Category: Musings

Modes of service.

Published on December 30, 2025

It seems to me that there are two modes of operation: serving others and serving oneself; within the three vocations that encompass all of mankind: the productive, the political, and the contemplative.

Beginning with the political, it seems obvious to me what a self-serving politician would do. They campaign on promises, and upon election, do whatever is necessary to line their wallet and belly with cash and Turkish delights, respectively. Whether this contradicts the original promises is beside the point; the point is to get the cash and the Turkish delights. On the contrary, a politician genuinely serving others seems to be one who never rests because the contingency to help those he represents is vast, and his efforts are never good enough, thus necessitating a perpetual drive toward the golden mean.

Next are the productive ones. The self-serving among them seemingly ask the same kinds of questions: “What can I make that will help me acquire more, for the sake of getting more?” and “What corners can I cut to maximize my yield at little to no cost to me, even if it leaves my customer high and dry, which is no concern of mine?” On the contrary, the one seeking to serve others asks, “What can I make that will help people now?” and “What can I do to bring the absolute best quality into this thing I am making and wish to share?”

Lastly, the contemplatives. The selfish ones seem to ask, “What little bit can I learn for the sake of appearing wise to others, so that I may not be interrogated, but pretend to be the sole source of truth and become a guru who will sell things and write many books?” On the contrary, the legitimate philosopher asks, “Where can I go? Who can I turn to, to pursue the truth and know the truth, so that I may better serve others by revealing to them the wisdom I have received from those who served me by sharing what they know?”

EAR

Nothing novel.

Published on December 15, 2025

It seems that the rational mind that was given to us is incapable of creating anything novel, whether it be natural, or intellectual. To me, it’s as if we have the capacity to penetrate the truth of reality; yet – while we can investigate, learn, share, and demonstrate the truth – we cannot generate anything out of nothing (ex nihilo). Everything we do – whether fabricating or abstracting – we are utilizing things that were prior to us. The truth of reality, this infinite potency of possibilities, in which we are placed, is here as if it were put for us to take hold of and assume stewardship over it. We can live in accord with it, or not. I think that when we live in accordance with reason, things come into order naturally; and, when we reject it, chaos ensues, destruction follows. Such seems to be the peculiarity of our free will. It’s as if the entire dome of the universe that completely surrounds this soul – that is self-aware, rational, and animating this body – is invited to gaze inductively, or deductively at all that is, that was, and that could be.

EAR

Habit.

Published on December 7, 2025

It seems that we are what we are consistent with. It doesn’t take much effort to sit around doing nothing useful all day long, day in, and day out, all year, every year. It doesn’t take much effort, labor, or real struggle to sit around a couch and: watch TV, the football game, drink stupid amounts of beer with your stupid buds, skip Church on Sundays, not pray, play video games, and just be an all around lazy loser. These things don’t take effort, and in the end, one will suffer precisely what they acted.

Is it difficult to do the positive opposites of the aforementioned daily? Of course it is, but it is not that big of a deal to simply buckle down and get it done.

So what are you waiting for? Do you have a will of your own? If so, stop reading this blog, and go get it done.

EAR

To serve.

Published on December 3, 2025

Service, seems to be that very thing which diverts one’s attention away from oneself, and to another. It also seems to be the very thing which safeguards one from becoming self-absorbed, prideful, and vain. Thus, I think it also makes sense, for a rational man, to learn reasoning. For is it not by reasoning, that we begin to think not of ourselves, but of others; and indeed, the greater picture by which we are a part of? Surely, all of creation can be investigated, and be given our attention by our reasoning.

It seems that the lack of logic, the lack of cultivating the intellect, leaves one to do nothing else than to become trapped in one’s own concerns, and thoughts. Therefore, I reason that sharpening the intellect predisposes a rational mind to perceive the larger picture, and give another the charity, dignity, and benefit of the doubt, that he deserves as a fellow person. It appears that there are only two ways this can come about: extraordinary grace from God, or the ordinary labor of philosophy.

EAR

Things.

Published on December 2, 2025

I do not understand the attachment to things. To me, it seems like things are tied with contingency; i.e: ‘if I hold on to this thing, then I may have the opportunity to do, or be, this other relative thing later.’ However, is it not the point of life, to actively do now what it is that you may, or may not, do tomorrow? For if it is not necessary for us not to be someday, why not be that which is necessary to be, right now?

Perhaps that is the great lie of our society today: e.g. acquisition all that you can now, and you will have time for wisdom later. No, the time for wisdom is now. Why end up at the end of life, with a whole lot of things, to which are attached many memories, of those many verbs in past tense: “Could’ve”, “should’ve”, “would’ve”, etc., only to sit there and wonder, “what could have been?”

That idea disturbs me, and perhaps that is precisely the point. The things we hide behind, seem to distract us from the bigger question posited here.

EAR

Torturous comprehension.

Published on November 30, 2025

It seems that the current educational industry is devoid of soul, and replete with stupidity of the highest degree.

To whom does the responsibility rest, that caused for the English comprehension standards to be what they are today?

To whom do they expect to inspire to comprehend these garbage publications that kill the soul, and destroy the interest of reading?

A reflection, indeed, a mirror of the state of our culture: can be found by looking at a fifth grade reading comprehension assessment. With homework assignments based off of poorly written pieces of trash, and hopelessly ambiguous questions to demonstrate how one did not but burn a brain cell, or two while working through it; it is no-wonder that public school systems are going to fail, and people will be fleeing in droves to online solutions, or across the state lines.

EAR

Schism.

Published on November 28, 2025

Schism, of its very nature, seems to beget schism, irrationality, and unreasonable, paradoxical absurdity. How can the left hand, and the right, be in schism with each other, while the rest of the body is in communion, simultaneously with the very same two hands being in schism, and remain to say, with a straight face: “we are One”. Makes no sense.

In fact, it is a weak witness for the claim that the body is One, whole, complete and true. Schism, literally means division. To excommunicate, is to remove one from the body, i.e. to put one in schism.

So, we have two hands, in schism, excommunicating each other, while the rest of the body, oblivious to the fact that the two hands which have removed each other from the body, in the name of the very same body, asserting that they are in communion with the very same removed hands, being parts removed, and not parts of the whole, all the while the rest of the body insists the hands are not removed, but One with them.

If this does not demonstrate violating the law of non-contradiction, I don’t know what does. Absurd. On the contrary, what I see is pretty simple, and much more reasonable to comprehend:

Many parts, blind to the fact that they are indeed parts, and not One, of which they pretend to be, and deceive themselves to subsist in the same, through which, by the merit of their disillusionment about being One, cut each other off from the One, in the name of the One, when they are not One at all, but indeed many, different parts. Many of which, due to the accidents of history, stand completely ignorant, and unaware they are actually truly separated from the whole, true, absolute, and universal One. This very universal One, which obviously has the authority to admit, or refuse, membership into its Oneness, calls to those who are not One, to stop playing around, and become of whole again with the One.

While the One, this true One, sees the foolishness of the parts that believe they are One, that are separated from it, opens its arms to receive the foolish parts back into its whole, and protect them from this absurd blind self destruction. Yet, schism begets schism, blindness, equivocation, irrationalities, and foolishness that is contrary to reason.

EAR

Roots.

Published on November 27, 2025

‘Home’, is where the roots are, but the question is: “is it the roots you lay down now, or the ones you left?”

So, then, where is home? Is it now, or what was? Can home be that which one reclaims? Or, is what one reclaims a mere shadow, or vague memory, hollowed out, and echoing the events that were left?

What is wise in this? To continue laying down roots where one finds himself? For it seems to be the most prudent. St. Benedict demonstrates this in his rule. Yet, would it not be wise to assess where one is, reason that it could be better, and move on to a better opportunity?

Starting fresh seems to signal detachment, and remaining where one is seems to signal stability.

I am faced with this question, as I commence my vacation in my childhood home where I no longer live, and cannot call it my home, though it once was my home, and those that I knew are either gone or fading away, as time continues turning on and on.

I’ve experienced this before, returning here to a place that I once called home; and, the nostalgia, the charm, and all of the feelings attached with that, was like watching a camera come into focus. What was hazy, is now clear, and what remains is not what one expected. However, I was young, and foolish then, but I have come far since then, would it not be different this time?

To return to my roots again?

EAR

The machine? An opportunity.

Published on November 26, 2025

I noticed this morning, how everyone didn’t notice me, although we were all driving along, seemingly hooked up to the machine. The machine seems to be, what ever is apparent to you and me. A job, a career, a ladder to climb, not the one from St. John the Divine, but a different kind of one, that while you climb, you are actually going down, down, down somewhere that’s actually nowhere to be found.

I suppose some drive and live for money, some for power, some for fame, and some for an ivory tower. It seemed sad to me, to know, that only God knows, each soul on his way to these. How often does He call out their name, and none of them seem to notice, hear, or care? I shudder at the thought of this, to think that one does not see, the big machine running everything.

But I don’t see it as a machine, but as an opportunity, to break free from its mindless routine, of rat racing in perpetuity. The machine is like Mount Tabor, to overcome through the Lord, and not end up asking like Solomon: “For whom do I labor?”

“For wisdom”, I answer, “to run with Aristotle, up to the top where I can have a mind, purified, and ready for His kingdom.” So, along I drive with the others around me. I hope that they will wake up and see, the machine is not routine at all, but another, better, eternal, wonderful, opportunity.

EAR

A life without reason.

Published on November 25, 2025

I am struggling to recall the state of my intellect prior to taking up the labor of classical reasoning. Even as I try to recall, essentially, where my mindset was 6 months ago, I can’t help but perceive those images with a newfound logic that sits with me now. It is as if I had this clarity, all along, but I know that was never the case.

I suppose, if I were to illustrate the change, I would express it like this:

It’s like having once been on a little tiny boat, cast adrift upon dark waters, in the maelstrom of life, perceiving there are others who are undergoing the same, but no one seems to be aware of the same; and then, by God’s grace, ending up washed ashore on an island with dense fog.

On that beach, the training begins, to know there is land to stand on, sand to touch, and things to see: to learn, to know, and to perceive. There is much wrestling with all there is to know on this beach, of which the sands seems infinite, at least now you are aware, that there was a beach to begin with.

Having begun with Porphyry, teaching you how to fish, and with Aristotle how to hunt, asking things like, “What is this?” Then, after much suffering, and pain, you begin to look less at the maelstrom you left, and yearn to know where to end.

You can’t go back, you must go forward, and so you train, and train, and train, until one day, finally, the dense fog lifts, and you see the Mountain.

There are others too, who are further along than you, but that’s okay, because you all know how to pray; and, along the way, you see, many other places to ponder and stay. Many forests, rivers, caves, swamps, ravines, cliffs, trails, and deserts to see, while climbing up to that magnificent summit. To at the top, one day, being able to shout, “I was, and am, saved by Jesus, but now, my mind is free!!!”

The fog has only just now lifted for me, and I see the Mountain, and so now I begin my climb, an adventure of a lifetime, to follow those who came, and went, before me.

EAR