It took me a while to appreciate the Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion. To tell the truth, as a convert, it all seemed kind of sappy, sentimental and well, French. All hearts and flowers and perfume--almost like a Valentine from Jesus. Yucch. But then I learned about St Margaret Mary Alacogue and realized that she (like [...]
Benedictine Nuns Make Final Vows A Benedictine nun writes, The end of Benedictine spirituality is to develop a transparent personality. Dissimulation, half answers, vindictive attitudes, a false presentation of self are all barbs in the soul of the monastic. This is especially important in our commercialized, plastic, artificial society. Everywhere we look we are [...]
There is a Great Deed which the blessed Trinity shall do at the last day, as I see it. And what that deed shall be, and how it shall be done is unknown to all creatures below Christ. And it shall be hidden until it is done. He wants us to know of it so that [...]
In the summer of 1987 I did something which changed my life forever. I hitch hiked from England to Jerusalem staying in monasteries all along the route. As I walked I prayed and as I prayed I was healed. I won't go into the details, but God was cleaning house, and to do a really thorough [...]
Lectio Divina, or Holy Reading, is a wonderful, monastic contribution to spirituality. It combines two aspects of the threefold Benedictine life of Work, Prayer and Reading. When we participate in Lectio Divina we pray and read. We read and pray. The essential idea is that we read the sacred Scriptures not critically or even to gather information, [...]
The American Alpha Achievement culture sells us the idea that success should be one quick upward spiral from glory to glory until we are the perfectly successful person with a perfect tan, perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect body, perfect bank account, perfect spouse, perfect kids, perfect house (or maybe two or three houses) perfect everything. Well [...]
If you go to confession just because you feel it is your duty and you scrounge around to find a few things you think might be a "sin" but you're not really sure and you think you probably haven't done anything bad because you're a nice person and after all, you didn't commit adultery or rob [...]
Thomas Merton was a hermit at the Trappist Monastery of Gethesamani in Kentucky. His autobiography The Seven Story Mountain is one of the best tales of God getting hold of a man and that man's true conversion. Merton's later life was controversial as he was caught up in the turmoil of the 1960s, but his writings are beautiful [...]
My brother in law is an artist and a wise man. He is fond of saying, "Every person, everywhere will always do whatever they can to get as close as they can to what they perceive as love." During the Lenten season do you see yourself and other people chasing all sorts of things that you [...]
The Suburban Hermit is always enthusiastic about Lent. In fact, he'd dearly love to become more of a hermit if possible and be the turtle that draws into his shell and stays there--only peeking out from time to time to nibble a lettuce leaf. The trick to a happy Lent is to see it as a [...]