Before I left for France I had a routine. Every morning I read scripture, and then journaled for about an hour. I read self-development books every chance I got and attended conferences on the regular. I also had a lot of structure to my life. I didn’t eat gluten, dairy, or eggs (thanks to food sensitivities), I worked out in the evenings for about an hour. I didn’t drink caffeine (it made me too shaky) and I always went to... Read more
The Liturgy Of The Hours is a four-volume set of leather bound books that contain three year’s worth of prayers to be prayed daily by Catholic priests and nuns. Originated from the Jewish ritual of praying at the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth hour the prayers continued in that vein by early Christians. By the fifth century A.D., the Christians had accumulated enough prayers, psalms, and biblical passages to constitute eight daily prayers which were then bound into books so... Read more
I am deeply in need of devotion. It is my favorite form of reverence, and lately, there’s just not been enough of it. To me, devotion is using beauty to get to God. There’s nothing like a gold-gilded set of rosary beads, an impressionist painting of the Virgin Mary, or the stained glass windows of a Catholic Cathedral to help me feel God’s presence. And it’s not because of the meditation aspect of admiring art, it’s simply because it’s beautiful.... Read more
“If he can’t get into heaven, who can??” the disciples ask after a particularly traumatizing incident. A very wealthy and prosperous business man had come to Jesus asking “What next?” He had amassed a great deal of fortune and had followed the commandments to a T. “But I’m still lacking something,” he says. “What else can I do?” To all of our horror Jesus responds “If you would be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor,... Read more
I started losing Instagram followers. Where before I was earning 100 new Instagram followers every day, now I was losing about 50 per day. The turning point had been the announcement that @overthemoonmag would be closing for the summer, and that when it returned it would be completely different then what it was before. It would be all new. We would be starting over. As much as I was excited for this change, to create an account that was more... Read more
It was late in the evening, but Esther awaited her king. She had spent the past twelve months beautifying her body, mind, and soul in preparation for this day. Six months she had oiled her skin with myrrh, followed by six months lavishing her body with exotic spices and ointments. Though she had never before been with a man, she had spent the last twelve months learning the ways of women. Powerful men became powerless in the arms of women,... Read more
I lay in a beautiful valley, my body wrapped in the delicate lacing of an intricate veil. Wildflowers bloom up beside me as a warm wind caresses my skin and the sky seems so blue it could burst. My lord is with me, his arms wrap around me as he looks down into my eyes. A deep, penetrating stare as if he knows the very depths of me. And he does. He always does. His lips touch my eyelids, one... Read more
As the evening grew late, and the moon full, my body longed for his touch, but settled for his gaze. I felt his eyes upon me as I filled the basin with warm water, fragrant salts, and exotic Egyptian spices, steaming the moonlit bath with a sensory aroma. The perfume overcame me and in an instant I was taken over by desire. Desire for passion, for pleasure, for David, for God. As I stood on the rooftop, I settled my... Read more
I’m often asked why I chose to pursue a graduate degree in Mariology (the study of the Virgin Mary), and to be honest, I’ve answered that question so many different ways that I’ve finally realized I don’t know. I’m just drawn to her. There’s an intimate connection we share that I can hardly put words to. Except perhaps, to explain, that she’s part of my name. My full name is Elisabeth Anne Griffin. Elisabeth, biblically speaking, was Mary’s cousin and... Read more
I spent the last week of January at the Sundance Film Festival. It was my first time attending and it was absolutely the experience of a lifetime. But every time before a movie would start, I would sit in the theater and feel my heart pounding, my mind worrying, and my body aching. In the darkness, I could feel the hundreds of people crowded in around me and every fiber of my being longed to get out. To go home.... Read more
Elle Griffin
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