Helpdesk support back in the Middle Ages with English subtitles. Original taken from the show “Øystein og jeg” on Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) in 2001. With Øystein Backe (helper)and Rune Gokstad (desperate monk). Written by Knut Nærum. Thanks to FWD from Jim. Then there’s my friend, Erin, who has a new line of greeting cards which, thanks God, are delightfully different than all that schmaltzy stuff you find elsewhere. Pick up a few … HERE. Read more

From Bishop Basil’s email of last night, July 26th … Please join me in praying a rope for the repose of the soul of our highly esteemed and well loved brother and concelebrant ARCHPRIEST JAMES KENNA, 74, of St Sophia/Dripping Springs, TX, saying, “O Lord Jesus Christ, grant rest to the soul of Thy departed servant.” Father James was fatally injured in an automobile incident earlier this evening. UPDATE … The schedule of divine services for Father James is as... Read more

The main reason I’m out in the desert this week is as Coordinator for the St Philip’s Prayer Discipline. The website is coming along and should be complete soon. By your prayers! Prayer. It’s one of the three pillars of our struggle as Orthodox Christians … Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. It’s how we work out our salvation. And yet, for many, Prayer presents the greatest challenge of the three. In fact, if I may be so bold to say: Without... Read more

This reflection was originally delivered as a homily on Wednesday, January 16, 1991 on the advent of “Desert Storm”. (Which was, incidentally, the eve of the feast of St Anthony the Great, aka St Anthony of the Desert.) It has been slightly edited for the current situation. God willing, see you all in Palm Desert this week. When I was a boy my brother and I shared a bed. I was around ten years old, my brother was three. One... Read more

We’d planned to hike Grandfather Mountain, from top to bottom, a fabulous 4-hour trek, but recent bear activity had closed the trails. So we drove up. On the way, we came to a little wayside cave. I stopped the car, we Huneycutts and my mother all got out to take in nature’s beauty. The site was a tad tarnished by some graffiti painted on a huge rock — many layers, letters and “coats”. Suddenly, my 11-year old son, Basil said:... Read more

Still away on vacation in North Carolina, but this AFR repeat about St Constantine the Great is one of my favorites … A friend of mine is a priest in a special Greek Church named after Mother and Son Saints: Helen and Constantine. When I say this is a special Greek Church, I don’t mean just a big temple, parking lot, annual festival and gymnasium. Of course they have all that … But, I mean they’ve got something really special... Read more

There’s one of those fru-fru juice shops near the church which not only offers delicious frosty fruit smoothies but, among other things, fresh cut sod to drink. Those of you in California are probably way past this craze by now, but I can’t help but think it odd every time I walk in and see the nice green sprouting sod patches on a shelf above the smoothie work station. Usually, there’s a swath or two which have been freshly mown... Read more

I‘m tying up some loose ends before hitting the road for summer travels … First of all, it’s interesting to note that the video posted here is from 1980. 1980! And still seems funny and relevant. (Even sad, for those who’ve lived through it.) Thanks to Jim for the FWD. When I recently titled a post a “MEME” — that posting garnered the poorest showing of site visits in a while. My bad. Fr Stephen’s excellent podcast You Are Not... Read more

This is the funniest thing (in a sort of dry, understated & witty way) that I’ve heard in a long time:You Are Not a Bible Character Go listen, HERE. Pic Source – which reads: “OK. So it’s really a baby strong man – but it can also be a baby Saint John the Baptist!” Read more

The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research. The Medical Center receives over five million annual patient visits, including over ten thousand international patients. In 2006, the center employed over 75,000 people, including 4,000 physicians and 11,000 registered nurses. Last week, as I made my way down the sidewalk, there were people bustling all about, to and fro, in... Read more