
Joyful Anticipation
“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments” (Rev. 16:15). Today begins a season of waiting. The nights are getting darker. The air is colder, crisper. With the change of seasons, the Church invites us into a new spiritual season: Advent. Around this time of year, the badgers are all burrowing into their dens. We Christians need to do the same, shutting off our televisions, turning down the lights, and retreating into the quiet den of our he


Rituals: Pillar of Christian Culture
What does it mean to be Christian in our world today? Christ’s words should ring in our hearts: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” This commandment should distinguish our habits, opinions, and schedules down to the minutest details. It should be our theme song. What does it mean and how do we live it? We walk out this path in the culture and rituals of our Church. The liturgical life, the sacred calendar, Vespers a


Encountering God by Redeeming Time
Redeem time. The entire spiritual life, the sole purpose we live and breathe, is summed up in two words: redeem time. Brother Lawrence was a young monk when he learned to redeem time. He was sent to the kitchen. For years on end, his single job was to wash dishes, and there, dish after dish, he used time to meditate on God. He discovered holiness in the mundane. We spend so much energy wondering what we should be doing, what would make life more meaningful, how we can be more