Saints
The Hard-Earned Humility of George Herbert – Br. Curtis Almquist
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Br. Curtis Almquist
George Herbert
Ecclesiastes 4:13-5:7
In the calendar of the church, we remember today George Herbert, a 17th-century English parson and poet. How Herbert’s life ended is not how it began. In the beginning, his family’s tremendous wealth and privilege, his keen mind, his excellent education,[1] his charismatic oratorical skills, his internal drive to be fabulous, brought Herbert to the top of the heap. By age 30, he was counselor to two kings and a member of Parliament. He had gained the whole world but forfeited his soul.[2] Two things happened, two breakdowns which became breakthroughs. Read More
Living Boldly and Dying Bravely – Br. James Koester
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Br. James Koester
Vincent of Saragossa
Some of us will remember that when Tom was the Superior, he would often pray at the midday Office that the gift of martyrdom be given to the community. These prayers became so frequent that some of us were more than willing to assist him in making these prayers come true, by offering him as the first martyr. The reality, however, is that the gift of martyrdom has been given to the Society, and Tom’s prayers have been answered, but not in ways that are perhaps obvious at first.
For many, perhaps most, perhaps you, and certainly these days for the press, martyrdom is about violence, and ultimately about death. Martyrs are people who die violently for a cause. However, in a larger sense, martyrdom is not simply about dying violently. It is about surrendering our lives, by living with integrity and without fear. Read More
Doubting into Faith with Saint Thomas – Br. Jonathan Maury
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Br. Jonathan Maury
Saint Thomas the Apostle
As this year’s Advent season draws to a close, we may well find ourselves questioning where God is present or even if God is present in the frightening chaos of our time. Yes, the Word’s coming among us in human flesh at Christmas still promises the restoration of wholeness, abundant new life and the future of divine glory for all creation. But in the midst of a fearful, world apocalypse of injustice, violence, cruelty, oppression, untruth, and greed – we may have our doubts.
It seems apt then, fortuitous even, that we should celebrate the image of Christ in Saint Thomas, the so-called “doubting” apostle. For just when the eternal Light seemed to have been extinguished, Thomas found faith and hope to be rekindled in the midst of his doubts.
If we are honest, the path to faith of “doubting” Thomas is in some measure shared by us all. Read More
Eureka! – Br. Lucas Hall
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Br. Lucas Hall
Saint Andrew the Apostle
Today we observe the feast day of St. Andrew, the first-called disciple, brother to St. Peter. Well, technically his feast was Sunday, but the first Sunday of Advent bumped him. Honestly, I don’t think he’d mind; if your brother is St. Peter, you probably have a pretty thick skin about not getting top billing.
You may have noticed the signs at the entrances to the chapel, in the wooden frames with the candles, one at the front entrance and one at the guesthouse. We put those signs out on the larger feast days of the year, just to give people coming into the chapel a little context about why our liturgy may look and sound a bit different than normal. Each sign has the collect of the day, as well as a piece of art from somewhere in the Christian tradition, depicting the relevant figure or scene. So, naturally, today’s sign had to have St. Andrew. Read More
Saint Willibrord, A Living Template – Br. Curtis Almquist
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Br. Curtis Almquist
Willibrord
In the calendar of the church we remember today a monk named Willibrord who was born in the mid-seventh century in what is now southern Scotland, northern England. In his early 30s, and with 12 companions, he sailed from the Isles to evangelize Frisia, which is modern-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Frisia was a hinterland, largely untouched by Christianity, practicing fearsome tribal religions, and fraught with political contests and wars.
Willibrord and his fellow monk-missionaries countered the strife and fear with unshakable kindness and care, and with the convincing news of God’s love. They were authentically charismatic, and were welcomed and trusted. They embodied the personality of the psalm we just prayed: “Sing to the Lord a new song.” They baptized multitudes, built monasteries, local churches and schools, completely changing that part of the world, from the inside out. Willibrord would eventually become Archbishop of Utrecht, in the modern-day Netherlands, and was recognized by the church as a saint from shortly after his death in year 739. Read More
Sparks through the Stubble – Br. Lain Wilson
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Br. Lain Wilson
All Souls: All the Faithful Departed
A week and a half ago, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon, in Washington, DC. I anticipated the physical exhaustion, but didn’t expect the emotional exhaustion. No small part of that came at mile 12, the “wear blue mile.” Every few strides, a pair of sandwich boards featured a fallen serviceman or -woman. Every few strides, on and on: faces, names, ages – a litany of the dead.
As I ran that mile, I tried to say their names to myself, to make my running through this gauntlet, in some measure, my prayer for them. I couldn’t help but think ahead to a similar litany we’ll experience this evening, as we recite the names of our own departed. Read More
Infinite and Intimate – Br. Luke Ditewig
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Br. Luke Ditewig
Thomas Traherne
Today we remember Thomas Traherne, a priest from the Welsh countryside known only after his death for his great quantity and quality of spiritual writing. He died at age 37 and his treasures kept being found and published.
Traherne saw and pointed to God in all creation. “Suppose a river or a drop of water, an apple or a sand, an ear of corn, or an herb; God knoweth infinite excellencies in it more than we. . . . O, what a treasure is every sand when truly understood! Who can love any thing that God hath made too much? [God’s] infinite goodness and wisdom and power and glory are in it.”[1]
As you pray, what wonder of creation catches your attention? Stop, stay, and gaze at it. Behold this treasure, like you, created good. Read More
Our Innate Need for Heroes – Br. Curtis Almquist
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Br. Curtis Almquist
Ninian
Today we commemorate the life and witness of a monk and bishop named Ninian, born in the latter half of the fourth century in southern Scotland. And we only know this because the venerable historian named Bede, four centuries later, very briefly wrote about Ninian. Legend has it that Ninian was educated in Rome and greatly influenced by Saint Martin of Tours. Ninian followed Jesus’ words to “go and make disciples,” becoming a monk-missionary bishop to the Celts and Picts of Scotland in the fifth century.
Unless you are Scottish, you may never have heard of Saint Ninian. This is actually true about most saints. The church universal does remember some saints in boldface – Saint Paul, Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint Patrick among them; however most saints are only known in the recesses of our own hearts. The word “saint” comes from the Latin, sanctus, meaning holy, someone experienced as close to God. Saints have a heroic quality, at least to us personally. My paternal grandmother was a saint. You would not know her, but I do. Recollecting her always brings tears of gratitude to my eyes. You will know your own saints: people who symbolize hope, people who give you a moral compass, people who are real, and whole, and holy. Read More
The Things That Endure – Br. Lucas Hall
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Br. Lucas Hall
Saint Mary Magdalene
In 2009, a discovery was made by archaeologists working near the sea of Galilee. They had uncovered what would become known as the Migdal synagogue, one of the earliest known synagogues in the world. Indeed, to this date, the Migdal synagogue is one of only 10 known synagogues from before the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the Roman Empire in the year 70. That destruction would have profound ramifications for the religious scene in the area of Judea; before the destruction, a great variety of sects had existed, leading to rather vibrant debate among them. After the destruction of the Second Temple, only two remained: the Pharisaic movement, which would develop into the Rabbinic Judaism we know today, and the early Christians.
A Theology of Leadership – Br. Lucas Hall
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Br. Lucas Hall
Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles
There is a common trope, that the people most worthy of leadership and authority are those who do not want it. I disagree. I believe, generally speaking, that if a person tells you they don’t want a job, you should believe them. To do otherwise creates a perverse incentive: I want power, but people only want to give power to people who don’t want power, so I have to pretend like I don’t want power. This can become almost codified as a cultural expectation. The current Ayatollah of Iran, when he was first nominated for the position, vociferously objected and debated, insisting that “my nomination should make us all cry tears of blood.” He, of course, eventually accepted.