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His Name Is Written in Heaven
The Beheading of John the Baptist and the Freedom of the One Who Has Become the Friend of the Bridegroom “He must increase, but I must decrease.” — John 3:30 There is something almost unbearable in the apparent smallness of John’s death. This is the Forerunner. The voice crying in the wilderness. The one who leapt in the womb at the approach of Christ. The one who stood at the Jordan and pointed away from himself toward the Lamb of God. The one whom Christ Himself called more
Father Charbel Abernethy
Aug 295 min read
The First Test of Abiding
The struggle to remain with the Lord is often fiercest precisely when we have resolved to seek nothing but Him. “Abide in me, and I in you.” — John 15:4 There are moments when the spiritual life seems suddenly to become very simple. Not easy, but simple. After years of trying to understand circumstances, discern paths, resolve questions, and discover where everything is leading, the heart hears again the one word that was there from the beginning: Remain. Abide in Me. There c
Father Charbel Abernethy
Aug 165 min read
The Weariness That Comes at Sixty
There comes a point in life when a man realizes he is tired. Not depressed. Not hopeless. Not wishing for death. Simply tired. Tired in his mind, tired in his body, tired in his soul. He looks back and sees years of striving. Years of carrying responsibilities, meeting expectations, building projects, teaching, caring for others, solving problems, remaining accessible, pushing himself forward through discipline and determination. Much of it was good. Much of it served others.
Father Charbel Abernethy
Jun 172 min read
When the Cell Begins to Close
Remaining Without Disappearing “Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.” — Abba Moses ⸻ Something is happening. That much is clear. But not everything that quiets the surface is the work of God. And not everything that feels like stripping is purification. There is a silence that opens the heart. And there is a silence that slowly seals it shut. From the inside, they can feel almost identical. ⸻ There comes a moment in the spiritual life when the outwar
Father Charbel Abernethy
May 24 min read
To Remain Is to Die
Consent without understanding, without possession, without self “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” — Saint Peter There is a point where the spiritual life stops rewarding you. Not because God has withdrawn. But because you are no longer allowed to live from yourself. What once gave you a sense of direction begins to fail. What once sustained your prayer becomes dry. What once confirmed your identity no longer speaks. And you are left with somethi
Father Charbel Abernethy
May 14 min read
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