3 Definitions of Acedia #1: "Spiritual lack of care." - Evagrius of Pontus Evagrius of Pontus (345-399), who was the first to present a coherent doctrine on acedia, adapted the original Greek understanding of acedia as a physical "lack of care" … [Read more...]

Thanksgiving Mass as a Deacon in my former home parish, St. Paul's in Richnmond: January 12, 2020. Here are some notes & quotes from the homily: "The perpetual adoration chapel here at St. Paul’s is the place where I learned how to pray, the … [Read more...]

In addition to this book, I used this helpful article: https://baarsinstitute.com/affirmation-and-affirmation-therapy/ The Need: Human love We all have a fundamental, intrinsic need for human love - the unselfish, mature, authentic human love of … [Read more...]

Click here for my recorded homily at Christ the Redeemer parish Some notes for my homily: "Richard, you have not accepted your own goodness." Here's an inspiring quote from Conrad Baars on receiving your own goodness from another: "In order to … [Read more...]

NB: This was my 1st homily as a deacon in my home parish, Christ  the Redeemer, on December 8th, 2019. Click here for an audio recording of my homily. And here are the homily notes that I used to prepare: [Homily in 1 sentence: Live with Christmas … [Read more...]

The Soul of the Apostolate by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, O.C.S.O., Tan Books, 1946. Who should read this book?  “This book is addressed to such active workers as are animated with a burning desire to spend themselves, but who are liable to … [Read more...]

Introduction In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a post-synodal apostolic exhortation titled Verbum Domini to emphasize the importance of the Word of God in the life of the Church. He expressed a desire for the Word to be "ever more fully at the heart … [Read more...]

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was a French Cistercian abbot during the "middle ages" and made a tremendous impact in Christendom through his reform of Benedictine monasticism (thus causing the formation of the Cistercian order) and his … [Read more...]

Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation  Sacramentum Caritatis: "On the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Church's Life and Mission." Introduction: "The Sacrament of Charity" The Holy Eucharist, according to St. Thomas … [Read more...]

The purpose of this book "The purpose of this book is to describe the life of prayer, at least in its initial stages, for those who truly want to learn to pray. It thus attempts to be not an attempt to convince the doubter of the value of prayer … [Read more...]