prayer
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Studying just one thing for a while
Before I was ordained a priest, I studied and taught language and literature, specifically rhetorical writing and medieval poetry. As a teacher and a student, I had a lot to read: from students’ papers to long, narrative poems like Beowulf… Continue reading
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Chanting the Psalms with my kids
This year, I’ve taken on the discipline of bringing the Psalms more fully into my personal prayer life. Specifically, I’m making it a point to chant one psalm each day. I do this because, first, the Psalms are so very… Continue reading
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Bilbo Baggins and Baby Jesus
Recently, my kindergartener had an assignment on traditions. She was supposed to choose a family tradition and create a project around it. When we asked her what tradition she wanted to choose, there was a moment when I seriously worried… Continue reading
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Pockets full of candy (or not)
When I was a kid, our advent calendar was full of candy. That was enough for me. The calendar itself was a length of felt. Its color was off-white, something like the background color of this blog. There were rows… Continue reading
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Praying with(out) my wife
Recently, I asked someone if he wanted to be a Eucharistic Minister and help me distribute Communion at the Altar. The person politely declined, noting that he wanted to be with his wife in the pew. This made sense to… Continue reading
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A middle-way for upside-down prayers
My children seem to be most comfortable praying upside-down. Or while crawling on top of one another. Or with their feet in my face. In this, they’re probably similar to most kids. I often hear my parishioners complain about having… Continue reading
Incense and Crayons 