March 25, 2025 | A Word to Enkindle, Fr. John Bayer
One of the most important rooms in a monastery, after the church, is the chapter room. This is the place where monks meet to do various things as a community: hear an exhortation from their abbot; listen to a spiritual reading (often a chapter from “The Rule of St. Benedict”); deliberate and vote on the important material and spiritual questions that arise in a monastery, such as who should be the abbot, whether to welcome a young monk as a permanent member of the community through solemn profession, and how best to structure their lives to promote God’s purpose.
March 7, 2025 | A Word to Enkindle, Fr. John Bayer
The death of John the Baptist is a chilling story for multiple reasons. It is a story about the fury of Herodias, who hated John so much for speaking the truth about marriage that she manipulated Herod, her would-be husband, into murdering him. It is also a story about the weakness of Herod, who just waited too long to do what he knew was right – to the point that doing the right thing required a sacrifice he felt incapable of making.
January 29, 2025 | A Word to Enkindle, Fr. John Bayer
Technology is everywhere. There seems to be a gadget or app for everything. Computers for calculating; engines for ease; chemicals for control — is there any aspect of our lives untouched by instruments and processes?
November 20, 2024 | A Word to Enkindle, Fr. John Bayer
“Understanding Church teachings and defending the dignity of life” by Fr. John for The Texas Catholic. As another election concludes, Catholics should remember we are responsible for helping to unify our country. One way to do that is to announce together...
November 1, 2024 | A Word to Enkindle, Fr. John Bayer
What is a man? That’s a wonderful question that seems difficult to raise without provoking strong reactions.
September 27, 2024 | A Word to Enkindle, Fr. John Bayer
Many of us today suffer from scrupulosity, which I think could be defined — at least insofar as it is a spiritual and not a psychological condition — as a disordered concern for one’s own righteousness.
