Today, Bishop Stephen D. Parkes issued the statement below in regards to the Carmel in Savannah. Important to note is that the Bishop has no jurisdiction over the property of Carmel. The issue at hand is between the Carmel of Savannah and the Carmelite Order worldwide. This is the case with every religious order that functions in a diocese – the Bishop usually does not own their property, nor can he make internal decisions of the Order. Bishop Parkes has... Read more
Last Wednesday, I visited a man who told me about the terrible pain he feels in his bones. Recently, he woke up with blood everywhere under his bed sheets – he explained that his bladder had exploded and blood leaked out everywhere. The pain was unbearable. He was rushed to the hospital. He said that even though he’s in his 90s, he still longs for his mother, especially when the pain becomes unbearable. He has been bedridden for several months... Read more
When we love someone, we want to spend time with him or her, don’t we? We don’t want to be far away from that person – and when we are far away, we can’t wait until we see him or her again. Tonight, we gather as a community to recognize that Jesus loved his disciples so much that he did not want to leave them like sheep without a shepherd. It was a struggle in his heart: yet Jesus knew... Read more
God gives each one of us the freedom to choose. The season of Lent we have just begun is a time when we examine the choices we have made in the past, and ask for wisdom to choose wisely in the present. This freedom to choose is given so that we may freely choose God in return. If we were like robots, automatically choosing what is right, then what merit would there be in choosing what is good? We don’t... Read more
On Palm Sunday 2017, two bombs exploded in northern Egypt: one inside the church of Saint George in Tanta, and the other outside the Church of Saint Mark in Alexandria, the mother church of Egyptian Christians. Forty-seven people died during the celebration of Mass, over 100 were injured. Several weeks later, on Easter Sunday, a priest in Egypt delivered a homily which I read a few days later. I was stunned by the message, especially since just a few years... Read more
Every game has its own set of rules. Board games have rules, though they are usually only consulted when someone is trying to cheat. Card games have rules. Every sport has rules. Without them, there would be total chaos. Imagine we are on a field, ready to play soccer. We hear the whistle, and I run toward the ball as fast as possible, I pick it up with my hands, hold on to it tightly, and I run all the... Read more
Every person has a need to be heard. This need is significantly increased if a person has been deeply hurt. At any given encounter with an individual, he or she has a unique life story to tell that has forged his or her thought and belief. It is important to listen before speaking, especially when interacting with someone hurt through negative experiences by the Church and her members. A recent study conducted by the Barna Group notes that people want... Read more
When I was thirteen years old, I traveled to Cusco, Peru, the old capital of the Inca Empire, for the first time. I arrived by airplane; it was just a short one-hour flight from Lima compared to the 24 hours it takes by bus due to the mountainous terrain. During the flight, we each received a box with two small sandwiches. I ate one and stored the second in my pocket for later. After getting acclimated to the high altitude... Read more
Religion in ancient Rome involved the worship of many gods, and among them was Janus, god of doors, gates, transitions, and passageways. You may have seen a depiction of him before without realizing who he was. He is portrayed as a head with two faces, each one looking in the opposite direction: one looking to the past and another to the future. Oftentimes Janus also holds a key in his hand, signifying his power over doors and transitions. Janus is... Read more
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Carmelite Monasteries Close, Cor Orans, what is this all about?
I recently posted a statement by Bishop Parkes of the Diocese of Savannah in relation to the recent happenings at the Savannah Carmel, Our Lady of Confidence Monastery, where Carmelite nuns have faithfully prayed for the people of South Georgia since 1958. The statement was issued soon after a website published an article where a volunteer gardener of the monastery as well as an unknown insider of the monastery were interviewed. It is disheartening to see media which identifies as... Read more