Momento mori: sure there’s time? Time…it’s like light, air and water. We have plenty, until…we don’t. The April 8 solar eclipse that brought thousands to Texas, for just a nanosecond, revealed a darkness unlike any other. That total absence of light, reminded me of evil, also a negative: absence of goodness, of God. All of […]
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“Truly, this man was the son of God.” Painting by Clark Kelly Price: Used with permission. Who is this god? The centurion had watched the spectacle of Pilate and Jesus in the praetorium since early morning. He despised these Jews and their wretched relgious gymnastics. And had hated every interminable moment of his three-year assignment
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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Cabrini, the movie and radical goodness. Saint Francesca Cabrini was a force of nature. The actress portraying the first American saint, Francesca Dell ‘Anna makes Cabrini, the movie, a tour de force. Rarely does a film make use of all of its potential. In this one, however, the acting, screenplay and cinematography in Cabrini achieve
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The world doesn’t need theology, it needs God Halfway through Lent, I’m feeling extraordinarily grateful. Rather than my usual, panicked, “Only three weeks left!” Or: “These grace-filled days are half over and I’m still committing the same boring, banal sins!” Our warmer San Antonio very early mornings beg for reflection and prayer on our outside
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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
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An icon for Lent Atop one height sits a solitary figure. His head is bowed, His hair tossed by the fitful gusts of wind. His dusty clothes, sunburnt face, and gaunt frame suggest that He has been here for some time. His eyes are closed and His brow furrowed as His mouth silently forms the
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Love Fasting: Blessed detox. Love fasting? You’re joking, right? No, in fact, fasting is “in.” Increasingly popular is limiting meals to specific times. In intermittent fasting, eating is restricted to eight of six hour periods out of each twenty-four. Or, in alternate day fasting on one day, total calorie consumption is limited to 500 to 600 followed
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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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