When I first went on retreat at my beloved Episcopal, Benedictine monastery, Holy Cross, in West Park, New York, to find out something about the place was a chore. I actually didn’t know anything about the Divine Office or monastic spirituality until I got there. Oh, they sent me a brochure. But it didn’t tell me much.

Today, Brother Google to the rescue! To find out about your retreat center or monastery, well, just google it. All of them will tell you about the rhythm in the house, the services provided, the schedule of each day. You need not fly blind, like I did, back in 1978.

I began these writings on Easter Sunday 2020. At that time, there was much uncertainty and fear surrounding the Coronavirus and no one knew what to expect during a pandemic. It quickly became apparent that one of the truths of a worldwide pandemic is everyone will have a unique experience, their own personal story of the pandemic. The reflections that follow draw upon those experiences and seek to produce a picture of life, challenge and hope at the bedside as a hospital chaplain in a large hospital.

Happy Thanksgiving, Across the world of social media and other avenues of advice and admonitions and things we are told to look at, the message,

Thanksgiving Prayer: The Grace Before the Meal   Join hands. There is Another only seen with the soul’s eyes, or felt within the heart. Give

I would say if Rittenhouse had been Black, he most likely would not have come out of that night alive. A young white man brazenly carrying an automatic weapon through city streets was virtually ignored by law enforcement. Had it been a Black man, I do believe the result would be drastically different. – Bishop Greg Rickel