My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,
Advent always begins in the dark. Not the darkness of despair, but the quiet and fertile darkness of a world waiting to be renewed. On this second Sunday of Advent, the Church invites us deeper into the spirit of expectation—a waiting that is not passive, but full of hope, readiness, and longing for the God who comes to us again and again.

Expectation is different from anxiety. Anxiety imagines all that could go wrong. Expectation imagines all that God can yet do. John the Baptist calls people to prepare the way—not because God is far away, but because God is already drawing near. Advent asks us: What in our lives needs clearing, healing, softening, or opening so that Christ may enter more fully?

To expect Christ is to believe, with quiet confidence, that grace is already at work beneath the surface of our ordinary days. We wait not for a distant God but for the God who is always approaching, always seeking us, always ready to begin something new.

Weekly Online Liturgies — and an Invitation to Gather
We are now posting weekly liturgy videos online as a resource for all who wish to pray with us. These liturgies are meant to support individuals, families, and small communities—especially those who may not have access to a nearby parish or chapel.

These liturgies can be found at: Saint Oscar Romero Ministries - YouTube

As Advent presses upon us with its call to community and renewal, we invite you to consider something simple yet profoundly important:
Could you host a small liturgy in your home?
Do you have space where two or three might gather to worship?

The Independent Sacramental Movement has always thrived in the hidden corners of ordinary life—living rooms, kitchens, community centers, borrowed spaces, hospital rooms, and chapels set up in basements and garages. Advent reminds us that Christ was born not in a grand temple but in a humble place made holy by God’s presence.  If you feel called to make room for others, even in a small way, please reach out.

Faith Formation This Week: Rethinking Christian Morality
This week’s faith-formation video takes a deep and honest look at moral theology, understanding the subject is vast, complicated, and often misunderstood. We explore several major moral frameworks:

• Natural Law — living according to our nature and pursuing the good, though noting that Aquinas used natural law as one tool among many rather than his primary lens.
• Situational Ethics — recognizing that specific circumstances and levels of knowledge matter, without collapsing into relativism.
• Virtue Ethics — the heart of Aquinas’s approach, focusing on human flourishing and the cultivation of both acquired virtues and the supernatural virtues infused by God.

The video challenges the common question, “Is this a sin?”, by reframing sin as disordered desire—loving good things in the wrong order. Christian life is not simply about avoiding sin but about pursuing the good, encountering Christ, and allowing grace to transform us from within.

Through the stories of St. Mary of Egypt and Aba Moses the Black, the video beautifully illustrates that holiness is not about perfection but about surrender—opening our lives to the God who purifies, redeems, and elevates our nature. The core message is clear: Christian morality is not the minimum requirement for heaven; it is the joyful, grace-filled journey of giving our whole selves to God.

As We Continue Through Advent…
May this week be one of holy expectation for you—an expectation rooted not in fear or uncertainty, but in the promise that Christ is coming into our lives even now. Let us wait together, pray together, and prepare the way together. The world needs the quiet witness of communities—small or large—who believe that grace can be born anywhere space is made for it.

​Blessed Advent, and may Christ deepen your hope in the week ahead.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

Weekly Reflection – First Sunday of Advent

Join Us Online
As we continue to grow in prayer and community, we invite you to participate in our liturgy each week through our YouTube channel, where we have begun uploading our celebrations. If you are unable to join us in person—or simply want to revisit the readings and homily—these recordings offer a way to stay rooted in the rhythm of prayer and the life of our parish. Please consider subscribing and sharing with others who may wish to join us.
Saint Oscar Romero Ministries - YouTube

Entering Advent: A Season of Expectant Light
This weekend we begin the holy season of Advent, a time the Church gives us to slow down, awaken our hearts, and prepare for the mystery of Christmas: the Word becoming flesh for our salvation.

Saint Ephrem, the great Syriac poet-theologian, describes the coming of Christ as the dawning of “light deposited in the dark womb of the world.” For Ephrem, Advent is a season in which humanity stretches upward toward the Light while God bends low in mercy to meet us. Christ’s birth is not only a past event but a continual coming—God’s desire to be born anew in the humble places of our lives.

Meister Eckhart teaches something similar from a different angle. He reminds us that “what good is it that Christ was born in Bethlehem, if He is not born in me?” Advent invites us to make interior space—silence, stillness, openness—so that Christ may be conceived within us through grace. For Eckhart, the soul becomes truly fruitful when it releases its tight grasp on anxiety, fear, and self-concern, and lets God’s life take root.

In both Ephrem and Eckhart, Advent calls us to wonder:
Where is Christ longing to be born within me this year?
What inner manger is He seeking?

Reflection on This Week’s Video:
“Cardinal Yves Congar: Faith and the Spiritual Life – Part 3”
Cardinal Yves Congar teaches that the Christian life is lived “in the world but not of the world,” a path of letting go so that we might receive all things back as gift. Renunciation is not rejection but transformation: we loosen our grip on possessions, expectations, and self-centered desires so they may be returned to us in freedom, much like Abraham who entrusted Isaac to God. Congar situates this within the Christian mystery of the Incarnation--that God became human so that humanity might be drawn into divine life. As the early Christian saying puts it, “Show me your man and I will show you my God.” Christ reveals not only who God is, but who we are meant to become.

Congar also speaks about spiritual maturity, drawing on John Henry Newman’s image of growth through life’s stages—childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and full maturity. Early commitments such as baptism, first communion, marriage, or ordination are genuine beginnings, but they reach depth through years of fidelity, responsibility, and trial. This becomes especially clear in the “middle-age crisis,” when we face limits and the shrinking of possibilities. Congar insists that peace comes not from wishing for a different story but from embracing our real lives and discovering God’s presence precisely in our finitude.

Finally, Congar issues a challenge to the Church’s preaching and formation: too often we give children theology meant for adults—and adults messages meant for children. Authentic preaching must address the real questions, wounds, fears, and hopes of the human heart. True discipleship requires adults to take responsibility for deepening their faith, not passively accepting a shallow religious diet. Faith, for Congar, is both personal trust and commitment to revealed truth. It is lived through worship, humble service, love that respects the dignity and freedom of others, and a constant awareness that God is present in each moment—our companion now and the One who will receive us at the hour of our death.
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As We Begin Advent
May this season help us see the Light rising in our darkness, open us anew to the birth of Christ within us, and deepen our faith as we journey together.
Let us walk this path with expectant hearts, youthful in hope, mature in trust, and alive to God’s presence in every moment.
Blessings on your Advent.
Peace,
​Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,
Our most important work as a community is prayer. Last week, I recorded the Sunday liturgy and posted it on our YouTube channel—a humble beginning in learning how to capture the beauty of worship within our chapel. The recording quality, angles, and overall presentation are still a work in progress, but I trust they will improve over time. I also hope to add music to enrich the prayer experience. Looking ahead, I plan to alternate between Rite I, which reflects the Old Catholic and Tridentine heritage in English, and Rite IV, which draws from the richness of the Syriac tradition. God willing, we will continue sharing these liturgies weekly so that all may join us in prayer, wherever they are. 
​Our YouTube page is: https://www.youtube.com/@SaintOscarRomeroMinistries

This weekend we celebrate Christ the Eternal Word, the Living Logos through whom all things were made and in whom all creation finds its meaning. This feast invites us to contemplate the mystery of God who speaks—not only in Scripture, but in the person of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. In Him, God’s wisdom becomes visible, God’s compassion becomes tangible, and God’s truth becomes a presence we can encounter. As we gather for worship, we remember that Christ is not simply a teacher of divine words, but the Word Himself—eternal, creative, and ever-present. May this celebration draw us deeper into that divine presence and renew our desire to listen, to follow, and to allow the Word to take root in our own lives.

In this week’s video, Yves Congar: Faith and the Spiritual Life, Part 2, I continued exploring Congar’s beautiful reflections on what it means to live a truly Christian life. Drawing on voices from across the tradition—from Cyril of Alexandria to Francis of Assisi, from Elizabeth of the Trinity to Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas—the video highlights how the saints reveal the many paths by which Christ draws us back to God. We reflected on communion as a mystical union with Christ, the symbolism of the candle as the soul consumed by divine light, and the saints’ desire to become vessels of God’s love rather than seekers of human praise. The life of St. Francis reminded us of the radical surrender required of discipleship, while Congar’s insight that no human structure can fully contain the Gospel invited us to approach God with humility. Saints like Albert and Aquinas showed how grace perfects nature, uniting intellect and faith, and how true holiness requires letting go of self so that God may act in us. The thread through all these examples is clear: Christianity is not a set of prohibitions, but an encounter with overwhelming divine love—a love that shapes every saint differently, and that invites each of us to manifest Christ in the unique way God desires.

I ask for your prayers this week—prayers that we may remain faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and continue bringing His compassion, truth, and love to those we encounter. I also humbly ask your prayers for a more personal intention: I am working to bring two books to publication, and recent setbacks have slowed that process. I would be grateful for your intercession that these projects may come to completion in God’s time.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, may we remember that the Eucharist is our truest and highest act of thanksgiving. In every Mass, we come before the Lord with empty hands, receiving from His table the grace, strength, and mercy we could never give ourselves. From that sacred gift flows our call to share generously with others—not only material blessings, but our time, compassion, and presence. The gratitude we express at the altar is meant to overflow into daily life, shaping how we see and serve those around us. May God bless you abundantly in this season and keep you always in His grace.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,
Some weeks the work of ministry feels lively and full; other weeks feel quieter, almost hidden. But the Gospel tells us that God is just as present in the quiet as in the busy. In fact, many of the most important moments in Scripture happen in stillness — in Elijah’s gentle whisper, in Mary’s pondering heart, in Jesus praying alone before dawn.

This week, Saint Oscar Romero Ministries continues its mission in that same spirit. We may not always see dramatic results, but every conversation, every prayer offered for someone in need, every small effort to build community is a seed the Spirit can use. Ministry is rarely about the spectacular; it is usually about the faithful.

Last weekend was a true gift as I had the opportunity to meet and spend meaningful time with Deacon Abby Thacker. It was a blessing to share conversation, prayer, and a sense of shared purpose in ministry. Encounters like this remind us that the Independent Sacramental Movement is filled with dedicated servants of Christ whose compassion, wisdom, and commitment strengthen the whole Body of Christ. I’m grateful for the time we shared and for the encouragement that comes from walking the journey with others.

As we continue seeking a stable worship space, we remain grateful for everyone who keeps this intention in prayer and who shares our need with others. If you know someone with a room, a business space, or even a simple gathering area who could host a small worshiping community, please pass along our information. Your word of mouth is one of our greatest blessings.

Wherever we gather — a home, a meeting room, or a borrowed chapel — Christ meets us there. May we stay attentive this week to the quiet ways God is moving among us, and may we find joy in the small, steady work of building a community rooted in mercy, welcome, and hope.

Peace,
Rev. Ben

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This week has brought several meaningful opportunities for which I am deeply grateful.

First, I had the privilege of speaking with someone who is just beginning their discernment journey. Regardless of where that journey may lead, it is always a joy to meet people, listen to how God has been at work in their lives, and share in their joys and struggles.

Secondly, I received my copy of the Interim Missal for the Old Catholic Ordinariate. I’ve begun thinking about how to schedule and celebrate liturgy online. I’m working through the logistics of offering a livestream and creating a worship aid that people can follow along with from home. In addition, I started reading Sacred House by Fr. Alan Andraeas, which explores the concept of sacramental house churches. I’ve only made it through the early chapters on why house churches can indeed be sacramental, and I look forward to seeing how the author addresses the practical aspects in the chapters ahead.

Third, on Saturday, November 8th, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Deacon Abby Thacker, a transitional deacon with the Orthodox Catholic Church of America. I hope this will be the first of several interviews with clergy and laity from various jurisdictions and theological perspectives within the Independent Sacramental Movement. My goal is to highlight the diversity of the movement and the many inspiring ministries taking place within it.

Finally, we released a new video this week exploring Andy Warhol’s Catholic background and the influence of his faith on his art and life. I found the research fascinating—it was a topic I hadn’t known much about until I saw a brief video that mentioned the role of faith in his work. I truly enjoyed taking a creative detour into this subject and hope you find the video both interesting and enlightening.
May God bless and keep you always.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

This weekend we celebrate the great solemnities of All Saints and All Souls. We remember the countless saints—many of them unknown to us—who have gone before us in faith. We celebrate their victory in Christ, for they stand as signs and witnesses of the age to come. I am always moved by the words of the Roman liturgy:
“Help us to work together for the coming of your Kingdom, until the hour when we stand before you, Saints among the Saints in the halls of heaven.”

My former spiritual director, Fr. Harry Hagan, once wrote a beautiful hymn for All Saints titled “Rejoice for All the Saints This Day.” I find the chant version especially moving, and I’ve included a link to it here: Document1. What I love about this piece is how it reveals the many ways a person can live out a saintly calling, connecting deeply to the Beatitudes. It challenges us to reflect: How are we living out our baptismal commitments and growing in holiness?

This weekend, I also released a new video exploring a unique and often misunderstood expression of sanctity—the holy fool. In Christian tradition, the holy fool is a paradoxical figure who embodies divine wisdom through apparent madness. Rejecting social conventions, wealth, and respectability, these saints often feigned foolishness or acted outrageously to expose hypocrisy, pride, and false piety in the Church and society. Rooted in St. Paul’s reminder that “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Cor. 1:25), the holy fool mirrors Christ’s humility and suffering by embracing ridicule and vulnerability. Through their seeming madness, they became prophetic witnesses—calling others to repentance and love. Their lives reveal the radical wisdom of divine love that overturns worldly logic. The video link is included below.

I am also pleased to share that our new interim liturgies have recently been released by our bishop. I have ordered my copy and hope to begin broadcasting liturgies in the coming weeks. Please join me in praying that more individuals will open their homes to host these sacred gatherings. I also ordered a book titled “Sacred House” by Fr. Alan Andraeas, which explores the house church movement from a Sacramental Christian perspective. I hope this resource will provide inspiration and insight as Saint Oscar Romero Ministries continues to grow.

Finally, I’ve been hard at work on several projects related to the Independent Sacramental Movement. One book is nearing completion, and another is in the early stages. I look forward to sharing more details soon. God willing, I’ll also be recording an interview with a local transitional deacon from another jurisdiction, who will share her testimony and the ways she lives out her vocation. Building bonds with others in the movement is essential as we work together to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

Please continue to keep Bishop Rob Lyons in your prayers.
He continues to recover slowly and remains in need of our prayers for health and well-being. I spoke with him earlier this week—he is putting the final touches on our new Liturgical Book. This project has taken a great deal of time and dedication, and I am deeply excited about its completion.
This book will stand apart from most Old Catholic and Independent Catholic missals. It offers a broad selection of liturgies—from traditional Eastern and Oriental anaphoras (Eucharistic Prayers), to a contemporary ecumenical liturgy, and even a revised English translation of the traditional Roman rite. Once it is finalized, I plan to begin recording the liturgy to invite others to share in this Work of the People (the Liturgy). My hope is that some will be inspired to celebrate the liturgy in their homes, much like the ancient house churches of the early Christian community.
This week, I also completed a major update to independentsacramental.org, a website designed to serve and support the Independent Sacramental Movement (ISM). The movement, while often fragmented and facing significant challenges, holds immense spiritual potential—it is truly a “treasure in earthen vessels.” I am continually working to provide new resources for clergy and laity alike.
Several new pages have been added to strengthen the ISM as a whole, including one encouraging jurisdictions to broaden their appeal to unaffiliated communities seeking authentic connection with the ancient Church. I also began developing a series of apologetical resources for the ISM, as few formal works exist in this area. The first installment, both as an article and a video titled “Apologetics for the Independent Sacramental Movement,” is now available. Other recent videos include reflections on Dogmatic Overreach and a discussion of Eamon Duffy’s “The Stripping of the Altars.”
By God’s grace, I am also nearing completion of a book that both critiques and affirms the Independent Sacramental Movement—a project I hope to share more about in the weeks ahead.
Finally, I am deeply encouraged by the growing number of people who are responding to this work. My prayer is that God will continue to bless all who are seeking to live their Christian vocation with greater depth and sincerity. Our goal is not to build grand institutions, but to accompany others on their journey of faith and to be a resource for those seeking to follow Christ more fully.
May God bless and keep you.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Last weekend, I had the privilege of traveling to Indiana to celebrate the liturgy with the faithful at Saint Mary’s Ministries. Our bishop, Rob Lyons, has recently faced some health challenges, and we continue to lift him up in prayer—asking that God restore his health and renew his strength.
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This week, several new videos were released exploring Old Catholic themes and their connections with many Protestant insights. For me, Old Catholicism brings together the best of Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism. It embodies a spirit that seeks truth wherever it may be found—honoring the wisdom of the past while applying it meaningfully to the present. This balance requires deep faith, learning, and humility. You’ll find the links to those videos below.

Also included below is the homily I preached last weekend. I’ve shared it in case it offers you encouragement and spiritual nourishment. I look forward to the completion of our missal, which will allow me to begin celebrating liturgy online and resume regular preaching.

In addition, I’ve been working on several projects for the Independent Sacramental and Old Catholic movements here in the United States. I hope to share more about these efforts in the coming weeks. Please continue to keep this important work in your prayers. Know that I am praying for all of you who read these reflections and support our mission.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

My sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ,
This weekend, I will be traveling to South Indianapolis to assist with Bishop Rob Lyon’s liturgy at St. Mary’s Ministries. Sadly, Bishop Rob is suffering from pneumonia and needs our prayers for healing and a full recovery. Please join me—and the community at St. Mary’s—in lifting him up in prayer.
I’ve noticed that our Saint Oscar Romero website is receiving about fifteen visits each week. I would love to hear from you about what you’re seeking when you visit. Perhaps you, or someone you know, would like to receive the Sacraments but have been away from church for some time, or there may be other circumstances that make it difficult to attend. I am here to serve and would be honored to listen and explore how we can help.
I am also available to bring the Eucharist to you or even to celebrate the Liturgy in your home. There is no cost for receiving the Sacraments, and our ministry does not accept donations. Instead, we encourage those with the means to support organizations that meet basic human needs—such as shelters, food pantries, and relief agencies. While we do not have the resources to provide direct material assistance, we gladly direct people toward those ministries and organizations that make a real difference in the lives of others.
If we can serve you by celebrating the Sacraments or proclaiming God’s Word with you and for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
This past week, we also released three new videos addressing topics such as clericalism, the ideals to which clergy should aspire, and salvation. Many of these reflections are part of our continuing series exploring how much Old Catholic teaching aligns with the core beliefs of mainline Protestant traditions.
In our celebration of the Eucharist, we make no distinction between Roman Catholic or Protestant. All are invited by the Lord who calls us to unity in Him. May we always recognize the many gifts God bestows upon our community when we gather around His table.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to meet several people at the Out of the Darkness Walk at Creve Coeur Lake. We recognize that many in our world struggle with depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. We also acknowledge that suicide remains one of the leading causes of death today—an alarming reality that compels us to ask difficult questions. Why is this so? How can we, as followers of Christ, be people of light and hope for those who live in darkness and despair? How does Christ’s victory bring healing and renewal to our broken world?

Clearly, there is much work before us. We must pray and labor for a society that uplifts and protects all people—especially the most vulnerable among us.

Throughout this past week, we released several videos exploring how Old Catholicism finds much to value in Protestant theology. These reflections addressed the limits of Church Councils, the Sacraments, and the Eucharist. We also began a three-part series titled Lofty Clergy Ideals: Becoming an Icon. The videos are linked below for your reflection and discussion.

May we continue to strive this week to be true icons of God in a wounded world—so that others may see in us the hope of Christ and the love God has for all creation reflected in our own.

Peace,
Rev. Ben