Selections from Seminary

Secured away, beyond all danger of community, Ostracized, a cast off, broken piece of pottery. Loneliness is just a word but does not start to reach Into this suffocation and defilement of the soul. Take life away, and answer that I merely should impeach All memory of normalcy; the person masked, my toll, Requried to sign this contract with our friends and family. Ye weak and weary, fear not, just trade health for life, and see.

I noticed this beautiful hymn last week during the service for St. Innocent, Enlightener of the peoples of America: "Peoples of two continents of diverse languages and customs, through thee rejoice today in the mystery of the fiery tongues: The fall of the cursèd Babel of human pride which had kept in enmity all nations of the earth until they were swept into the net of faith, worshiping the consubstantial Trinity." I do not remember much hymnography making a comment on language itself, but then again, St. Innocent of Alaska is quite a unique character. If ever there was a Renaissance man, a jack of all trades, and one full of a true missionary spirit, completely focused on living out an incarnated Gospel, it is St. Innocent. This hymn seems to speak of language and customs as keeping nations at enmity, and then, the mystery of the fiery tongues bringing all into worship of the Trinity. That just strikes me; I had not thought of language and culture as a division quite in tha...