Category: Reflections
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Care for the Soul
This article first appeared in 2015. It seems very apropos to our present moment. Glory to God for all things. I do not understand Zombies. When I was a child, Zombie movies were virtually non-existent. The word referred to something like a Golem in Jewish thought – a creature without a soul. It is properly…
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Of Kings and Things and What Matters
On October 25, 1415 (St. Crispin’s Day), the army of King Henry V of England engaged the army of Charles VI of France at Agincourt, in Northern France. The battle was famously depicted in Shakespeare’s Henry V. Estimates say that as many as 10,000 Frenchmen died, while as few as 112 Englishmen perished (the numbers…
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Getting Saved on Star Trek
Movies have a way of mirroring reality. They are cultural products, even if written by a single person. Our creative mind is formed and shaped in the reality we live. With that in mind, I have been thinking about the guys who wear red shirts on Star Trek episodes. In popular lore, they are the…
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The Cross and the One Ring of Power
The greatest trial surrounding the One Ring of Power in Tolkien’s novels, was the temptation to use it. No one (except for Sauron himself) seemed to think that they would do anything but good with the Ring. The Ring would protect Gondor; the Ring would bring order to the world (Saruman). And though it was…
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The End of History
There is a proverb from the Soviet period: “History is hard to predict.” The re-writing of history was a common political action – enough to provoke the proverb. Students of history are doubtless well-aware that re-writing is the constant task of the modern academic world. The account of American and World History which I…
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Be True to Yourself
I recall the excitement that I felt every year as a child and as a teenager as the signs of summer’s end came. Looming ahead was the beginning of a new school year. It never felt like a return to what I had known the year before, but as an opportunity for something new. In…
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The Mountain of Providence
From September 21 through October 5, I journeyed with a group of ten on a pilgrimage to Mt. Athos. There are many published accounts by pilgrims, though nothing I’ve seen does full justice to the experience itself. This article is a reflection on one aspect of my journey – an aspect that was foremost in…
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Coming Back This Week from the Mountain
A brief note…who knew there were cell towers on the peninsula? Remembering all of you in my prayers and very grateful for yours. It’s quite an experience! I fly back on Thursday! Blessings!
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A Pilgrimage to Mt. Athos
God willing, I leave this Thursday (September 21) for a pilgrimage to Mt. Athos. I’m with a group of ten, including a couple of other priests, and my 30 year-old son. Needless to say, I’ll be “off the grid” for much of that time and unable to respond to comments. I’ll have someone taking…
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Raising Christian Children – St. Silouan on His Father
Most of us would be satisfied to raise children who remain faithful believers. It is not always an easy thing and every parent who has such a child should rejoice constantly. There is no method to raise a child to be a saint, for God alone gives the grace that results in the mystery of…
As a total aside: Henry Adams practically invented Social History with his efforts almost 200 years ago. A magnificent book…