Let us be like Joseph, always increasing in virtue, and taking hold of that which is truly good. And let us also take the Body of Jesus, through Holy Communion, and place It in a tomb hewn out of a rock, that is, place It within a soul which always remembers God and does not forget Him. – Theophylact of Ohrid (c.1050-c.1107)
Imitation of Christ – Book 4, Ch.12-15, pt.2 Read More »
For the early church, the Eucharist was not simply a wedding feast but the very manifestation of the physical union between Christ and his Bride or between Christ and the individual’s soul. St. Ambrose writes: “When the body of Christ is placed on the lips of the believer, it is truly a kiss given by Christ to the soul, the expression of the union of love between the believer and his Lord.”
Imitation of Christ – Book 4, Ch.12-15, pt.1 Read More »
Enter into the story of the Road to Emmaus. Read the passage slowly, reverentially, and expectantly allowing yourself to live into the story itself. Reflect on the part of the story that resonates with you, particularly its conclusion that the Risen Jesus is known in the breaking of the bread.
Imitation of Christ – Book 4, Ch.8-11, pt.2 Read More »
The theme of these next meditations is the mutual offerings we experience in the Eucharist. Within this mystery Christ fully offers himself on our behalf; so also does he now call us to likewise fully offer ourselves to him.
Imitation of Christ – Book 4, Ch.8-11, pt.1 Read More »
One Christian who found a great benefit in reading through “The Imitation of Christ” was John Wesley, the Anglican priest and founder of the Methodist movement. Wesley translated the book into English and published the same so that members of his Methodist community could benefit from á Kempis’ writing.
Imitation of Christ – Book 4, Ch.4-7, pt.2 Read More »
In meditations four and five, we come across two concepts that have a very ancient origin in the church – the Eucharist as the “medicine of immortality” and the special dignity (or burden) of the priesthood.
Imitation of Christ – Book 4, Ch.4-7, pt.1 Read More »
Á Kempis begins his series of meditations with the awesome duty we have of preparation. Á Kempis looks back on the preparations made by Noah, Moses, and Solomon to receive God’s presence and what type of preparation do we make to receive God as well?
Imitation of Christ – Book 4, Ch.1-4, pt.2 Read More »
As the alternative to the Scholastic Doctrine of Transubstantiation, á Kempis simply gives us a series of five Bible verses to contemplate as a guide into a spiritual knowledge of the Eucharist and thereby into a relationship with Jesus that passes all understanding. Therefore, for Tuesday night, the only homework is to read the five verses: Matthew 11:28, John 6:52, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 6:57, and John 6:63.
Imitation of Christ – Book 4, Ch.1-4, pt.1 Read More »
If you could insert a chapter about your own ghost, how would it read? What thing is the most important thing in your life? What idol are you prepared to protect and pursue at all costs?
The Great Divorce, Ch. 12-14, pt.2 Read More »
Lewis’s teaching is that if we can begin to wrap our heads around the idea that the movement of time is simply an illusion, then the stark difference between creation/annihilation, universalism/election, and predestination/freedom disappears.
The Great Divorce, Ch. 12-14, pt.1 Read More »
