[Pearls Ep 151:  Carrying Christmas into the week.] This week’s series of reflections for Pearls of the Interior life has been in the context of Christmas Carols.  We looked at how O Little Town of Bethlehem exemplifies what makes all Christmas Carols great – each in their own way are elegant reminders that God, the Read More >

[Pearls Ep 151:  Carrying Christmas into the week.] Merry Christmas! Hopefully you had a wonderful Christmas and wish it didn’t have to come to an end. Or, perhaps, Christmas day has come and gone and it seems that something was missing; that it didn’t live up to expectations. It’s good to remind ourselves that the Read More >

[Pearls Ep 151:  Preparing for Christmas.] Christmas Carols are so wonderfully familiar.  The lyrics, short and few as they are, wash over us.  We’re taken up with nostalgia as much as anything else, and often we inadvertently pay little attention to the unfolding of the lyrics. But all the authentic Christmas carols (Grandma Got Runover Read More >

[Pearls Ep 151:  Preparing for Christmas.] Christmas is nearly here.  In time, that is.  In eternity, it is both infinitely close and something to be forever discovered. In this week’s Pearls of the Interior Life we look at Christmas Carols, and what they mean to our Interior Life. A “carol” is a song of praise Read More >

[Pearls Ep 150:  Answering atheism Tuesday.] As we finish reflecting on Joseph’s dream, it brings to mind the popular sentiment in our culture of “follow your dreams”. But just how serious is society about this? Not unrelated – there is a fondness for communism these days.  You’ve probably seen various polls and surveys that show Read More >

[Pearls Ep 150:  Bringing Sunday into the week.] In yesterday’s Gospel reading St. Joseph receives a message from an Angel of the Lord, in a dream. And so we’ve been looking at God and our dreams.   On Friday we looked at what may be the most important aspect of our dreams – not those that Read More >

[Pearls Ep 150:  Preparing for Sunday.] We’re looking at St. Joseph’s message in a dream.  On Monday we’ll look more at dreams in particular, but for today, a few thoughts on “dreams” in the broader sense of hopes and aspirations. Joseph we’re told was a “righteous man” (in some translations a “just man”).  Which is Read More >

[Pearls Ep 150:  Preparing for Sunday.] This Sunday’s Gospel reading brings us St. Joseph receiving a message in a dream, from an Angel of the Lord. In this week’s Pearls of the Interior Life we take a brief look at whether we receive messages from God in our dreams – and, if so, how to Read More >

[Pearls Ep 149:  Answering atheism Tuesday.] We’re not sure who it was – C.S. Lewis?  Chesterton? – someone in their orbit once observed something to the effect that there are actually no atheists.   There are just people who, for whatever reason, are unable to experience the reality of God all around them. In this past Read More >

[Pearls Ep 149:  Bringing Sunday into the week.] Yesterday’s Gospel reading featured that stunning question from John the Baptist, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” As we discussed in last week’s Pearls video and last Friday’s email, we sometimes encounter this question for ourselves when our expectations Read More >