One day last week, I slipped into the Art Gallery of Ontario on my lunch break. While I was there, I made sure to visit one of my favorite pieces of art, Emily Carr's Church at Yuquot Village. The piece shows a small white-washed wooden church against a backdrop of the forest. While the church … Continue reading Fire Breathing Green: The Multimedia Mysticism of St. Hildegard of Bingen
An image has come to my mind often lately, originally from one of those great BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough. It's an image of a barren and parched landscape that is suddenly flooded by waters flowing down from the mountains, and within a few days is completely transformed, the water unleashing the … Continue reading Refreshment and Rest: Reflections on John 4 and 2020
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
