Are monks and hippies and poets relevant? No, we are deliberately irrelevant. We live with an ingrained irrelevance which is proper to every human being. The marginal [person] accepts the basic irrelevance of the human condition, an irrelevance which is manifested above all by the fact of death. The marginal person, the monk, the displaced … Read more
The resting place at the top of the mountain at Mt. Irenaeus. La Posada is one of my favorite places at Mt. Irenaeus although it has been many months since I hiked here. I decided to walk along the Mountain Road following brunch today. It was a great day to be in the woods. Everything … Read more
Long a favorite of mine is this short prayer. Today I carried a rosary in my pocket for protection from darkness. St. Francis had a special devotion to Our Lady. The mother of Jesus holds a special place in the Roman Catholic Church. It’s the missing element in fundamental Protestantism. Why this mystical element is … Read more
A tourist says to his guide, “You have a right to be proud of your town I was especially impressed with the number of churches in it. Surely the people here must love the Lord.” “Well,” replied the cynical guide, “”they may love the Lord, but they sure as hell hate each other.”–taken from “Selected … Read more
This is one of my favorite views in rural Cattaraugus County. It’s pond created by industrious beavers along the Five Mile Road which connects Route 16 South with the Town of Allegany. It’s just south of the hamlet of Fitch. I often travel this road and I always like to slow down and enjoy the … Read more
I took this picture as I was walking up the trail to Holy Peace Chapel at Mt. Irenaeus this morning. It was a beautiful morning and one of the nicest of the summer. Today’s readings were very meaningful for me. Psalm 63 was read after the first reading and it really embodied how I’ve been … Read more
I got the following in the mail today from Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB and it arrives at a time of transition for me. Summer is turning to autumn. My daughter has returned to college. I’ve returned from a journey that saw me in Illinois and then southern New York and New Jersey. I visited places … Read more
I got this quote in today’s mail from the Merton Institute and it really resonated for me. The second sentence here is right on target. Paradoxically, I have found peace because I have always been dissatisfied. My moments of depression and despair turn out to be renewals, new beginnings. If I were once to settle … Read more
One day you may say, “I found God, I know him, he is so and so, he is there and there, he is in me, in creation, in the eucharist …” That is a day of disaster for you because you will have found your God, your own projection, so pitiful and small. These gods … Read more
I began my day driving to nearby Olean to the Verizon Wireless store. I was returning one phone and exchanging it for another. When I finished it was 10:40 am and I thought with luck I can get to Mt. Irenaeus at least in time for communion. I did better than that, I got there … Read more
