I get this question pretty often so I figured I’d write out my thoughts on it and just send people a link from now on so they leave me alone. This is a long one though so brace yourself. Or not reading it is also fine. What I’m not Talking About First, specifying the question. […]
Since the entire world is in flux on a daily basis, here’s a short lecture on some of my favorite elements of a story that’s survived 4 millennia.
I LEAVE FOR THREE DAYS AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENS. As you probably know, yesterday my Cathedral was vandalized with a confusing combination of graffiti. I saw the video that Fr Dany, one of my many bosses, sent to one of my many priest group chats, and it definitely hurt to see. This is a holy […]
I translated a chunk of this ancient homily on confession by one of the Fathers of the Church of the East named Mar Aphrahat, not knowing there was already a full English translation from almost a century ago. It was fun to do though, and this piece illustrates a handful of important points: 1. There […]
I have nothing against self-esteem if you like that kind of thing, but there’s nothing to get you out of bed in the morning like a solid guilt trip. The liturgical season the Chaldean Church is in right now is all about repentance (and that’s a good name for it if you ask me, rather […]
The language of the Chaldean and Assyrian people is colloquially called “Surath” but technically named Neo-Aramaic by linguists. Two families of regional dialects closely related to each another are, at least in English usage, called Chaldean and Assyrian. I am one of a growing number of Chaldean priests who do not know Arabic, but I […]
Somebody had a horrible idea for some of us priests to do a discussion panel show to catechize/entertain/annoy people during the quarantine. I hate it and I hate cameras, and this is my life now. Here’s the first six episodes, in backwards order because we get slightly less awkward as it goes on:
This is a selection and translation from the “Teaching of the Resurrection,” or Easter Homily, by Mar Jacob of Sarug: A blessed joyfulness moves me today, in which I repeat the words of the prophet: “this is the day the Lord has made! Come, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” This is the […]
This day, liturgically, is one more for silence than for words, but it does seem fitting to pray these petitions. This is a video of the first two verses, sung by my bishop, Mar Emanuel Shaleta, and myself: Let us all stand composed, in contrition and diligence, let us implore and say: Lord, have mercy […]
The three Madrashe for Passion Friday are independent pieces of hymnody, but follow a general thread. The first picks up on Christ’s command to Peter, James, and John to stay awake with him in the garden. Recounting the dramatic events of Christ’s passion, each verse ends with the question, “who can go to sleep?” The […]
