Old Catholic Conversations

By BishopBen - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Religion & Spirituality

Monday, January 1, 2007

Pondering things in the Heart

First, let me wish you God's blessings on this first day of the New Year. In the Catholic liturgical tradition, today January 1 we celebrate Mary, the Mother of God (Theotokos-God bearer). In Luke's Gospel from Chapter 2 today we read: "Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart"... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

And so this is Christmas!

Time has been so taken lately that my entries here have been put on a back burner. Now, I find that we have just passed the Feast of the Birth of Jesus, Christmas, and are soon to end the year 2006 CE. For me, the year has been pretty uneventful and mostly routine...attending to work, clerical... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Oh No...another full MOON

This summer I have been teaching a review course at a local community college just about a mile from the hospital where I work. Each evening over the past two nights I have noticed a huge, beautiful round full moon. Such a lovely sight while driving home especially across the two bridges. However,... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

The Phoenix Affirmations

I recently received a book in the mail that was a gift--totally unsolicited and yet a wonderful surprise. It is entitled "The Phoenix Affirmations" by Eric Elnes, PhD. This set of affirmations were developed in an ongoing forum of folks in Phoenix AZ as a response to the co-optation of Christianity... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Mystagogia

“He does not ration his gift of the Spirit” John 3 In this second week of Easter, we hear in the good news that God does not ration his gift of the Spirit. For most of us I would imagine that IS good news for if we were competing against a ration of “Spirit”, many of us would probably be a little... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, April 7, 2006

A Lenten Reflection on Suffering

“He said, ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet not what I want, but what you want.’ (Mark 14:36). Suffering is a universal human phenomenon. To be alive means that each of us must suffer at points in our lives. Perhaps the most perplexing question asked by... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Rend Your Hearts and Not Your Garments

"Rend Your Hearts and Not Your Garments" Ash Wednesday March 1, 2006 Today, we begin the Christian season of Lent. This season is a time to prepare for the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus at Eastertide. It is a season when we who are Christian spend about six weeks in looking inward and... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

If I wake up dead...

I used to joke that as clergy if I woke up dead and there really is no God I would be very upset with God. However, I have come to believe that my sarcastic insight is just a tad bit off. After my last entry, a comment was shared that the individual writing back doesn't live in fairy tales, they... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, December 5, 2005

An Advent Reflection on Waiting and Suffering

In the Christian tradition, we are currently celebrating the period of Advent--a 4 week period of turning inward and reflection as we wait to celebrate once again the birth of Jesus at Christmas. For Christians, Jesus is the long awaited messiah--the God/man who shares a dual nature--being both... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Are you licit?

Working in a Roman Catholic Hospital has its moments! Sometimes I can remember what I have been called to do in ministry for the past 30 years and at other times...well, I have to "squint" to remember. Yesterday following the Hospital's biweekly leadership meeting our Priest Chaplain came over and... Sign in to see full entry.

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