Why are we commanded to love? “Christ did not love humanity, He never said He loved humanity; He loved men. Neither He nor anyone else can love humanity; it is like loving a gigantic centipede.”)[2] Why do we need Christ and his difficult command to love? Because we are fallen. (This stance was nicely summed […]
Why Are We commanded to Love? Read More »
Arsonist of the heart is the last line of a poem by theologian-poet John Shea about the road to Emmaus. Shea’s reflection on the liturgical Gospel reading for Wednesday compels more than a cursory read of the too-familiar Gospel passage about Jesus’ disciples who have decided to get out of town: the road to Emmaus.
Arsonist of the Heart Read More »
Faces of the human heart This image magnifies two faces of the human heart in Lucas Cranach’s painting, Christ and the Adulteress, found in Bishop Erik Varden’s piece, 5 Sunday of Lent. Front and center we see one face with a terrible, smug smile and a large sharp rock at the ready in his right
Faces of the Human Heart Read More »
Saint James Church, Medjugorje, Bosnia Saint James and Medjugorje Saint James isn’t a saint I’ve thought much about–until Thursday’s daily 6am Mass, that is. July 25 is Saint James the Greater’s Feast Day. During that liturgy, I got a nudge–more a push– to dump the reflection I’d written for today and write this new one.
Saint James and Medjugorje Read More »
How do they do it? “You have two children, don’t you?” The casual question prompted an unnerving reply. “Yes, I had a son who died at thirty-seven and a daughter who died at forty-one.” Homilist, Pastor Eric Ritter at Tuesday’s six AM Saint Matthew’s Church question, “How do they do it?” was implicit. “How do
How Do They Do It? Read More »
Holy Saturday: the anguish of an absence The great silence Monastics proclaim a great silence after their last meal and prayers. No word will be spoken until the first prayer the following morning. Sleeping, the monks place their trust in the Lord. Father Steve Grunow writes: …the great silence is not just a time of
Holy Saturday: The Anguish of an Absence Read More »
The 90th Anniversary of The Barmen Declaration Pictured above is a memorial to the band of Christian Germans who opposed Hitler. In 1934, eminent Protestant theologian, Karl Bath and numerous German Lutherans wrote the Barmen Declaration. Adolf Hitler had successfully persuaded, intimidated and/or cowed the leaders of the church into supporting the Aryan Solution. The
The 90th Anniversary of The Barmen Declaration Read More »
The culture of Lent: Ash Wednesday Is Lent a culture? Really? When considering the word culture, we understand it signifies a cumulative deposit of knowledge, beliefs, values, notions of time and of roles. So yes, the upcoming forty days embodies a “culture of Lent.” One that I aim to inhale more completely this year than
The Culture of Lent: Ash Wednesday Read More »
Christmas Wake-Up Call: Stoning, Massacre and a Trump PS on Becket Wake-up call? Why do we need a Christmas wake-up call? Consider that for much of the world, Christmas starts right after Thanksgiving. Christmas music plays everywhere, shopping ads begin and the Christmas trees go up. Weeks later, when Christmas Day finally dawns, the excitement’s
Christmas Wake-Up Call: Stoning, Massacre and a Trump PS on Becket Read More »
Thinking about holiness: its simplicity Wednesday was All Saints Day and Thursday, All Souls Day. Each November 1st and 2nd, we celebrate our friends in Heaven and pray for those who wait in Purgatory as we begin this month of the dead. Depressing? Morbid? Yeah, both if we ignore the reality–our bodies will die. But
Thinking About Holiness: Its Simplicity Read More »
linwilder@gmail.com
Lin Wilder has a doctorate in Public Health from the UT Houston with a background in cardiopulmonary physiology, medical ethics, and hospital administration
Book Author: LIN WILDER
Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved