Tag: despondency

“In any circumstances”: Being Content in a Mysterious Time

· Nicole M. Roccas 1 Leave a Comment on %s
*Written during the COVID-19 pandemic.* Christ is risen! A passage of Scripture that has often come to mind the past week or so is St. Paul’s exhortation on contentment. Thanking the Philippians for remembering his needs–perhaps through sending supplies or monetary contributions–St. Paul points out that even in times when his earthly needs haven’t been met, he knows…

Got askesis envy? Advice from a desert monk

· Nicole M. Roccas 1 Leave a Comment on %s
In the Orthodox Church, Great Lent is enriched by the memory of the most celebrated monastics of Christian memory–St. Andrew of Crete (who got his start as a hierarch and hymnographer in a monastery near Jerusalem), St. John of the Ladder, and St. Mary of Egypt, to name a few.   Surrounded by these virtuous souls, it’s easy…

6 Practices to Combat Despondency with Deacon Michael Hyatt

· Nicole M. Roccas
Now that US Thanksgiving has passed, we are really heading into the Christmas season. Everything around us seems to remind us that Christmas is coming–the dull weather, the cold temps, and the Christmas music blaring from store speakers. For many of us, December is not so much a high point of Christian joy but of spiritual despondency. This…

6 Practices to Combat Despondency, Part 2

· Nicole M. Roccas
If you haven’t been keeping up with Deacon Michael Hyatt’s journey through my book, Time and Despondency, this last day before the Advent Fast (New Calendar) is the perfect TIME to start! Check out the newest episode here. It’s about the practices of thanksgiving and confession, and the episode is one of three devoted to practical ways to approach and counter…

Dying and the Virtues and Travel Anxiety

· Nicole M. Roccas
Going on a trip is a lot like dying. Especially when you’re plagued with a mild but neurotically persistent fear of flying like I am. (Let’s just say I watched the crash scene in Castaway one too many times on the big screen during my formative teen years.) Because I travel fairly often, I have various ways of dealing…

What Does it Mean to Be Human? Engaging Orthodoxy Panel Discussion

· Nicole M. Roccas
Hi Time Eternalites! Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving to all! May we be creatures of response and thanksgiving to God for His seen and unseen providence in the moments of our lives… This past weekend, I was blessed to participate in the third annual Engaging Orthodoxy panel discussion held at North Park University in Chicago. This year’s topic was “What does…

When Your Lent Was Not Instagram-Worthy

· Nicole M. Roccas 12 Leave a Comment on %s
12:30PM on Lazarus Saturday. I’m still in bed, my limbs weighed down by the ache of sleeping in too late. Barely awake, I pull off my eye mask and instinctively reach for my phone to see if I’ve missed any important messages. Just one text from my husband, 57 minutes ago: “Things I never thought I’d say to…

Can Children Struggle with Despondency?

· Nicole M. Roccas
Something unexpected happened when I published Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life; the people with the most questions have been parents concerned for their children. I didn’t foresee this because I assumed the people who would be most interested in my book would be people like me: thirty-somethings who can’t seem to shake the…

Last chance to sign up for the giveaway! Plus, a video of the Despondency Q&A and a free a knitting pattern

· Nicole M. Roccas
The launch week of Time and Despondency is almost finished! Last night, I hosted an hour-long Live Q&A on Facebook in order to answer some of your questions about despondency, time, and the relationship between the two. It was a great time of conversation and discussion. Thanks for all those who showed up and contributed to the discussion,…