Brother Phobos sat forlorn on one of the many rock formations encircling his small hermitage in Egypt’s Scetis Valley. With each gurgle of his stomach, his thoughts became increasingly distraught. He had prayed his psalms, tidied up his small monastic … Continue reading
day
Seeing the Crucified
Editor’s note: This is an introduction to our new series, Beholding True Beauty, which will consist of prayerful reflections on works of sacred art. In a culture saturated with superficially attractive and distracting images, turning to truly beautiful art can … Continue reading
Lecherous Stump
Lecherous stump of flesh, knotted, rotten, Twisted from thy flickering flirtations With lesser lovers, leaving frostbitten That sad little lump of palpitations. Withered lie thy dry leaves, O heart of mine, Deprived of all love’s life-giving waters, For thy lovers’ … Continue reading
A Terrible Time
The third century AD was a terrible time. Like, really terrible. The prosperity and relative peace of the second century went down in flames. Well, flames, assassinations, civil war, revolts, famine, plague, and invasions, to be more precise. From the … Continue reading
You Don’t Know What You’re Asking
Swish! Swish! Swish! lap the waves. 12:15 AM reads the my watch beneath the silver star light. What am I looking for? What do I want? I think to myself as I knead the sand with my toes. Beep! … Continue reading
St. Boniface and the Idols of the Day
Chop! Chop! Chop! Wiping away the perspiration rolling down his broad forehead, the burly Englishman heaved his axe and struck again. Chop! Chop! Chop! The bitter cursing that greeted his first swings died down to an uneasy grumble. “How stiff-necked … Continue reading
Love and the Vanity of Labor
What are you working for? Our lives are a bustling whirl of labor, occupying our hands during the day and often our minds at night. How overwhelming and toilsome this work can become. There are moments when the words of … Continue reading
Who is Your Shepherd?
Who is your shepherd? Whose sheep are you? We’re all sheep, following some shepherd with docility or butting against the goad. Either way, we’re all sheep who must decide in whose flock we wish to be counted. Sheep become like … Continue reading
Stopping in Smyrna
My family are beach people. Growing up in coastal New England, our summers always involved lengthy days on sandy shores and in cool waters. But occasionally, we would trade the chilly waters of the Northeast for the warmer waves of … Continue reading
A Temple of Your Glory
Three trickles of cool water splashing on the wrinkling forehead. A moment of silence as the infant’s eyes widen and arms twitch before a small cry of surprise. Jovial smiles from glowing parents and congratulatory friends. Next, the precious oil, … Continue reading
The Gods of the Heathens
Popular Hollywood movies seldom express deep theological insights. The recent Wonder Woman film, while not exactly an exception to this rule, allows the opportunity to reflect a little on an incarnate god (light spoiler alert). The hero of the film, … Continue reading
A Voice I Did Not Know
God never appeared to me and told me in clear and audible words what I was supposed to do with my life. He never told me to be a Dominican. Or maybe He did, and I just didn’t recognize His … Continue reading
Ramblin’ Men
The Allman Brothers were onto something with their lyrics, “Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man.” We are wanderers upon the earth. Why? This world is broken and, though it is filled with beauty, it is still a place of … Continue reading
The Purple Haze of Lent
Jimi Hendrix probably didn’t have Lent in mind when he wrote “Purple Haze.” But Lent can feel like a “purple haze, all around,” and not just because of the vestments. In the confusing mix of emotions, one might echo Hendrix, … Continue reading