I have lived in the Deep South since 2000. I also lived in the Deep South during most of my Army service. As a result, I have gained a deep appreciation for Southern spirituality. I have come to fully enjoy being wished to have a “blessed day” when I finish having an encounter in Alabama. […]
On being Catholic Eastern Orthodox
I can remember being taught in seminary that the word Catholic was never used in the New Testament. That is true. The word itself is first found in writing in a letter that St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote to the Smyrnans around the year 107 AD. It referred to ? h kaqoliki ekklesia (i katholiki ekklesia) or the […]
On being black while …
The video above is but the latest in a set of videos in which a black person has the police called on them for spurious reasons. In this case, this man is the head of an organization, was ferrying two kids in his car with the permission of the parents, and yet was followed by […]
Victims of abuse and acting out
As I have been reading the Kavanaugh story, I found myself thinking about one specific group of people. Those who were abused early in life have sequelae not only of memory, repressed memories, and suffering but also of acting out. More than that, the behavior that is learned as an abused child is all too […]
Scheduled fasting
At that time, John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have […]
Dormition of the Theotokos 2018
The Dormition of the Theotokos is rolling around again. It is the feast that reminds us that Mary eventually died. The Scriptures do not tell us of that death, at least not the canonical Scriptures. One Early Church Father states that she died around 41AD, which would make her about 50-55 years old. This […]
Pope Francis and the death penalty
On 02 August, Pope Francis issued a change to the Roman Catholic catechism. In the official release, the change in the Church’s position is quite clear. Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”, and […]
La Santa Eulalia de Barcelona
The Damascene Gallery is an icon workshop located less than a mile from the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, a Russian Orthodox men’s monastery in West Virginia. From them, I bought an icon of St. Eulalia of Barcelona. It was painted by a deacon whose artistic style is that of the New Jordanville school. I […]
Mary and the angels
On the 24th of June, the Orthodox, Roman Catholics, and some of the Protestant communities celebrated the Nativity of the Forerunner, John the Baptist. As I read the story again, I was struck not only by the intensity of the story but also by the silencing of Zechariah by the Archangel Gabriel. But then I remembered […]
Old man dreams — 2018
You might wish to begin the attached video at the 1:52 mark. I have watched this video several times. No, I do not agree with the words of the rock anthem. But, you see, I am jealous. Here is a 68-year-old woman who can still rock and sing in ways that I no longer can […]
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