Maintaining the integrity of words isn’t my phrase. But that of Bishop Erik Varden and expresses a belief that is dear to my heart. Why do I think it so dear that it warrants 800 words? There are a number of reasons: even as a kid, I loved words. The process of learning to use […]
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Stir into flame Saint Paul’s Letter to Timothy from last week’s Christian liturgy feels directed to each of the 8.1 billion living souls in this June of 2024. Although there’s controversy about authorship and dates of these letters, orthodox concensus declares it as Paul’s last letter. He writes to his successor in Ephesus, from prison.
Restoring our glory “Come ye, let Us make man in Our image, and according to Our likeness.” Now by this word “Us” He maketh known concerning the Glorious Persons [of the Trinity]. And when the angels heard this utterance, they fell into a state of fear and trembling, and they said to one another, “A
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Trust The Science: Bread Becomes Flesh “Give me bread, a Catholic priest and his prayer and I’ll show you the flesh of a human heart.” The audience of forensic scientists erupted into laughter, guffaws and mockery at the speaker’s bold claim. The commotion quieted when Dr. Ricardo Castanon Gomez mentioned the names of two attendees.
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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
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The Real Spiritual Battle We’re approaching Holy Week, the days of silence, reflection and accounting we’re given by the Christian liturgy each year to reply to some questions and thoughts: The real spiritual battle is forgiveness, not of others, but of ourselves. Because always, an honest examination of ourselves reveals flaws, failures and weakness–sin. Annually
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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
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Why do we need church? For much of my early life, church and all that reeked of religion were anathema. As loudly as many shout “Why do we need church?” today, I did too, back during what I’ve called my lost years. And so I can appreciate the fervor with whch devoutly religious people like
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Who is the Holy Spirit? In December of 2016, Papal preacher Father Raniero Cantalamassa preached his first Advent sermon on the second “post-concilior” period. With the passage of fifty years since Vatican ll, we’ve ended a period “characterized by problems with reception” of the litiurgical changes and entered, the Franciscan Capuchin theologian declared, “new innovation
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Thinking about the Rule of Benedict and the Baptism of the Lord. The Prologue of the Rule of Benedict contains some of the most lryical, lush and arresting prose ever written. These words from the 5th century summon, urge and admonish with utmost delicacy. L I S T E N carefully, my child,to your master’s
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