Author Archives: Bill Paine

Easter Vigil Meditation

At this year’s Easter Vigil service, I and two others were invited to give testimonies/meditations on what Christ’s death and resurrection meant to us. The following is mine, lightly edited for textual (as opposed to verbal) presentation. When Mother Broderick … Continue reading

Posted in Spirituality | Tagged , | Leave a comment

I vow Obedience…

In my last two posts I’ve reflected on the vows of poverty and chastity, so today I’m tackling the last of the three:  obedience.  On the surface, this one seems straightforward.  Certainly, a monk or a friar or a nun … Continue reading

Posted in Spirituality | Tagged | Leave a comment

I vow Chastity…

Last post, I reflected on the vow of poverty.  Today, as is evident from the title, I am reflecting on the vow of chastity.  I imagine that many of you hear the word “chastity” and assume it means celibacy. Indeed, … Continue reading

Posted in Spirituality | Tagged | Leave a comment

I vow Poverty…

On Friday, September 30th, I will profess my vows as a brother of the Franciscan Community of Compassion.  They are based on the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, adapted to the charism of the FCC.  In the time … Continue reading

Posted in Spirituality | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Follow Me

In the Episcopal Church liturgical calendar, today is the Feast of Antony, Abbot in Egypt, who died in the year 356. Antony lived in a time of tremendous change for the early church. In 312, Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity (there’s … Continue reading

Posted in Spirituality | Leave a comment

Bread for the Body, Bread for the Soul

Back when I began blogging here, one of my primary foci was spirituality and, especially, reflections on Daily Office readings. I haven’t done that in a while, and I think it’s about time I did so again. My religious life … Continue reading

Posted in Spirituality | Leave a comment

Life Update

A lot of time has passed since my last post, and yet it feels like no time at all. This, I suppose is the nature of life since the COVID pandemic began—days blur into weeks blur into months, and so … Continue reading

Posted in Miscellaneous, Spirituality | Tagged | Leave a comment

Restless

No, I’m not getting too little sleep, nor am I sleeping poorly. I’m restless in the sense of being the opposite of at rest. I’m fidgety, filled with a vague sense of incompleteness—something (I don’t know what) is out there … Continue reading

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged | Leave a comment

COVID-19 Tribulations

It’s been a long time (almost four years) since I last posted to this blog. I suppose I could come up with a bunch of plausible excuses, but the truth is I just haven’t been motivated to post. Life over … Continue reading

Posted in Family, Miscellaneous | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Patch Sprint 2016

As has been our custom for many years now, Andrew and I drove up to Willsboro for the Memorial Day weekend, leaving Friday and returning Monday.  While any visit up there is worth the time and effort regardless of any … Continue reading

Posted in Family, Friends | Tagged , | Leave a comment