There are a lot of watershed moments in history, moments that mark a decisive ‘before’ and ‘after’. We might think of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, for example, which precipitated the First World War and everything that happened as a result of it, or the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The … Continue reading St. John XXIII and the Way of Open-Heartedness
There are few symbols more evocative in the Biblical imagination than the desert, or wilderness. Such stories as the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness for forty years, the exile across the barren lands of the Syrian Desert, and Jesus’ forty-day battle of will and wit with Satan have gained an archetypal status in the tradition. … Continue reading St. Anthony the Great and the Way of the Desert: A Reflection on Luke 4:1-13
This year, my Lenten series is looking at the Ways of the Saints, what we might learn and apply from the lives of those who have embodied Christ in a particularly poignant or instructive way. Today will be a bit different, as my thoughts are on the life of a family member who passed away … Continue reading The Way of the ‘Holy Fool’
This will be a shorter version of this series as it's been a heavy week for my family, and I am rushing to get ready for an unexpected trip to Calgary for a funeral. So what's been lighting me up during this difficult week? The upshot of my my Lenten series this year being dedicated … Continue reading What’s Lighting Me Up (March 8, 2025)
It’s easy to think of the Saints as people from the distant past, their stories more legend than reality. And yet, as Christians, we believe that the same Holy Spirit that inspired the prophets and apostles of old continues to be at work in the world — yes, in the days of the Roman Empire … Continue reading St. Olga of Kwethluk and the Way of Showing Up
Matthew Root 