In Genesis, we read of the establishment of the firmament: And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day (Gen. 1:6-8 RSV). Most... Read more
Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our thoughts or desires, we are not aware of what is going around us. This can and often will put us in danger. For example, if we are crossing the road, lost in our thoughts, we might not be as observant as we should be of the road conditions. A car could be driving erratically, and if someone does not intervene, we might be hit or killed by the car before we... Read more
God, acting with a great and transcendent love for all, shines the light of grace upon all creation. And yet, in our temporal existence, we often find ourselves often surrounded by the darkness, and this is due to sin. Nonetheless, if we embrace it, the radiant light of God can enter our lives so that we may be being guided by it. Then, hopefully, we will cooperate with it so that we can then be perfected by it, so that... Read more
Freedom comes with responsibility. Those who try to deny their responsibility to society will lose their freedom, one way or another. For they will find they will have to face the consequences of their actions. Society provides freedom so long as people work together and promote the common good, and with it, basic human rights. Society is formed to preserve those rights, of which we find freedom (relative, not absolute) is one. When people put their personal, private interest over... Read more
Spiritual masters not only teach us that we must be hospitable to others, but we must also be aware of the context in which we find ourselves; that is, when we engage hospitality, we should do so with consideration of the needs of our guests. What is expected of us depends, in part, on the people involved. Not everyone needs the same thing. Not everyone should get the same thing. Nonetheless, there are basic principles which we must engage. Everyone... Read more
The Apocalypse, that is, the Book of Revelation, presents to us the truth about history, not because it gives us a history of the world, but rather, through it we are given a glimpse of the metaphysical truths which lie behind every moment of history. While history is in progress, there will be a struggle by the good against all the darkness and evil which would try to snuff it out. The good thrives, the good perseveres, though not without... Read more
St. John the Baptist was a man of the people. Yes, he embraced a harsh ascetic discipline for himself. He lived out in the wilderness, isolated, in part, from society. This, however, was all in preparation for his work, the work of being the voice in the wilderness, calling out and telling everyone to repent and prepare for the coming of the kingdom of God. His discipline was important, for it helped him in his mission: he could not call... Read more
The COVID19 pandemic continues, thanks, especially because many have not done what they can to contain it. Many people who can get the vaccine refuse to do so. Many people who can wear mask refuse to do so, even when they are sick and coughing. Many people refuse all social distancing measures, and so if someone around them gets sick with COVID19, they and their loved ones get sick as well, with many of them dying of the disease which... Read more
Christians are not to flee from their responsibility to the world. Monasticism should not be seen as being or used to promote some sort of “option” people employ to disengage themselves from society. Though many ascetics might have been tempted to abandon the world and live for themselves, if they did so, they would have only fallen for a Satanic temptation and embraced the ascetic life in vain. To disregard one’s neighbor and their needs for one’s own personal spiritual... Read more
Nothing lies outside of God’s presence, for God is the transcendent reality in which all things exist. There is no escape from God. Nothing lies outside of God’s kingdom. Existence itself comes from God as existence can be said to be one of God’s uncreated energies. Wherever we go, we find ourselves bound to existence, and so connected to God. Thus, we read in the Psalms that we can never truly run away from God: Whither shall I go from... Read more
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