… [Read more...]

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. The Practice of the Presence of God. London: H. R. Allenson, 1906. Print. Background Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection was a Discalced Carmelite brother who lived in a monastery in Paris during the 17th … [Read more...]

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...]