This gothic cathedral was once a spiritual home.
Priests dabbed foreheads with holy water and
incense wafted to high ceilings and
parishioners chewed on wafers and said:
“Peace be with you.”
Continue readingSpirituality
Far from God (a poem)
I must get off this path of sin, and find my
inner-being in God, but I do not know how.
I pray, but I no longer feel the consolation
I once felt – that wholeness and joy, like I was
being held tightly in His arms.
Continue readingPride: My Biggest Character Defect
During the years I’ve been in recovery, I’ve learned alternative definitions to many common words. Take “pride” for example. In most cases, it’s deemed good to be proud of one’s self. In recovery and religious terms, though, pride is seen as one of the biggest sins or “character defects.”
Continue readingWhat Heaven Looks Like (a poem)
You forget there are places like this:
A quiet bay with still water and a wide expanse,
the sun shining in a cloudless blue sky, and
seagulls calling overhead.
From the sandy shore, you watch the old man
cast a fishing net and the teenagers lounging
with headphones on.
Continue readingLove is a Type of Water
As a child, at least as a child growing up heavily in church as I did, you are taught to memorize verse after verse. I remember most of the verses, even if it’s not word-for-word and the exact location. I can hold my own in an intellectual, biblical conversation. Its one of the things I’m most proud of about myself.
Continue readingA Blindfold and A Hand
Love and trust go hand in hand. Can you love someone without trusting them? Can you trust someone without at least the smallest bit of love? I think either of those would be hard.
Continue readingThe Light that Always Shines (a poem)
For Mick Dolan
Just when you think you’re going to collapse,
and get swallowed into the abyss:
You fall into God’s arms.
When you think life is too much,
and you’re surrounded by darkness,
and the world becomes small,
God enlarges it.
Continue readingToday’s quote – a reminder on spiritual poverty from Pope Francis
“We all have to think if we can become a little poorer, all of us have to do this. How can I become a little poorer to be more like Jesus, who was the poor Teacher?” – attributed to Pope Francis.
Continue readingEshet Chayil
If you were raised religious, you might know “Eshet Chayil.” Maybe you don’t know it by that name, but you know it by its translation: “A Woman of Valor,” which can be found in Proverbs 31:10-31.
Continue readingThe Shadow Self
I confuse myself sometimes. I long for peace and quiet, for love and compassion. Yet, there’s that part of me that’s also drawn to darkness, to morbidity, gothic stories, horror movies. I’ve noticed this more about myself since I’ve been in recovery and I’ve done intensive psychotherapy.
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