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Category: Talks and Homilies

Standing Where Christ Stands: Prayer as Presence in a Fractured World

Standing Where Christ Stands: Prayer as Presence in a Fractured World

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Based on a homily by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB We never enter a new year empty-handed. We arrive carrying everything the last one has laid upon us. Losses we didn’t choose, disappointments that altered us, truths that stripped away our illusions of control. Trust has been shaken. Institutions we leaned on have faltered. Grief has left some of us without words. Fear, at one point or another, has found us all. Scripture does not deny this. Saint…

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Always Beginning- An Orientation to Christian Meditation

Always Beginning- An Orientation to Christian Meditation

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Every first Sunday of the quarter, our community pauses for what we call an orientation-themed reflection. For some, it is an introduction. For others, a reminder. For all of us, it is an invitation to begin again. That phrase, begin again, sits at the heart of Christian meditation as taught by John Main. No matter how long we have been practicing, we are always beginners. Meditation does not…

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Repentance as Return

Repentance as Return

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Based on a homily by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Every Advent, the Church asks us to stay awake, to be alert, to pay attention, not just to the world around us, but to the quiet terrain within. Last Sunday’s Gospel set the tone with a call to watchfulness. This Sunday adds the next step: repentance. And for many of us, that word arrives carrying heavy baggage. We tend to imagine repentance as a moral clean-up, a spiritual…

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Where Light Begins: Lessons from the Dark of Advent

Where Light Begins: Lessons from the Dark of Advent

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Based on an Advent recollection talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Advent has always carried a peculiar tenderness. While the world prepares for Christmas with noise, glitter, and speed, Advent itself prefers a quieter register. Gentle, muted, and contemplative. It is the season that invites us not into frenzy, but into stillness; not into spectacle, but into silence. There is a somber beauty to Advent, a subdued mood that asks the heart to slow its pace. In…

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Crossing the Threshold of Hope

Crossing the Threshold of Hope

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Based on a formation talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Every few years, the world witnesses something remarkable. A gathering of millions of young people from every nation, waving flags, singing hymns, and walking long roads together in the name of faith. World Youth Day has always been a testimony that the young, despite the noise and distractions of the age, still hunger for God. Beneath the fascination with gadgets and fashion, there is a spark that…

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Contemplation in a Divided World: The Silent Revolution of Peace

Contemplation in a Divided World: The Silent Revolution of Peace

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB We live in a world gripped by unrest. Armed conflicts between nations, rising economic inequality, and deep social and racial divides. From tensions in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, to the war in Ukraine and the crises in our own communities, we are surrounded by pain that seems too vast to comprehend, let alone heal. And yet, amid all this, we are invited to ask:
What is the…

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Smashing the Mirror: Meditation and the Journey to Authentic Union with Christ

Smashing the Mirror: Meditation and the Journey to Authentic Union with Christ

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB “May He strengthen you in His glorious might with ample power to meet whatever comes with fortitude, patience and joy…”
— Colossians 1:11–12 There is a power we desperately need today. Not merely the strength to survive, but to endure with patience, joy, and courage. That power does not come from within us. It comes from Christ, our supreme power source. Only when we are plugged into His presence…

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How Do You Know Your Prayer Is Authentic? Criteria for Real Encounters with God

How Do You Know Your Prayer Is Authentic? Criteria for Real Encounters with God

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB In a world of noise and inner restlessness, prayer offers peace. But how do we know that what we experience in prayer is truly of God, and not just an emotional high or self-generated comfort? Whether in Christian meditation or other forms of prayer, a few criteria help us discern the authenticity of our spiritual experiences. They remind us that prayer is not measured by how good we…

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Meditation: A Path to the Heart of Prayer

Meditation: A Path to the Heart of Prayer

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Across cultures and faiths, meditation has long been practiced as a path to inner stillness and divine connection. From Sufi mystics in Islam to Zen practitioners in Buddhism, from Hasidic Jews to Hindu sages and Christian monks, meditation has quietly spanned traditions, serving as a shared language of the soul. This universality does not dilute its power; rather, it highlights a deep truth: all people yearn for God….

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The Universal Gift of Meditation: A Journey into Stillness and Simplicity

The Universal Gift of Meditation: A Journey into Stillness and Simplicity

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Meditation is not exclusive to any one faith tradition. Its universality points to something deeper than religious practice. It speaks to a shared human longing for the Divine, a common search for God that transcends culture, language, and belief. Meditation belongs to all because the desire to be with God resides in every human heart. What meditation is, and is not Christian meditation is sometimes misunderstood. It is…

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