Author Archives: Stephen Isaacson

One could not find a better model of openness to the Holy Spirit and Christ-like service than the example shown by St. Barnabas whom we celebrate on June 11. His given name was Joseph who, according to the book of Acts, was a Levite from Cyprus. Levites were members of the priestly Hebrew tribe of Levi.Continue reading “St. Barnabas”

Sunday, May 28 This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, that extraordinary event when, after Christ’s ascension, the followers of The Way were gathered in one place. They heard a sound like a violent wind and saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that came to rest on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. TodayContinue reading “The Holy Spirit”

This is a video of a presentation I gave to a Catechesis class at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, on Benedictine prayer practice (March 8, 2023). Bill Bard was the session leader.

Today the Church celebrates Saint Anselm, an 11th century Benedictine monk who eventually became an abbot and, finally, Archbishop of Canterbury. He is best known as a philosopher and scholar who strove to apply reason to explore the mysteries of faith. His brilliant writing is still much respected today and influences much of current theology. ItContinue reading “Faith and Reason”

This year, for a choral evensong service on Passion Sunday, the Trinity Cathedral choir and organ performed a musical setting of Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) by Franz Liszt. One piece stood out to me: the fifth station, Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross. I thought about what it must mean to carry Jesus’Continue reading “Taking Up the Cross”

From Praying with Saint Benedict: Maryanne Wolf ’s remarkable book Proust and the Squid begins with these words:  We were never born to read. Human beings invented reading only a few thousand years ago. And with this invention, we rearranged the very organization of our brain, which in turn expanded the ways we were able to think, whichContinue reading “Wondrous Reading”

Monastic meals nourish the body and soul. In Chapter 38 of his Rule for Monasteries, Benedict describes what should happen during the main meal of the day. “The meals of the brethren should not be without reading. Nor should the reader be anyone who happens to take up the book; but there should be aContinue reading “A Silent Meal”

The Gospel reading on Sunday for the second Sunday of Lent was taken from John 3, where Jesus tells Nicodemus, “No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” When Nicodemus doesn’t understand, Jesus elaborates: “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.Continue reading “Born from Above”

Benedict looked at Lent as a chance for a little spiritual house cleaning and an opportunity for personal growth. In chapter 49 of his Rule, he maintained that our lives ought always to have the character of a Lenten observance: that is, devoted to prayer, restraint in what we eat and drink, avoiding other vices,Continue reading “Lent as Life”

Confusion exists about who St. Valentine was because there have been about a dozen St. Valentines, plus a pope named Valentine. “Valentinus” was a popular name between the second and eighth centuries (meaning worthy, strong, powerful), and several martyrs over the centuries have carried this name.  The Valentine we celebrate on February 14th actually may be two ofContinue reading “St. Valentine”