Author Archives: Thomas

At our parish, prayer rises as incense To the Lord: at Vespers, Orthros, and the Divine Liturgy. The Psalms are chanted without censoring As the censer is swung enthusiastically among the faithful. The incense reaches the hidden places, the silent … Continue reading →

I dreamed of being at a funeral. I don’t know whom the funeral was for but do remember: that it is important to honor the dead. And the dying. that the form, the liturgy if you will, is important. that … Continue reading →

In the Byzantine Catholic church, Great Lent begins this evening with Forgiveness Sunday Vespers. Especially poignant this year given the warfare in Ukraine. Forgiveness Sunday In the Orthodox Church, the last Sunday before Great Lent – the day on which, … Continue reading →

Here are three videos from a recent baptism at my parish, St George (Melkite). The weight accorded to the sacrament of baptism here has transformed my outlook. https://www.facebook.com/652259618/videos/332339398821544/ (conclusion of baptism) https://www.facebook.com/652259618/videos/4856751877713561/ (teaching about baptism) https://www.facebook.com/652259618/videos/6998438110230397/ (proclamation in the sanctuary)

Does God exist? On the surface, this may appear to be a rather straightforward (not to say easy) question. But the disagreement between those who answer “yes” and those who answer “no” is not straightforward at all. It is, rather, “one … Continue reading →

The Story of My Boyhood and Youth by John Muir Chapter I A Boyhood in Scotland WHEN I was a boy in Scotland I was fond of everything that was wild, and all my life I’ve been growing fonder and fonder … Continue reading →

Below is the Introduction to ‘The Oxford Handbook of Sacramental Theology‘ edited by Hans Boersma and Matthew Levering. But first a brief excerpt from the introduction: A Handbook on sacramental theology, even more than on most other Christian topics, makes poignantly manifest … Continue reading →

Dante’s Comedy: Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself in a dark wilderness, for I had wandered from the straight and true. Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in … Continue reading →

Below are the first few pages from Alexander Schememann’s book: Great Lent: Journey to Pasca. Preparation for Lent THE DESIRE (Sunday of Zacchaeus) Long before the actual beginning of Lent, the Church announces its approach and invites us to enter … Continue reading →

It is lovely, here in the Sierra – walking the dogs in the middle of the night. The air is still, the sky is clear, with the moon more than half. When I say that I get up and walk … Continue reading →

From St Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica (Second Part of the Second Part, Question 23, Article 1) Whether charity is friendship? Objection 1: It would seem that charity is not friendship. For nothing is so appropriate to friendship as to dwell with … Continue reading →

During his viral podcast with Joe Rogan after he was banned by Twitter, Malone explained how the global population was being manipulated into remaining in a constant state of hysterical anxiety via mass formation psychosis. “What the heck happened to … Continue reading →

The end of the year being a time to reflect My booklist reflects my roots and current interests. Israel Bible, unabridged Revised Standard Version The Liturgy of the Hours Rome Greek New Testament; Readers ed. Vergil’s Aeneid; Sarah Ruden translation Homilies on … Continue reading →

I pray for my family: for my children, grandchildren, and siblings – that they flourish. And for my parents, that they come to enjoy eternal life in Christ. ‘But your parents have died?’ Yes, but God is the creator of … Continue reading →

My favorite Bob Dylan gospel album is the 1997 ‘Time Out of Mind’. Looking toward Christmas, our celebration of our Lord’s incarnation (Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did … Continue reading →

A quote from David McWhirter’s “Desire and Love in Henry James: A Study of the Late Novels”, page 4: Many of James’ contemporaries – one thinks especially of Hardy, Conrad, and Meredith – share his sense that the enactment of … Continue reading →

Our first snow on Thorson Ridge. At just under 3000 feet elevation, our weather here in the Sierra foothills is more like Camino than Pleasant Valley just south. Snow prompts me to think of renewal and new birth, appropriate for … Continue reading →