Cenacle Journal
Posted in Acceptance, Lent, Mercy on Feb 17th, 2010
By what boundless mercy, my Savior,
have you allowed me to become a member of your body?
Me, the unclean, the defiled, the prodigal.
How is it that you have clothed me
in the brilliant garment,
radiant with the splendor of immortality,
that turns all my members into light?
Symeon the New Theologian, trans. by John Anthony McGuckin,
The Book of Mystical Chapters:
Meditations [...]
Posted in Acceptance, Gratitude, Suffering on Oct 9th, 2009
Late one afternoon I rode my bicycle to the city hall gardens, where the fountains are enjoyable, and oftentimes the people as well. This particular day, I happened upon Pat Fitzpatrick, a dedicated advocate for the homeless, who was there with his signs.
The captions started me thinking about which human needs can rightfully be withheld [...]
Posted in Acceptance on Jul 30th, 2009
You would think that with all the forms we fill out, both online and off, we would know who we are. Although if we stop to think about it, we may realize that the information required to open a Google account or to get a new credit card or to buy a book on Amazon.com [...]
Posted in Acceptance, Christmas, Grace on Dec 23rd, 2008
The poet U. A. Fanthorpe pictures the shepherds and the Magi – those familiar visitors to the infant Jesus – walking “haphazard by starlight straight/Into the kingdom of heaven”:
This was the moment when Before
Turned into After, and the future’s
Uninvented timekeepers presented arms.
This was the moment when nothing
Happened. Only dull peace
Sprawled boringly over the earth.
This was [...]
Posted in Acceptance, Mercy on Apr 8th, 2006
Here are two things Jesus never says to us:
First, Jesus never says, I’ll wait until your faith is perfect before loving you.
Consider the distraught father in Mark 9:17-29, who brings his son to be healed. The boy has been having convulsions, even falling into [...]
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