John Cassian, 4th Century — How could the Lord wish to be held onto for even a moment when in fact he does not even allow the spiritual sacrifices of our prayers to be offered if we know that someone else is angry with us? As he says: “If, then, you are offering your gift […]
John Cassian, 4th Century John was born in the Danube Delta in what is now Dobrogea, Romania, in about 360. In 382 he moved to Bethlehem and after several years there he, along with his friend Germanus, journeyed to Egypt to meet with some of the greatest Christians of that time. They remained in Egypt […]
Select Quotes From St. John Chrysostom (347-407) To those who say that there is no harm in worldly pursuits while neglecting the spiritual life. “Now I say this for there are some, much less responsive than this audience here, who do not become ashamed at my words, but even speak at length in defense of […]
Select Quotes From St. John Chrysostom (347-407) “Let them hear, as many of us as neglect the reading of the Scriptures, to what harm we are subjecting ourselves, to what poverty.” (Hom. XLVII On Matthew) The Bible helps us to obtain our salvation. “Now if we are willing to examine the Scriptures in this way, […]
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s and Grandpa’s! (June 19th if you’ve forgotten.) The poem below was given to me many years ago by someone I care about a great deal. It meant a lot when it was given to me, and it still speaks to me many years after. THAT MAN IS A […]
One Sunday morning, before driving to Church, I received two emails informing me of the deaths of two different men that were Smokejumpers with me. Back in our smokejumping days we all joked about “cheating death” every time we made a successful parachute jump into a wilderness to fight a forest fire. I will get […]
Last week, I dropped by a friend’s house and found him on his hands and knees in the front yard. He was frantically searching for something. I went over to him and asked what was going on. He told me that he had lost the only keys for his truck and had to find them. […]
Have you ever had a person in your life that simply pushed your buttons whenever you were around them? Perhaps you might just have one in your life right now! There is just something about that person that gets under your skin. They may be antagonistic toward you; treating you with scorn and perhaps even […]
Many years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received […]
ALICE IN WONDERLAND…SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING! In that timeless tale, Alice in Wonderland, Alice meets up with two strange characters who ask her very pointed questions. Their questions and Alice’s answers give us food for spiritual thought. First, Alice meets up with the Great Caterpillar, sitting on a mushroom, smoking a hookah. “Who…are…you?” he asks Alice. Alice […]