If Cyrus the pagan could be an unknowing evangelist for the Lord, the ultimate sovereign of history, then we must trust that Jesus can lead us, exiles in this valley of tears, to a beautiful end and ultimate triumph beyond anything we could imagine at present.
May we all allow our consciences to be challenged before voting. The spiritual life stagnates in self-righteous and ignorant condemnations. It blossoms through humble self-examination and a readiness to follow God into whatever future may come.
The Swiss theologian Karl Barth is the author of a line that has always fascinated me: in the realm of nature, “Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God” that we possess. I would like to explain why I think he is absolutely correct.
Among the treasures contained in our monastic hours of prayer, none is more precious to me than Compline, also known as Night Prayer.
