It is well to remember that monastic asceticism is less about denying oneself pleasure and embracing hardship, and more about reestablishing that original God-intended harmony between the body and the soul, and the spirit and the flesh. Our reading from Proverbs expresses this goal in terms of seeking neither poverty nor riches, but only the […]

There are times in our lives when, with the best of intentions, we foolishly reassure a suffering friend that we understand his/her pain and misery even though we have had no similar experience. And when the cause of a friend’s suffering is extremely traumatic or bears no similarity to anything we have undergone, we have […]

Jesus’ quoting of the “Golden Rule” according to which we are to do to others as we would have them do to us, is usually the opposite of what we are inclined to do—that is, treat others as they treat us. Thus, a strike on the cheek, is reciprocated in kind, and a curse is […]

Coming to deeper self-knowledge and a truer sense of our sinfulness, typically occurs in stages—from being more superficial to becoming more profound. In today’s gospel, Peter comes to an awareness of his sinful condition—depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. However, this acknowledgment—though sincere—is still only superficial. This becomes clear in that […]

The long, arduous, and, at times, seemingly impossible, quest to attain true inner silence is, nevertheless, the only way our hearts become that rich soil—receptive to God’s Word, and thus bearing the hundredfold. It is only when we have acquired this inner silence—and quelled the inner chatter of our restless minds and stilled the insidious […]

In order to be a just judge one needs more than knowledge of the law and whether or not someone has transgressed the law. Looking both at a transgressor’s motivations as well as any mitigating factors that help understand the transgressor’s behavior are equally crucial to dispensing justice. God shows himself just such a just […]

There is fundamentally only one category of sin that inevitably separates us from God, and places us outside the ambit of God’s grace; and that sin is pride. All other sins have at least the potential for becoming moments of grace, and a repentant turning back to the God we have offended. In addition, every […]

On occasion inept builders fail to carefully follow the architect’s plan and the resulting building is rendered unstable and requires demolition and starting all over again. In similar vein, Jesus spoke of those who foolishly build their houses on sand—instead of rock—and storms and raging waters easily destroy such constructions. Taking these as analogies for […]

Although it can be forgotten, a gift is a symbol—ideally, a symbol of love, appreciation, or gratitude from the one giving the gift to the one receiving it. Thus, a true gift can never be in payment of a debt, or serve as a bribe, or function as a subtle form of emotional manipulation. The […]

Artistic depictions of the Annunciation are among some of the most beautiful and powerful works of Christian art. And although these depictions typically feature the Angel Gabriel and Mary, some artists only suggest the angel’s presence with a radiant glow of light. And perhaps this is more appropriate since Mary’s Immaculate Heart was a pure […]