Free Republic

NEW YORK - J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose "The Catcher in the Rye" shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91. Salinger died of natural causes at his home on Wednesday, the author's son said in a statement from Salinger's literary representative. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in the small, remote house in Cornish, N.H. "The Catcher in the Rye," with its immortal teenage protagonist, the twisted, rebellious Holden Caulfield, came out in 1951, a time of anxious, Cold War conformity and the dawn of...

Warm, succinct suggestions on making the prayer of the heart come alive from Moscow pastor Fr. Artemy Vladimirov. We very much pity those Orthodox Christians who think that the best rest for their exhausted soul is to watch television news. This isn’t a bad thing, perhaps, but it’s a dead thing. You may spend all of the earthly time you have been allotted with such distractions, but you will never be at peace. If you want to calm your mind and ease your heart, try calling instead on the most holy name of Jesus Christ, without haste and with only...

The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. Our reflections are on the name of Jesus, its power in our lives. Whoever enters on the path of sanctity must keep his focus clear. What are we doing? Whom are we following? How are we to act? Why are we acting as we are? All of these questions can be answered in one word: Jesus. What are we doing? Better, what should we be doing? What Jesus told us to. Whom are we following? Jesus. How are we to live? As Jesus did. And why?...

This is a series of a speech delivered at the Annual Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America, St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, San Diego, California, February 28, 2003 by Hiermonk Damascene. It deals with a topic that is very relevant for the Lenten Season, a reflection on our tendency to resent and to resist forgiveness. Resentment and Forgiveness, Part 3 5. Watchfulness and Prayer The Holy Scriptures and the Holy Fathers affirm that, as we pray for spiritual healing from passions like anger and resentment, we must also practice constant watchfulness or attention over our thoughts. Christ...