THE PENITENTIAL PSALMS”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: How deep is your love?
Remember the tune, “How deep is your love?” It is one of my favorite tunes from the Bee Gees. I can’t say I remember all of the words, except the refrain and the melody. This song resurrects some old thoughts from a Lectio Divina… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: How deep is your love?”
TEN MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL LAST YEAR
Like any good examination of conscience (Chapter 4 of St. Benedict’s Rule, https://christdesert.org/rule-of-st-benedict/chapter-4-the-tools-for-good-works/), it is my custom to review my life achievements and frequent faults and failings at the end of each year with the resolve to “prefer nothing to the love of Christ,” with… Continue Reading “TEN MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL LAST YEAR”
CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES: LINKING LECTIOS
After trying to live a habit of Lectio Divina for many years, the steps of Guibo II (oratio, meditatio, oratio, and comtemplatio) become like blinking (an autonomic response we do but don’t think about doing it). So does the idea of conversatio morae, conversion… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES: LINKING LECTIOS”
GOD’S DNA
One of those traits humans have is to judge the many by the one. There is a pedophile priest, so therefore all priests must be bad. There is a corrupt cop, so we should defund the police. We humans are creatures of the moment.… Continue Reading “GOD’S DNA”
IS MARTIN LUTHER IN HEAVEN?
Usually, I don’t play God games (My God can beat your God), and I still don’t intend to do so. Still, this week’s incident of an Orthodox Priest calling the Pope a heretic raised an interesting issue for me, one that is not on… Continue Reading “IS MARTIN LUTHER IN HEAVEN?”
GOD’S DNA: Six times God gave birth
Woah! As they say in Indiana, “Thems might big words for a pipsqueak.” About two years ago, at a Gathering Day presentation by one of the monks to Lay Cistercians at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist), he told us God was… Continue Reading “GOD’S DNA: Six times God gave birth”
A WORLD WITHOUT GOD
One of the most interesting YouTube programs I have watched is one with the hypothesis, What would it be like if, all of a sudden, all humans would disappear? The video is worth watching for its profound implications for Original Sin and the natural… Continue Reading “A WORLD WITHOUT GOD”
THE TABLE OF THE LORD: Being a penitent Lay Cistercian
If you wish to love Christ as He loved us, you must be a penitential person. How you that depends on your capacitas dei (capacity for God) and listening with the ear of your heart (St. Benedict in the Prologue to the Rule). This… Continue Reading “THE TABLE OF THE LORD: Being a penitent Lay Cistercian”
THE MARTYRDOM OF THE ORDINARY
Nota Bene: This blog is lengthy. As the Feast of the Nativity fast approaches, the thought comes to mind in Advent about how each one of us should be grateful for the fact that God became one of us because of love and to… Continue Reading “THE MARTYRDOM OF THE ORDINARY”
THE TABLE OF THE LORD
Being a Lay Cistercian is one of not only discovering what it means to be Cistercian and a Layperson, but also how that openness to the heart of Christ transforms me into something I was not before. If I am a Table of the… Continue Reading “THE TABLE OF THE LORD”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: Rowing against the current of life
The following excerpt is from a book entitled Profound Listening: A Lay Cistercian reflects on habits that help “listen with the ear of the heart:” Due out in December 2021. ROWING AGAINST THE FLOW OF LIFE The struggle to be spiritual may be compared… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: Rowing against the current of life”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: The enjoyment of the cross in the martyrdom of the ordinary.
This title seems confusing, if not outright contradicting itself. The cross is associated with pain, suffocating rules that take away freedom, and sometimes even acute depression. While it can be that, there is an almost paradoxical twist to taking up our cross daily to… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: The enjoyment of the cross in the martyrdom of the ordinary.”
UP, READY TO FIRE!
Yesterday was Veterans’ Day. I attended the Eucharist to pray for all those I know and don’t know and their families. That brought back some memories. In 1979, I was awarded The Chaplain of the Year by the Reserve Officers’ Association. I had to… Continue Reading “UP, READY TO FIRE!”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: The Center
In its purest form, Lectio is a movement from just repeating one phrase in Holy Scriptures repeatedly before moving to the next sentence. Lectio has never been an end in itself, although beginners will try to move through each of the four steps of… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: The Center”
G.K. CHESTERTON: Orthodoxy
I came across the following excerpt while reading some Chesteron as part of my spiritual reading. No comments from me. I enjoyed it and hoped that you might, too. What follows is my homage to one who challenges us to reflect on who we… Continue Reading “G.K. CHESTERTON: Orthodoxy”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: I am the sum of my life choices and how I learned from them.
The Christ Principle is the center of all reality, the purpose for why all of us are. I am not you, you are not me; God is not you, and you, most certainly, are not God. –Michael F. Conrad There is one Christ Principle… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: I am the sum of my life choices and how I learned from them.”
SIRACH: A Perfect Prayer As You Stand Vigil Before The Blessed Sacrament
As I learned about Lectio Divina from Brother Michael, O.C.S.O., our Junior Instructor for Lay Cistercians at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit (Trappist), Conyers, Georgia, this way of praying is at the center of Cistercian spirituality, and so is what we Lay Cistercians… Continue Reading “SIRACH: A Perfect Prayer As You Stand Vigil Before The Blessed Sacrament”
PROFOUND LISTENING: Conditions for listening to the Holy Spirit.
Several years ago, I tried to bake one batch of biscuits to fix biscuits and gravy for my anniversary. “Tried” is the operable word here because I found out baking is not a skill that I have yet acquired, much less mastered. If I… Continue Reading “PROFOUND LISTENING: Conditions for listening to the Holy Spirit.”
PROFOUND LISTENING: How to listen with the “ear of the heart”.
When St. Benedict wrote his Rule at the very beginning of the Prologue, his warning to brothers and sisters was to “listen with the ear of your heart.” Cistercian contemplative practices allow me to have Christ Jesus’s mind each day and be aware that… Continue Reading “PROFOUND LISTENING: How to listen with the “ear of the heart”.”
TEN SURE WAYS TO LOSE YOUR FAITH
“Faith,” as a topic has always been a terrible teaser to me. Faith is the substance of what I believe, and yet, it is a Mystery of Faith; one has eluded me at the same time I find myself moving towards some semblance of… Continue Reading “TEN SURE WAYS TO LOSE YOUR FAITH”
THOUGHTS WHILE FREEZING ON AN ICEBERG
Lectio Divina has taken me to many alarming places, not the least of which has just been an iceberg. It happened this morning at 2:01 a.m. In this mini-Lectio adventure, the Holy Spirit invited me to sit on an iceberg and then just left… Continue Reading “THOUGHTS WHILE FREEZING ON AN ICEBERG”
FIFTEEN WAYS THE DEVIL CAN SEDUCE YOU AND YOU WON’T EVEN SEE IT COMING
If you hold that we are in a spiritual battle with the forces of Evil played out on the playground of the seventy or eighty years we each live, then it is good to know your enemy. With Baptism, we have the energy (from… Continue Reading “FIFTEEN WAYS THE DEVIL CAN SEDUCE YOU AND YOU WON’T EVEN SEE IT COMING”
LIVE LIFE ONE DROP AT A TIME
In my most recent Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5), the image of a drop of water kept reoccurring. I stopped worrying about it and asked the question, “What does this mean?” My answer was “You only live life one drop of time at a time.”… Continue Reading “LIVE LIFE ONE DROP AT A TIME”
SYNCHRONICITY WITH GOD
As the accumulated experiences bombard my heart with knowledge, love, and service (energy), more and more, I find topics pop out from my Lectio Divina encounter with the Holy Spirit, ones that were latent and dormant in the synaptic recesses of my brain. Synchronicity… Continue Reading “SYNCHRONICITY WITH GOD”
A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON LEVELS OF SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
It is true that, once you begin to abandon your will to allow the Holy Spirit to move at will, you are never the same. You may be older or wiser, but encountering the Sacred is an awareness that you can’t describe with mere… Continue Reading “A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON LEVELS OF SPIRITUAL AWARENESS”
THE FEAST OF ST. MICHAEL
This coming September 29, 2021, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Michael. In my case, it is the day on which I was accepted by God as an adopted son of the Father and dedicated at Baptism under the protection of St. Michael.… Continue Reading “THE FEAST OF ST. MICHAEL”
WHAT I SEE THAT I DON’T SEE
In the previous blog, entitled “What is missing?” I provided a YouTube of what 10,000 days on Mars would be like. At first, I was struck with the sheer brilliance of the future vision and some of the milestones we humans would have to… Continue Reading “WHAT I SEE THAT I DON’T SEE”
WHAT DON’T YOU SEE?
I enjoy watching the progress of Elon Musk in his drive to colonize Mars. Watching all the promotional videos on colonization, I find something alarming is missing from the whole concept of life on another planet. Look at this YouTube of a possible Mars… Continue Reading “WHAT DON’T YOU SEE?”
LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Levels of Spiritual Awareness
When I recite the Liturgy of the Hours, the prayer of the Church Universal, I have noticed that there is a growth from just “saying the Divine Office” to that of “having the Liturgy of the Hours be the occasion where I stand before… Continue Reading “LITURGY OF THE HOURS: Levels of Spiritual Awareness”
THOUGHTS TO PONDER
Here are some thoughts which I find compelling and merit deeper reflection. A religion that is not made up of sinful people (all of them) is not worth the cost of Christ’s death and resurrection. I find it difficult to explain how a Church… Continue Reading “THOUGHTS TO PONDER”
SPIRITUAL TRAINING AT THE PARACLETE GYM
In one of my Lectio Divina sessions, the Holy Spirit presented me with an image of contemplative practice and my Lay Cistercian daily practices in the form of weight and strength training, much like what professional athletes do. Here are some of the random… Continue Reading “SPIRITUAL TRAINING AT THE PARACLETE GYM”
AUTHORS OF GREAT WISDOM
One of the great delights of my later years has to do with writing down what the Holy Spirit tells me. Again, I don’t speak for the Holy Spirit, but hopefully, the Holy Spirit speaks to me if I am humble enough. So far,… Continue Reading “AUTHORS OF GREAT WISDOM”
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
I am redoing my Lectio Divina on St. Thomas Aquinas based on the input generated during one of my naps (I take two naps a day, one in the morning and one in the middle afternoon). I read Mortimer Adler’s book, How to Read… Continue Reading “ST. THOMAS AQUINAS”
DON’T GET CAUGHT PLAYING THE THREE GOD GAMES
Humans are good at playing games, be it Monopoly, Chess, Basketball pickup, or mind games. There are three mind games that I have identified that are as potentially dangerous to your spiritual well-being as is COVID. It is best not to go there if… Continue Reading “DON’T GET CAUGHT PLAYING THE THREE GOD GAMES”
mis oraciones son tus oraciones
I think I have heard this request a thousand times: “Pray for me.” I ask people to pray for me frequently. What is the meaning behind these words? What are the assumptions that are hidden from others yet are the so-called elephant in the… Continue Reading “mis oraciones son tus oraciones”
SITES TO CHECK OUT
Here are some URLs to check out. I went through the listing of those sites I have saved, ones I want to read again. I share them with you. https://www.virginiatrappists.org/category/abbots-lectio-post/ https://www.giamusic.com/sacred_music/RGP/psalmDisplay.cfm https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12789a.htm https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/ https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ https://usccb.org https://www.newadvent.org/library/ https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT
I find that my Lectio Divina meditations tend to group themselves in clusters of topics. My center is always the same: “have in you the mind of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) This current cluster is about what is important in my spiritual travels each… Continue Reading “DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT”
IT DOESN’T MATTER!
In my search for God each day, I do a lot of “What Iffing.” I should refine that statement to say, “In my search for God each day, when I use only the world as my center (money, fame, fortune, adulation, pleasure, being god,… Continue Reading “IT DOESN’T MATTER!”
ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION
Here are some fractured thoughts that I had while trying to reposition my thoughts to that of having in me the mind of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). Too many times, I find I ask questions that are either the opposite of what exists or… Continue Reading “ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION”
PILGRIMAGE TO THE HEART OF CHRIST
We all have taken a trip somewhere, even if it is just to go to Trader Joe’s and buy some delicious root beer drink. Not all trips or vacations are pilgrimages. Muslims celebrate their faith in pilgrimage by visiting Mecca. Catholics pilgrimage to the… Continue Reading “PILGRIMAGE TO THE HEART OF CHRIST”
the best contemplative streaming and youtube sites for 2021
I recently read a list of “Best Of” restaurants. That list prompted me to think back to the URLs that are sites I can’t live without (actually, the only thing I can’t live without is Jesus). I offer them with comments and in no… Continue Reading “the best contemplative streaming and youtube sites for 2021”
WHAT IS HELL LIKE, RIGHT NOW?
Hell is not the opposite of Heaven, but rather the absence of it. If that is so, and the kingdom of heaven is right now for us to absorb into our human nature, then would it not be true that hell is also right… Continue Reading “WHAT IS HELL LIKE, RIGHT NOW?”
the assumption of mary
Normally, I would give you some thoughts about a subject from my Lectio Divina. No one has ever accused me of being normal, so I will just share with you the magnificent homily from Bishop Barron on Mary. How biblical. These insights have caused… Continue Reading “the assumption of mary”
WHEN LOVE HURTS
As I wabble down the ever shorter path to my next portal in life, passing from life to death, I become more aware of how the Scriptures are pertinent to who I am now and how the words of Scripture feel as well say… Continue Reading “WHEN LOVE HURTS”
DO YOU STAND BEFORE THE MIRROR OF ERISED?
When beginning to practice meditation before moving to the deeper reality of contemplation, there are some dangers along the way. My latest Lectio Divina Meditation (Philippians 2:5) led me to an unlikely YouTube scene of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The scene has… Continue Reading “DO YOU STAND BEFORE THE MIRROR OF ERISED?”
SEEKING GOD EACH DAY: HOW FAITH IS RIPENED ON THE VINE
All living things need food and water to survive, in addition to the right environment. I have learned much from following the Rule of St. Benedict as interpreted by the councils and constitutions of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (OCSO) and further… Continue Reading “SEEKING GOD EACH DAY: HOW FAITH IS RIPENED ON THE VINE”
TEN NEW IDEAS ABOUT THE MESSIAH FROM THE EDGE OF TIME
I admit to not taking the notion of Messiah more seriously than it deserves. Not brought up in the Jewish tradition, I just accept that Jesus is Lord and go on about my business. But, as of late, my Lectio Divina meditations (Philippians 2:5)… Continue Reading “TEN NEW IDEAS ABOUT THE MESSIAH FROM THE EDGE OF TIME”
DEEP DIVES INTO DIVINITY
I agree with St. Thomas Aquinas that God is “essentially unknowable.” Beneath that statement lies several assumptions: Human intelligence can never capture the essence of who God is. We are incapable of doing so. It makes sense that God loved us so much that… Continue Reading “DEEP DIVES INTO DIVINITY”
EVERYTHING IS LINKED TO EVERYTHING ELSE
I thought about the notion of a Divine Equation during one of my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) while asking myself the series of questions around “If God did use science and mathematics to formulate all reality, then why did he not communicate the reality… Continue Reading “EVERYTHING IS LINKED TO EVERYTHING ELSE”
PAINTING WITH THE BRUSH OF CHRIST
St. Benedict teaches his monks that the monastery is a School of Charity or Love where we can learn how to love others as Christ loved us. It takes a lifetime to master the Art of Contemplative Practice. In one of my Lectio Divina… Continue Reading “PAINTING WITH THE BRUSH OF CHRIST”
HOW TO BAKE A LAY CISTERCIAN?
If you think the Holy Spirit doesn’t have a sense of humor, then you will not appreciate this blog that I wrote down for my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5). I like to focus these end days (of my life) on how all things move… Continue Reading “HOW TO BAKE A LAY CISTERCIAN?”
WHO MADE YOU POPE?
There is a controversy in the Church over the use of the Latin language in the Mass. As usual, almost everyone misses the point. This points out a phenomenon that has plagued the Church all the way back to Moses and the Ten Commandments.… Continue Reading “WHO MADE YOU POPE?”
traveling with the holy Spirit
Isn’t the Holy Spirit everywhere? Next time you travel with anyone in the car or truck, try this contemplative practice. Ask those in the car to think of one idea only as you read this passage. Read Scriptures from Philippians 3:5-12 outloud (not the… Continue Reading “traveling with the holy Spirit”
watching lucifer just for the hell of it
Usually, my tastes in television movies and sitcoms goes from following Jason Statham movies to that of Father Brown Mysteries. I came across a television series entitled Lucifer. I thought it would be about the usual fodder fed by sensationalists to sell movies.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK5lZTPHozs I… Continue Reading “watching lucifer just for the hell of it”
LIFTING THE HEART AND MIND TO GOD USING ARCHITECTURE AND GREGORIAN CHANT
One characteristic of love is to want to share what is critical with those whom you value most. I wanted to share an aspect of prayer that is part of our Benedictine/Cistercian/Carthusian heritage. I came across this YouTube of a Cistercian monastery, one which… Continue Reading “LIFTING THE HEART AND MIND TO GOD USING ARCHITECTURE AND GREGORIAN CHANT”
READINGS FROM ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX,Parable One: The Story of the King’s Son1.Once upon a time, there was a rich and powerful king, God the almighty. And he caused Man,whom he had created, to become his son. And because he was a delicate boy, he delegated Lawand… Continue Reading “READINGS FROM ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX”
the three principles of existence
I was never very good at academics in school, having the curse to have a slow mind that seems to dwell on how things fit together rather than their composition. I seem to gravitate toward the bigger picture. The problem is that the bigger… Continue Reading “the three principles of existence”
the christ imperatives
THE CHRIST IMPERATIVES Here are some of the commands that Jesus gave to us to help us to convert our lives from the World to the Spirit. • Seeking perfection? Listen to me for I am meek and humble of heart. Matthew 11:28-30 •… Continue Reading “the christ imperatives”
WHERE IS EVERYBODY?
Somehow, this made its way into my Lectio Divina meditations (not contemplation) for this morning. I have so many wonderful and inspiring thoughts from the Holy Spirit about linking all reality with the Christ Principle. Even thoughts about where my classmates are somehow part… Continue Reading “WHERE IS EVERYBODY?”
HOW DO YOU ANSWER THIS?
What would be your answer to the following four questions that I received from the Holy Spirit during my last two Lectio Divina meditations? I don’t have answers as much as further questions about these ideas. I want you to think about them in… Continue Reading “HOW DO YOU ANSWER THIS?”
OBEDIENCE BY RELINQUISHING MY WILL TO A POWER OUTSIDE MYSELF: THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO SPIRITUAL RESONANCE
My last couple of Lectio Divina’s has centered on how my Lectio (Philippians 2:5) influences resonance. I don’t take credit for this way out of thoughts as they apply to Holy Scripture. They just come, and I take them down for you to decipher.… Continue Reading “OBEDIENCE BY RELINQUISHING MY WILL TO A POWER OUTSIDE MYSELF: THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO SPIRITUAL RESONANCE”
LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD
In the following YouTube musical meditations, listen “with the ear of your heart.” Block out words and just sit on a park bench in the dead of winter and wait for your heart to prepare the way for the Lord. Just listen. Praise be… Continue Reading “LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD”
CHAPTER 4: CONVERSION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
55 Listen readily to holy reading,56 and devote yourself often to prayer.57 Every day with tears and sighs, confess your past sins to God in prayer58 and change from these evil ways in the future. https://christdesert.org/prayer/rule-of-st-benedict/chapter-4-the-tools-for-good-works/ This passage is from the Rule of St.… Continue Reading “CHAPTER 4: CONVERSION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE”
IT IS MERCY I SEEK, NOT SACRIFICE.
Mystical Death and Resurrection.*1If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.a2Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ… Continue Reading “IT IS MERCY I SEEK, NOT SACRIFICE.”
ACCESSING THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH LECTIO DIVINA
If would be nice, if you want to talk to the Holy Spirit all that you need to do is make a phone call or Email. For humans, that would be nice, but the Holy Spirit is not limited to human convention. Instead, there… Continue Reading “ACCESSING THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH LECTIO DIVINA”
MY GOALS FROM NOW UNTIL FOREVER
GOALS FROM NOW UNTIL THEN I have compiled a list of several things I want to accomplish before I move realities. Here they are in no order of importance. I have a bucket list (hopefully one without holes.) Do you remember the song about… Continue Reading “MY GOALS FROM NOW UNTIL FOREVER”
LECTIO DIVINA FOR AN EIGHT + YEAR OLD LAY CISTERCIAN
These days, it is successful in waking up and say Praise to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit now and forever. The God who is, who was, and who is to come at the end of the ages. –Cistercian… Continue Reading “LECTIO DIVINA FOR AN EIGHT + YEAR OLD LAY CISTERCIAN”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: HOW AN END-USER USES THE FORMULA FOR FOREVER TO GROW FROM SELF TO GOD
I must take this opportunity to remind you once again that these ideas are just the reflections of a broken-down, old temple of the Holy Spirit trying to make sense out of the physical universe, the mental universe, and also the spiritual universe. The… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: HOW AN END-USER USES THE FORMULA FOR FOREVER TO GROW FROM SELF TO GOD”
THE LITTLE THINGS ARE SOMETIMES HUGE
I did something this morning at 3:30 a.m. after I went for my bathroom break. I sat down on my bed, getting ready to do one of my Lectio Divina’s for the day, when I thought about the monks at Our Lady of the… Continue Reading “THE LITTLE THINGS ARE SOMETIMES HUGE”
MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL iii: HOLY SPIRIT DUMP
At some obscure part of my brain, probably the frontal lobe, I had recalled the topic of “a data dump”, meaning that I just get a bunch of random thoughts. It is something like taking a drink of water from an open fire hydrant.… Continue Reading “MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL iii: HOLY SPIRIT DUMP”
MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL ii
During the day, I sometimes get flashes from the edge of time (my way of saying that the Holy Spirit drops an idea before me to see what I will do with it). Here are some unrelated thoughts I had recently. The spiritual way… Continue Reading “MOMENTS WITH MICHAEL ii”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE PARADIGM OF THE TRINITY
I am finally at peace over whether I will ever understand the Trinity. The answer is NO because the only way to even approach that problem is The Mystery of Faith. I just let it go and use the Trinity as Christ intended me… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE PARADIGM OF THE TRINITY”
THE SIGN OF TRANSFORMATION
When each of us is Baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, it is a ceremony to signify that entering into the spiritual universe is a free act of the will to accept Jesus as Lord. Accepting Jesus as Lord means that first, God… Continue Reading “THE SIGN OF TRANSFORMATION”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE FORMULA FOR FOREVER
When speaking of anything that has to do with God, humans are at a disadvantage. Our human nature (being), sentient though it is, is not even in the same ballpark as divine nature. The gulf is so great that human intelligence can only know… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE FORMULA FOR FOREVER”
CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: Wresting with Boredom
When it comes to living out what it means to be human, each of us must face the consequences of being bored with life, with spouse and family, with the job, with the church, with trying to find out those activities in life that… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: Wresting with Boredom”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: Quidquid recIpitur ad modum recipientis recipitur.
This last week, a friend of mine wrote me a Linkedin message commenting on my notion of Original Sin in my blog, “Whatever happened to Original Sin.” He said, ” The notion of Original is as much a fairy tale as the Tooth Fairy.”… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: Quidquid recIpitur ad modum recipientis recipitur.”
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ORIGINAL SIN?
I have been captivated to the point of binging on some YouTube videos of science that probes into the future and what human might look like in 4000+ years. As hyped up as I am about the shows, it occurred to me to step… Continue Reading “WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ORIGINAL SIN?”
THE BEST COMMENTARY ON OUR SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE U.S.
I have found that the commentary of the late Rev. Billy Graham and also deceased Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on the subject of why our society is so off center to be the most accurate. Here is what Archbishop Sheen has to say about… Continue Reading “THE BEST COMMENTARY ON OUR SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE U.S.”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: MEASURING REALITY IN THREE UNIVERSES
If you choose to recognize my idea about one reality having three separate universes (Physical, Mental, and Spiritual), then each one has its own characteristics and measurements to describe (not define) reality. The Rule of Threes, as I call this way for me to… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: MEASURING REALITY IN THREE UNIVERSES”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING
In my quest to find out how all reality fits together, I have had some help to give me additional assumptions that get me closer to solving the Mystery of Faith. Some of these ideas I have written down for you to try to… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: CAN YOU SOLVE IT?
Here is an opportunity to solve the Divine Equation. All humans, from Adam and Eve onward must solve the Divine Equation correctly to be admitted into the next phase of their human evolution (from non-life to life; from life to animality; from animality to… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: CAN YOU SOLVE IT?”
THE DIVINE EQUATION: OUR NEED FOR INTIMACY
Intimacy is one of those topics we don’t like to talk about unless it is in the context of darkened room with the person you trust the most in life, and even then, just with hushed tones and deflections of what you really mean.… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION: OUR NEED FOR INTIMACY”
THE DIVINE EQUATION
My Lectio Divina meditations usually group up into a unified theme, eventually. Right now, what comes to my mind is about cosmic influences of the Christ Principle, certainly a macro approach to reality. Let me share what I mean by that. I have been… Continue Reading “THE DIVINE EQUATION”
THOUGHTS FROM THE EDGE OF TIME
Sometimes I get thoughts from so far out of the blue that they must be from the edge of time…or beyond. This is just another way of saying that the Holy Spirit is not limited to my personal agenda of what I would like… Continue Reading “THOUGHTS FROM THE EDGE OF TIME”
EIGHT THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD TAKING ON HUMAN NATURE
I admit that this Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) idea is as far out as the edge of time, but so is the Holy Spirit. Imagine how Jesus felt when, as the Son of God the Father, he knew all that is but could not… Continue Reading “EIGHT THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD TAKING ON HUMAN NATURE”
NOW, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?
My Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) took me to this place recently, asking a series of questions, which, of course, only the Holy Spirit had the answers. It is like playing Spirit Games with my second Advocate (Jesus is numero uno). I am going to… Continue Reading “NOW, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?”
JOUSTING WITH JEALOUSY: THE WALL THAT YOU WON’T SEE COMING
My Lectio Divina topics as applied to the “Lectio” phase have gone from me choosing the small phrases to ponder to letting go in favor of the Holy Spirit challenging me to make it fit with Philippians 2:5, my personal center. The results are… Continue Reading “JOUSTING WITH JEALOUSY: THE WALL THAT YOU WON’T SEE COMING”
STARTING OVER
When thinking about my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) subject, the concept of starting over came up. Usually, I just slough it off as if it were an unrelated piece of the puzzle and I didn’t know where it fit. This time, I thought of… Continue Reading “STARTING OVER”
THE JOSEPH FACTOR
In business, politics, and yes, even in religion, there are abrupt changes that occur, ones that alter the trajectory of history and completely overturn existing patterns of stability and routine. A new manager comes in and the organization stops to catch its breath as… Continue Reading “THE JOSEPH FACTOR”
CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE IN NINETY SECONDS
I can explain to you what I know about contemplative practice that comes from the Cistercian spirituality of the monks and nuns from the year c.1090 AD in ninety seconds. However, it takes more than a lifetime to know, love, and serve God using… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE IN NINETY SECONDS”
THE EFFECTS OF ORIGINAL SIN ON MY CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
One of those lessons I have had to learn over and over is struggling against my human nature (the world) when I attempt to attain mastery over my struggles to be an adopted son of the Father. I wish is was not a struggle… Continue Reading “THE EFFECTS OF ORIGINAL SIN ON MY CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
HUMILITY: FEAR OF THE LORD
When I think of humility, I try to be humble about it. Realizing who I am in the sight of God reinforced my personal center, “Have in you the mind of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5). At the same time, I am so insignificant in… Continue Reading “HUMILITY: FEAR OF THE LORD”
PERUSING THE OBITUARIES
Old people do weird things. At least in my case, I like to look at the obituaries on my St. Meinrad Alumni website. http://www.saintmeinrad.edu It beats watching the plastic flowers grow in my office. This may be morbid, but I like to look up… Continue Reading “PERUSING THE OBITUARIES”
PERFECT UNION WITH GOD
During our Gathering Day for Lay Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (Trappist) last month, new Lay Cistercian novices were asked to profess their desire to enter the Novitiate while old novices were asked to make one year promises to be… Continue Reading “PERFECT UNION WITH GOD”
MOMENTS WITH ST. MICHAEL
THE BACKSTORY Although it has been over two years ago, I still remember it vividly as though it were yesterday. A group of us gathered together to say Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Rosary, then then Eucharist at 9:00 a.m. We came together as… Continue Reading “MOMENTS WITH ST. MICHAEL”
THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: Waiting
Maybe you do not, but I keep wondering why I have to continue my practice and practice of trying to love God each day with all my heart, with all my strength, and with all my mind, plus my neighbor as myself, and nothing… Continue Reading “THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE: Waiting”
TAKE TIME TO BE ONE SENTENCE
I may be making a grand assumption that you have read my blog on TAKE TIME TO READ TEN SENTENCES. I want to see if you can read ten sentences that may be life changing, then you might take time to read JUST ONE… Continue Reading “TAKE TIME TO BE ONE SENTENCE”
TAKE TIME TO READ TEN SENTENCES
One of my more reckless endeavors in Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) is to say to the Holy Spirit “I am here, what is on your mind?” This has a risk associated with it because my the capacity and the capability for me to assimilate… Continue Reading “TAKE TIME TO READ TEN SENTENCES”
THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: RESURRECTION MOMENT
May you experience the joy of Christ being raised from the dead as did the Apostles and followers on that moment in time that opened to our adoption as sons and daughters of the Father. Although this event happened or didn’t happen, if you… Continue Reading “THE CHRIST PRINCIPLE: RESURRECTION MOMENT”
CREEPING TOWARDS THE PAROUSIA
Three things we humans are conditioned to do because of Original Sin are: expect immediate results; become restless and anancy when we are not doing something, anything to fill up dead time; become compulsive about filling in the hole in our lives. I have… Continue Reading “CREEPING TOWARDS THE PAROUSIA”
THE LITANY OF REDEMPTION
On this Good Friday, my reflections wander through the great love Christ had for us to lay down his life for us, we who can’t even keep watch with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Humans, wounded by Original Sin, are redeemed by God… Continue Reading “THE LITANY OF REDEMPTION”
THE JOY IN THE RESURRECTION
May the Peace of Christ be with you. This is not the peace that the world gives but the presence of Christ’s love in us and through us to our unique world. Here are a few of my reflections as a result of my… Continue Reading “THE JOY IN THE RESURRECTION”
LENTEN CONVERSION: Scariest scripture passage
My picture of Scripture is one of a series of love letters to humans, telling how much God wants us to be with Him in Heaven as our terminal state of being. Sometimes, I think of Scriptures are presenting a frightening picture of the… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: Scariest scripture passage”
THE HERESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL
Heresies are not something I write about very often, in fact, I would not be writing about this topic at all except that it presented itself to be at 2:30 a.m. this morning as part of my Lectio Divina. My Lectio Divina has always… Continue Reading “THE HERESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL”
LENTEN CONVERSION: IS YOUR JESUS PARANOID?
During this intense time of introspection before the celebration of our delivery from death to life with Christ, it is important to ask the question, What does your Jesus look like? I have never seen the face of Jesus, nor have I seen the… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: IS YOUR JESUS PARANOID?”
LENTEN CONVERSION: Beware of the default of original sin
Original sin affects everything we do as a human. Baptism takes away Original Sin, the Sin of the World, but we still must live out the consequences of living in a condition where everything has a beginning and an end. I reflected on this… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: Beware of the default of original sin”
LENTEN CONVERSION: FROM FACTIONS TO ONE LORD
In this time of slowing down to catch up to the Christ within us, Lent provides each person with their own unique way of sorting out those false narratives that drag us down from seeking the true Christ to ones that fit our emotional… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: FROM FACTIONS TO ONE LORD”
HERE ARE TEN TEMPTATIONS FROM SATAN I BET YOU NEVER SAW COMING.
The Devil loves to seduce humans into going against God, then laughs heartily at the offender as being so gullible and weak that he missed out on the purpose of life. I thought about how the Devil might dissuade me from having in me… Continue Reading “HERE ARE TEN TEMPTATIONS FROM SATAN I BET YOU NEVER SAW COMING.”
A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON: MAKING AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE BEFORE RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Jesus left us several stories and activities that we should do to make him present to us. Clearly, Eucharist, the Real Presence of Christ, the fulfilment of the Last Supper, is paramount among ways to seek forgiveness and ask for God’s mercy. Additional ways… Continue Reading “A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON: MAKING AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE BEFORE RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION”
LENTEN CONVERSION: THE PLACE WE CALL HELL IS LIKE…
What is hell like? This is not a topic that raises to the level that I would think about but it did come up in this week’s Lectio Divina meditation (Philippians 2:5). I have not experienced Hell because I have never been there (nor… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: THE PLACE WE CALL HELL IS LIKE…”
LENTEN CONVERSION: FEAR OF THE LORD
I can still remember driving US 41 south of Vincennes, Indiana as I traveled to Evansville, Indiana. There was one spot in the road where I had seen an abandoned two-story house, one like I saw in horror films with large windows perched hill… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: FEAR OF THE LORD”
LENTEN CONVERSION: WHO IS YOUR JESUS? AN END USER PAUSES TO REVIEW THE CONSEQUENCES OF BELIEVING OR NOT BELIEVING IN JESUS THE CHRIST.
In my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) today, I wondered about who Jesus is. I think this is part of the mystery of Faith, that probing of the human heart to try to love God with all of our heart, all of our mind, and… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: WHO IS YOUR JESUS? AN END USER PAUSES TO REVIEW THE CONSEQUENCES OF BELIEVING OR NOT BELIEVING IN JESUS THE CHRIST.”
LENTEN CONVERSION: HOW LOVELY IS YOUR DWELLING PLACE, O LORD OF HOSTS
Today in a few hours, the Lay Cistercian community of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit (Trappist) http://www.trappist.net, will meet for their monthly Zoom Gathering Day meeting. I would like to share with you some of my preparations for that meeting. In Lectio Divina… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: HOW LOVELY IS YOUR DWELLING PLACE, O LORD OF HOSTS”
WHISPERS FROM A CAVE
One of my favorite Scripture passages is the one where God tells a frightened Elijah the Prophet to go to a cave and He will pass by. This passage has great importance for contemplative practice. We listen to God with the ear of our… Continue Reading “WHISPERS FROM A CAVE”
LENTEN CONVERSION: iF TODAY YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART
Lent is a time for profound reflection. Lent is a time for profound listening. St. Benedict tells us to “listen with the ear of the heart.” Here is a not-so-simple idea on which you should ponder. Go to http://www.divineoffice.org. Read the Invitatory prayer. Reflect… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: iF TODAY YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART”
LENTEN CONVERSION: IF YOU ARE NOT DILIGENT, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR FAITH
Faith is like a blanket that overshadows us to allow us to call God “Abba”. This gift from God provides us with the indelible sign on our souls that we are marked as adopted sons and daughters of the Father. We are saved from… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: IF YOU ARE NOT DILIGENT, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR FAITH”
LENTEN CONVERSION: the most difficult choice you will ever make
The title of this blog is not my own, but the topic of Bishop Robert Barron’s YouTube Sunday sermon this week. I recommend that you subscribe to his YouTube channel. I find that my Lectio Divina meditations are informed by my latest experiences, grounded,… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: the most difficult choice you will ever make”
LENTEN CONVERSION: FOR BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW
Lent is a profound time of introspection and conversion. Introspection, in that we must re-measure ourselves against the one command Christ left us: to love one another as he has loved us. Christ alone can make all things new in the heavens and on… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: FOR BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW”
LENTEN CONVERSION: jUST oNE CHANGE
Lent is a time of reassessment and change. We move from our false self, imprinted with the effects of Original Sin to being free from the hostage to death. During your time of profound reflection in Lent, here are some thoughts I had from… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: jUST oNE CHANGE”
LENTEN CONVERSION: conversio morae
Lent is a period of reflection, a purification of all those false attitudes and ways of thinking that will keep me from realizing the importance of the Resurrection of Christ and its implications for me as I search for God each day. Lent is… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: conversio morae”
LENTEN CONVERSION: don’t squabble over who should give
During Lent, I try to use Lectio Divina as a way to become a more penitential person, being more humble and obedient to the will of God each day. One of my Lectio meditations (not at the level of contemplation) is on the subject… Continue Reading “LENTEN CONVERSION: don’t squabble over who should give”
THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
One of the concepts that help me to grow in the capacity of Christ in my heart is that of the Church. I use to think of the Church as being a body of rules and prescriptions that I had to believe in order… Continue Reading “THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
the genesis effect
The first chapters of the Book of Genesis provide the opening written statement of what it means to be human. The oral traditions handed down through centuries surely took on characteristics of their own as different cultures and diverse authors reflected on their human… Continue Reading “the genesis effect”
LAY CISTERCIAN CONTINUITY
During one of our Gathering Days of Lay Cistercians at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery (www.trappist.net), one of our members asked the question about the difficulty of keeping to a schedule to do Cistercian practices. The question also plagues me and how… Continue Reading “LAY CISTERCIAN CONTINUITY”
WHY YOUR CENTER IS CENTRAL TO CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
Everyone has a center of their life. It is that one principle, that one value upon which all others find their support. Granted that your center as a twenty-year-old may not be the one you have when you are sixty, but you will have… Continue Reading “WHY YOUR CENTER IS CENTRAL TO CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
FACING FIVE EITHER/OR DILEMMAS
Yogi Berra’s supposed saying, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it,” is witty but perhaps a wise description of choices we all must make if we try to be contemplative in our practice. We live in the temporal time of… Continue Reading “FACING FIVE EITHER/OR DILEMMAS”
IF I WERE THE DEVIL
What would you do to the current political debacle if you were the Devil? I would convince the United States that political parties are a new religion, that hatred of personality replaces public policy, that revenge and calumny substitutes for civility and cooperation, that… Continue Reading “IF I WERE THE DEVIL”
A LAY CISTERCIAN SEEKS GOD ONE DAY AT A TIME
Hello once more. As I seek God every day as I am and where I am, I came across these resources that you might find of interest. I keep asking myself the increasingly complex question of “How does all of this fit together?” My… Continue Reading “A LAY CISTERCIAN SEEKS GOD ONE DAY AT A TIME”
Four BRICK WALLS THAT CHALLENGE MY SEEKING GOD
In my most recent Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5), I thought about the barriers that keep me from having in me the mind of Christ Jesus. As I begin to be more self-aware of the spiritual universe around me, new revelations seem to pop up… Continue Reading “Four BRICK WALLS THAT CHALLENGE MY SEEKING GOD”
THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY OF LENT
Lent is a season of preparation and reflection. We are asked, as Church Universal, to prepare our minds and hearts for the Christ Principle. Before each momentous event in the life of Christ, we must prepare and reflect on how we have become what… Continue Reading “THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY OF LENT”
LENTEN PENANCE: A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON CAPACITAS DEI, DENYING ONESELF TO MAKE ROOM FOR CHRIST EACH DAY
If you hear his voice, says the Psalms, harden not your hearts. Lent is upon us once again. It pops up yearly as we trudge down that path of choices we call life. As described in this clip of Harry Potter and the… Continue Reading “LENTEN PENANCE: A LAY CISTERCIAN REFLECTS ON CAPACITAS DEI, DENYING ONESELF TO MAKE ROOM FOR CHRIST EACH DAY”
WHAT WAS JESUS’ I.Q.?
My latest Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) had several tangential directions from the Holy Spirit. I can’t keep up with the profusion of energy that overshadows me. Let me give you a tiny example. My meditations were about God emptying himself (kenosis) of being God… Continue Reading “WHAT WAS JESUS’ I.Q.?”
TEN NEW IDEAS I LEARNED ABOUT HEAVEN FROM THE EDGE OF TIME
Scripture is the bedrock of what we know about the mission of Christ. It is also written, says St. John in 20:30-31, to show us the way, the truth, and the life. Conclusion.”*30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples… Continue Reading “TEN NEW IDEAS I LEARNED ABOUT HEAVEN FROM THE EDGE OF TIME”
MY LECTIO DIVINA SCARED ME
Normally, I do Lectio Divina at about 2:30 a.m. as part of my old man bathroom ritual. It helps get me back to sleep. There was nothing normal about the Lectio Divina today. I was frightened and what frightened me might not be what… Continue Reading “MY LECTIO DIVINA SCARED ME”
CONTEMPLATING contemplative prayer
In asking the question, “What is contemplative prayer?”, I remembered what I read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church about prayer. I revisited that text and read it three times. Once, for the words, another time for the meaning, and the third time… Continue Reading “CONTEMPLATING contemplative prayer”
DON’T DROP YOUR BATON
I have always enjoyed watching a track meet on television. There are many events that fun to watch, such as the hurtles, the high jump, and pole vault. My favorite track event is the team relay, where four of the fastest runners compete, each… Continue Reading “DON’T DROP YOUR BATON”
REFLECTIONS ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS YOUR RELIGION
The past week’s events have left me in shock over the lack of respect people have for our Presidential electoral process, our Nation’s Capitol, and the behaviors displayed by any and all political parties. Long ago, I lost my respect for the political processes… Continue Reading “REFLECTIONS ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS YOUR RELIGION”
THE HABIT OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE
In my practice of trying to have Christ Jesus’s mind each day (Philippians 1:5), I have noticed that I do best when I establish some sort of habit or schedule to help me focus. I don’t want to fall into the trap of establishing… Continue Reading “THE HABIT OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE”
WONDER IF…
The notion of wonder is exciting to me as I do my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5). My mind has become my friend, almost another person inside me prompting me to visit places I could not do physically. I use my mind every morning at… Continue Reading “WONDER IF…”
WHAT DOES YOUR SPIRITUAL CLOSET LOOK LIKE?
You have heard and maybe even seen television shows about hoarding. It is a compulsion not to throw away anything because of a perceived or unconscious need you will need later on. If left unchecked, the house becomes cluttered sometimes to the point of… Continue Reading “WHAT DOES YOUR SPIRITUAL CLOSET LOOK LIKE?”
THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING
I can’t think of a more esoteric and theoretical topic than the one above, The Mathematics of Being. Not being a person with a great comprehension of either mathematics or being, I make the perfect person who can speculate on what I have come… Continue Reading “THE MATHEMATICS OF BEING”
MAKING ALL THINGS NEW
If Christmas is about the gift of God to us in Christ Jesus, then New Year is about the ability to see what is new, not with the eyes of the world (that only comes on New Year’s day), but with the eyes of… Continue Reading “MAKING ALL THINGS NEW”
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