Author page: Fr. Barnabas Powell

When I am at peace with the direction of my life I find that restfulness spills over onto those around me. But that makes perfect sense. After all, we constantly pray in the liturgy "For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy." Freed from…

Do you know the difference between a barrier and a threshold? It's actually quite an important distinction. The old saying goes "good fences make good neighbors" and there's no disputing that clear boundaries are necessary in relationships for there to be healthy communion between persons. But, what happens when a boundary gets used to diminish…

The ancient saying "The Unexamined Life is not worth living" hits home today in so many ways. Our society is being given a look at ourselves through the twin mirrors of a health crisis AND the brutality of those sworn to protect AND those who would burn down their own houses in response. But here's where…

Benjamin Franklin once said "Half a truth is often a great lie!" So many times this plays out to a negative end in society. Today's purposeful chaos of those who would like to undo timeless wisdom is based on a sweet sounding half truth. Their whole argument why we should abandon timeless wisdom is wrapped…

"To everything (turn turn turn), there is a season, (turn turn turn) and a time to every purpose under heaven." I was 5 years old when that song was recorded and released by the Byrds. It was a song that was based on the verses in the 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes. Here, Solomon struggles with…

Christ is risen! Asking for help isn't really my strong suit. Frankly, I hate doing it. And I hate doing it not because of pride or ego, but because of fear. I'm afraid of appearing weak. I'm afraid of being vulnerable. And yet, most of the times in my life where I've finally overcome my fear…

Christ is risen! Have you heard about the outrage that’s all the rage nowadays? It’s called “cultural appropriation.” That’s where somebody uses the cherished cultural expressions of another culture. The recent dust up about a young lady wearing a Chinese dress to her prom when she wasn’t Chinese is an example. But what if it…