Second Wednesday of Lent — Setting the Alarm

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Daniel J. Miller

Fasting and abstinence are ancient practices integral to a multitude of religions. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Jainism all practice some form of fasting and abstinence. Athletes and actors are commonly fasting or abstaining. Read more [...]

Acting Our Way into Belief ~ A Life-Line

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Daniel J. Miller

Today's Life-Line is: Bridges once wrote Gerard Manley Hopkins and asked him to tell him how he, Bridges, could believe. Bridges was an agnostic. Hopkins wrote back, "Give alms." ~ Flannery O'Connor Goodpeople, thank you for visiting THE ALMOND TREE. So Read more [...]

Re-Lenting

Posted on March 6, 2019 by Daniel J. Miller

For your prayerful meditation on the three practices of Lent I invite you to read the quotes below in the spirit of Lectio divina: notice what word, phrase, or line catch your attention, tug at your heart, speak to you. Take a few minutes to ruminate Read more [...]

Making Room

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Daniel J. Miller

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he Read more [...]

More on the Threefold Practices of Lent

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Daniel J. Miller

Part V The spiritual economy that governs, guides, and connects the three-fold practices of Lent goes something like this: first, after prayerful self-reflection, the typical targets of the energy, attention, and concern we give to ourselves gets Read more [...]

The Human Propensity: Remorse and Reorientation

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Daniel J. Miller

Part II Before moving on to how the Christian community participates in Lent, it is worth noting that Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions as well as many other religions designate a practice, day, or an extended period of time devoted to Read more [...]

Lent: Making Room for . . .

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Daniel J. Miller

When I speak of the three time-honored spiritual practices of Lent – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – in terms of creating a vacancy, it is important to know that we do so not out of a spirit of sour-faced, self-deprivation, denigration, or punishment. Read more [...]

Lent: Season of Subtraction, Relinquishment, and Making Space

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Daniel J. Miller

As a tangible way of living out the call to conversion, the Christian community suggests three specific spiritual disciplines: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (sharing). As the image of the townspeople burning their gathered junk as part of spring cleaning Read more [...]

The Sacred Braid

Helping Persons and Communities Weave Lives of Spiritual Depth.

Tag Archives: Almsgiving