Recently Transcribed Episodes
The Morning Offering
The Prayer of the Heart
Episode date: October 05, 2011
Transcript published: February 03, 2012
The Jesus Prayer, also known as the Prayer of the Heart, is the central prayer for monastics. One of the early desert fathers, Saint Macarius the Great, said of the phrase from the Psalms, “The meditation of my heart is in your sight,” “There is no other perfect meditation than the saving and blessed Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ dwelling without interruption in you, as it is written ‘I will cry out like a swallow and I will meditate like the turtledove!’ This is what is done by the devout (person) who perseveres in invoking the saving Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The profound simplicity of the…
The Morning Offering
The Call of Monasticism
Episode date: September 29, 2011
Transcript published: February 03, 2012
My paternal grandfather built a lakeside home during his summer vacations and weekends while I was in high school. My brother Dwayne and I spent many summer days camping in tents on that property, a newly opened area previously owned by the Idaho State Forest Service. Priest Lake was a few hours drive from my grandfather’s city home in Spokane, Washington. Every moment of my grandfather’s free time was focused on that lakeside home. When he’d completed the house our whole family celebrated with a picnic near the dock where he kept his motor boat.
My very first thought of becoming a monk came to me on that property.…
The Morning Offering
Priest As Servant
Episode date: October 03, 2011
Transcript published: February 03, 2012
It is a tragic mistake for clergy to think they are superior to their people, for their effectiveness in ministry is negatively impacted by such thinking. The honor given to bishops and priests, most notably in the kissing of their hands, is intended for the Lord whom they serve. Bishops and priests must be loving fathers to their people, while remembering that their role within the Church does not make them above other Christians. In Christ we are all equal.
The office of the bishop is that of overseer, not overlord, and he must attend to the spiritual needs of his people in the same way a father tends to the needs of his children.…
The Morning Offering
What We Believe Does Matter
Episode date: October 27, 2011
Transcript published: February 03, 2012
As our society has become more pluralistic, it has been easy for some to fall into the error of believing that it ultimately does not matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere.
Just as we have seen the progressive moral bankruptcy of our society, we have also been witness to the wholesale sellout of traditional Christianity by much of America’s religious community. The partial adherence of many of America’s denominations to the traditional Gospel call to repentance, forgiveness and redemption through Christ, has given way to a new kind of salvation. These so-called “churches” are now more concerned with…
The Morning Offering
Good Shepherds
Episode date: October 24, 2011
Transcript published: February 03, 2012
Misty Isle Farms, the largest privately owned property on Vashon Island with more than a hundred acres, sponsors an annual Sheep Dog Trials every Autumn. The dogs are judged according to their ability to quickly herd sheep through fenced gates and around obstacles. Like many Vashon Islanders, I’ve found this annual event to be fascinating and I’ve been attending the event for some years now. Especially interesting is to observe the synergy between the dogs and their handlers.
For those of you who have never watched such an event, the dogs dart back and forth, herding the sheep and, by intimidation, keep the sheep together.…
"It helps me focus frequently, although intermittently, on our Lord while I am working. I especially like the occasional prayers and homilies. The music is a welcome alternative to contemporary Christian music. Thank you."
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