I love Lent. I am always happy to hear that I am dust, and that to dust I shall return. When I close my eyes to pray, I can really tell I am dust. In here where I live, it’s quiet and dark. Simple. Nothing to it. Who am I? Dust. Clay. Nothing. Everything. Inwardly… [Read More]
Carmelite Spirituality for the Analytical Mind (Review: “The Dark Night of the Soul” by Gerald May)
I have a relatively new interest in the intersection of psychology and spirituality. I have some good friends who are Catholics and counselors, and while I treasure the opportunities I’ve had to walk alongside people on their spiritual journeys, I’ve never wanted to pursue that path myself. I don’t even have much interest in spiritual… [Read More]
A Message in the Desert
When your heart says to God, “you have cut off my life like a weaver severs the last thread, “ when you’re alone in the desert on a cold night with no fire, and you’ve never known such emptiness or alienation and you say in your alarm, “no man can can be trusted!” When your life is… [Read More]
Sunrise: through the dark faith of Advent to the brightness of Christmas
Traveling through Advent with grief this year has led to me to soul search about what Christmas is, and, in the process, to notice similarities between the journey of Advent into Christmas and the stages of the soul’s progression into the heart of God. According to Carmelite spirituality, the soul first travels through and away… [Read More]
The Beauty of The Dark Night
Saint John of the Cross has a reputation for being a guy who does not care much for your feelings. His name sometimes sounds like a penance. People hear “dark night” and think of an isolated exile with little or no hope. While I cannot correct that error in a short article, I would like to… [Read More]
