Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem; the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way.
(Ezra 8:31)
Category Archives: Meditations
Lenten season (and program), 2021
A certain old man said, “Reduce thy knowledge of the things of man, and thy belly also, and thou shalt find all [manner of] delights.”[1]
That time of year is upon us again. A time for renewed discipline, focus, renewal, and rejuvenation. Lent is not for the faint-hearted.
Continue reading Lenten season (and program), 2021
Not feeling it: physicality of fasting
Audio can be found here.
It seems like last Lent was just yesterday, but also so long ago. It was our first Covid-lent. Since then, everything seems to be defined as pre- and post-Covid. I know there’s content out there about this, and previous blogs on the matter as well, but it seems like a good time to talk about fasting again, specifically the physical side of it. It’s something that seems to be falling out of fashion, and I think that that’s…well, sad. Continue reading Not feeling it: physicality of fasting
Sleeping with headphones on
Some nights I go to bed with headphones on. I’ll play some songs that I love, songs that take me places that only music can. I’m a musical guy, so music speaks to my soul the way art might for others. Some songs, the moment I hear them, take me to specific memories, or specific events, or a specific period of time. I know certain albums take me back to grade 12 finals studying. Other songs take me to the streets of Minya, Egypt.
Continue reading Sleeping with headphones on
May He be Remembered: Abba Reweis
We mourn the loss of an icon of holiness.
Audio version can be accessed here.
It’s not the time: مش وقته
When war breaks out, it’s really not the time to be opinionated.
Audio version of this available here.
Flip it on his head.
I’ve recounted this story that happened years ago while retreating for a couple of months at a monastery. I think the message of it is very relevant to all the stuff going on right now and the moods the ‘stuff’ carries with it.
Continue reading Flip it on his head.
Let’s pretend you’re dead
That’s what the younger kid said.
Continue reading Let’s pretend you’re dead
In Memoriam: Anba Serapamon (1937-2020)
There are people that you do not know personally, but you are so aware of and so influenced by, that you feel like you belong to them. It may be a grandparent, it might be your priest, it could be anyone. You feel insecure when they are gone. This is how I feel about Anba Serapamon. From the get-go, I want to make it clear that I am not pretending that His Grace (HG) and I were personally close. I have some personal experience with him, and I have seen the effect of him on many of his children (including my Bishop). It’s his very existence, however, that mattered to me and the whole Church.
Continue reading In Memoriam: Anba Serapamon (1937-2020)
Modern Elder: Remembering Abouna Benyameen el Baramosy
I was surprised and saddened recently when I heard the news of the departure of Abouna Benyameen. For those of you who visited St. Antony’s monastery in California in the early 2000s, and those of you who are Baramos sons, Abouna Benyameen is no stranger to you. For those of you who didn’t, you missed out. It’s clear to me already that I won’t be able to keep all the stuff about Abouna to one blog, so I’ll include some things here and save others for reflection on another time.
Continue reading Modern Elder: Remembering Abouna Benyameen el Baramosy