Earlier this week, our Lenten exploration of mystics looked at the Dark Night of the Soul as it was originally articulated by St. John of the Cross. In reading John's poem, it became clear that he wasn't talking about the Dark Night as a time of redemptive suffering or of testing by God, but that … Continue reading There Is No Map
Imagine, if you will, being totally in love with God. When you pray, you feel God's presence there with you. The liturgies and rituals of the Church regularly bring tears of joy to your eyes. You fast with ease and are moved to give generously to those who have less. And there is nothing you … Continue reading The Night That Was My Guide: The Dark Night of St. John of the Cross
I remember once hearing an Orthodox priest saying that he couldn't imagine becoming Protestant because Protestant prayer is so lonely. He said this because Eastern Orthodox worship — and all traditional Christian worship — makes no secret of its belief that when the faithful gather together in prayer, all the Saints, Angels, and Archangels join … Continue reading God Has Done So Much: Reflections on Angels and Guides
Last week, many Christians (myself included) were thoroughly saddened to learn the news that Jean Vanier, the founder of the l'Arche communities and a man revered by many as next thing to a saint, was found to have been a serial sexual predator. It's a sad statement on the state of our institutions that, while … Continue reading Saints Behaving Badly
Love is the natural state of the universe, and love of God first and foremost, since, after all, God is love. This is a basic assumption of the Christian faith, and yet, loving isn't easy for us. Most of us are, more of than we'd care to admit, counter-examples for this assumption about the world. … Continue reading A Drop of Water Poured into Wine: The Four Loves of St Bernard of Clairvaux
Matthew Root 