Rod Dreher has written a moving testimony to his decision, along with his family, to enter the Orthodox church. It makes for painful, but ultimately liberating reading.

In a previous posting, I wrote of Edith Stein and Carmelite spirituality. The heart of her spirituality was the single-minded search for truth, and its ultimate revelation in the person of Jesus Christ.

Dreher shows that he has sat attentively in the school of Carmel. Here is part of what he says:

I hope at least you will pray for me and my family, and with me for theultimate unity of Orthodoxy and Catholicism (by the way, I took as mypatron saint in Orthodoxy Benedict of Nursia, who as a pre-schism saintis also revered by the Orthodox; I also chose him in part to honor PopeBenedict, whom I cherish). I hope also that my own example willencourage others -- Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant -- to lookseriously into their hearts, and detach themselves from both idolizingthe Church in the place of Christ -- this is partly what led to theScandal, and partly what led me to put myself in a position where theScandal destroyed my Catholicism. And I hope my example helps people todeal swiftly with anger before it masters them.

Prior to Vatican II, seminarians were instructed to recite the following prayer while vesting: "Clothe me, o Lord, with the new man, who is being recreated in God's image, in justice and holiness of truth."

We can all join in that heartfelt prayer, for the Dreher family and for ourselves, as we seek to know and do the Lord's will -- in holiness and in truth.