Author Archives: matthewhanisian

“O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, … Continue reading →

“Happy are the people who know the festal shout! * they walk, O Lord, in the light of your presence.” Psalm 89:15   Sometimes I fear that I do not know and cannot hear the “festal shout.”  And sometimes I … Continue reading →

In the gospel reading assigned for today, from John (John 7:37-52), Jesus cries out: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.”   The world we live in, our consumer-driven culture, … Continue reading →

“Today, as we celebrate the Father’s gift to himself of his everlasting Word and the Father’s gift to us of that same Word in Jesus Christ, as we celebrate the unimaginable flowing forth of joy, generosity, and compassion, all we … Continue reading →

“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’  For … Continue reading →

“My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; * my body also shall rest in hope.” Psalm 16:9 Today in the life of the church we celebrate the witness of John of Damascus a priest in the church c. … Continue reading →

“Let the field exult, and everything in it.Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” Pslam 96:12   This afternoon we drove to the National Arboretum to view the fabulous bonsai collection.  Even though it was a … Continue reading →

“Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, * will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.” Psalm 126:7   Often, while in the deep darkness of our grief, sadness and even anger we cannot see how or when we … Continue reading →