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Word on Fire
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In the year 480 A.D., the last of the rulers of what remained of the western Roman Empire, a man by the name of Julius Nepos, died, leaving one Roman emperor in the far off eastern city of Constantinople (for the first time in 95 years), and the old Roman empire in Europe in the midst of a deleterious decline. In this era of ever diminishing expectations, St. Benedict was born.
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Word on Fire
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This article is in joyful preparation for the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is observed annually on May 31.
A few years ago, I was having dinner with some friends, and the discussion turned toward Catholic social justice. This got me really excited, because one of the things that drew me into the Catholic Church was her rich body of social teachings.
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Word on Fire
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Editor’s note: Following is a slightly edited version of a homily given by Msgr. Kevin Holmes, pastor of the Cathedral Parish in Madison, on Good Friday, March 30.
As many of you know, I was privileged to spend the first two weeks of this Lent on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
After I got back, Marc Laudonio — on the parish staff — asked me an interesting question, namely: “Rome or Jerusalem? If you could visit only one, which would you choose?”
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Word on Fire
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“She hears, upon that water without a sound, a voice that cries, ‘The tomb in Palestine is not the porch of spirits lingering. It is the grave of Jesus where he lay . . .'”
Somber words. One should say, inappropriate words for Easter Sunday.
They come from the American poet Wallace Stevens, an excerpt from his poem, Sunday Morning.
On Thursday evening, Jesus retreated from the upper room and went to a nearby garden to pray.
An agonizing emotion came over him as he awaited his fate. After an hour or so, he heard men talking in the distance. He looked up, and there was Judas leading a group of soldiers. They came toward him and Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. The soldiers arrested him immediately and brought him before Pilate. He was falsely accused and condemned to be tortured.
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Spirituality for Today
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My love goes out to all of you this holy season of Lent. Now that I am an old man, I see more clearly that love is the only thing that really matters in life.
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Word on Fire
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On March 7, the Church commemorates the martyrs Perpetua and Felicity, along with their companions. These Christians were killed in the Roman Provinces of North Africa in the early third century A.D.
They were not alone, but shared the company of many Christians who were persecuted and killed during the early years of the Church’s life. The Church has persistently recalled the memory of the earliest martyrs.
If you’re looking to go deeper and grow stronger in your faith, to know more about your purpose and call to action as a Christian, or if you’re struggling to connect with your spouse, friend, or loved one about the faith, then you need to experience the BATTLE READY Rally!
A BATTLE READY Rally is a 90-minute talk on what spiritual battle actually looks like, how to identify it and prepare for it, and how to engage in it. These three components are key for those of us who are here on earth as the Church Militant.
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Word on Fire
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Some people dismiss the Stations of the Cross as a devotional relic of a bygone generation. But not Gary Jansen. In his beautiful book, Station to Station: An Ignatian Journey through the Stations of the Cross, Gary recounts how the devotion has changed his life and opened him up to new spiritual depths.
Here, Word on Fire’s Brandon Vogt interviews Gary about the Stations and his book.
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Spirituality for Today
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Recently, I came across an amusing cartoon depicting two snowmen; one was rebuking the other. The caption read, “Don’t be absurd! Of course, no one made us! We evolved from random snowflakes.”
