Friday, October 26, 2007
BYZANTINE CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY
There is an article at Spero News about a Byzantine retreat which a Roman Catholic priest and nun attended. In the preaching of Father Elias O'Brien, a chaplain of the University of York, England and former professor at the Byzantine Catholic seminary in Pittsburgh, he offered the following observation:
During his homily, Father O’Brien dispelled a common assumption that Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anna, were a perfect couple. In fact, their barrenness occasioned such strife in his priesthood and between wife and husband that Joachim left Anne for a while. Joachim went to a cave where an angel told him that they would bear a child. However contentious their marriage, the couple is a model for us of “praying our troubles.”
In another homily, Fr. O'Brien discussed
the problem of “clinging” and prayer. It is instinct, he said, to cling to God as a baby clings to any finger she touches. But we often cling instead to possessions, memories, complaints, pressure, ideas, anything other than God. Jesus came to free us from our burdens and cling to him. He invites us to join ourselves to him in unity with his Father and the Holy Spirit.
Good stuff to think about!
