My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,
Holy Week is not simply a time to remember events from long ago. It is an invitation to walk with Jesus through the final days of his earthly life, to listen again to his words, to watch again the self-giving love of the cross, and to open our hearts more deeply to the mystery of salvation.

In these holy days, the Church does more than retell a story. We are drawn into it. We remember the One who came not to be served but to serve, the One who accepted betrayal, suffering, and death, and the One who transformed even the cross into the place where love triumphed over sin, darkness, and despair. Holy Week invites us to make room for prayer, silence, repentance, gratitude, and renewed faith.

This is a week to make meaningful. So often life moves quickly, and sacred things can be pushed to the side. But Holy Week calls us to slow down and pay attention. It calls us to remember the gifts that have been given to us in Christ: salvation, reconciliation, liberation, and union with God. These are not abstract ideas. They are the living gifts of the Lord who entered our suffering in order to redeem it.

As we gather for the liturgies of Holy Week, we do not come merely as observers. We come as disciples. We come to follow Jesus into Jerusalem, to the table, to the garden, to the cross, and at last toward the mystery of resurrection. Each liturgy reminds us that God has not abandoned the world, but has entered it fully in love. Each prayer, reading, and sacred action invites us to receive that love more deeply.

To help you enter this week prayerfully, I also invite you to watch the recently shared reflection, “Holy Week: An Invitation to Follow Jesus,” available on YouTube. The link you shared points to that video here: https://youtu.be/KUw4s9dtqjs 
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May this Holy Week be a time of grace for you and for those you love. May it deepen your faith, renew your hope, and draw you more closely into the mystery of Christ, who loved us to the end.
Peace, 
​Rev. Ben

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,

As we enter the final weeks of Lent, the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus draws us to a decisive moment in the ministry of Jesus. In John’s Gospel, this is the final and most profound of the “signs”—a revelation not only of what Jesus can do, but of who he is. Standing before the tomb, Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life,” revealing that the power of God is not distant or abstract, but present and active even in the face of death.

This moment points us directly toward what we are about to celebrate in Holy Week. The one who calls Lazarus out of the tomb will soon walk toward his own. The one who reveals power over death will freely enter into it. In this way, the Gospel prepares us to encounter the mystery at the heart of our faith: that God’s love does not avoid suffering, but passes through it in order to transform it.

At the same time, this Gospel speaks personally to each of us. We all carry places of grief, loss, and longing—places that can feel sealed off, like a stone set before a tomb. Into those places, Christ continues to speak: calling us into life, inviting us to trust that hope is not lost, and reminding us that even now, resurrection is already at work.

As we prepare for Holy Week, we invite you to bring your prayers, your burdens, and your hopes before the Lord. We welcome all prayer requests and are honored to pray with and for you.
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We also invite you to join us each week as we gather to celebrate the liturgy, to hear the Word, and to encounter Christ in the sacramental life of the Church. As we draw closer to the great mysteries of Holy Week, may we walk this path together in faith, hope, and love.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

Saint Oscar Romero Ministries – Weekly Reflection
Fourth Sunday of Lent
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Last weekend was a joyful time for our community as we welcomed Bishop Rob Lyons for his visit. We are deeply grateful for his presence among us as he celebrated the liturgy and presided over the beautiful quinceañera celebration for Laura and her family. It was a blessing to spend time together in prayer, fellowship, and conversation. We also had meaningful opportunities to discuss the future of the Old Catholic Ordinariate for Specialized Ministries and to reflect on how we can continue supporting one another in ministry. Moments like these remind us that the Church is not only an institution but a living community of faith, friendship, and shared mission.

As we continue our Lenten journey, the Church invites us to walk more intentionally toward the light of Christ. Lent is a season of prayer, reflection, and renewal. Each of us carries burdens and struggles, but we also carry hope. May we remember to raise one another up in prayer, encourage one another in faith, and allow the light of Christ within us to shine before others through acts of kindness, mercy, and compassion.

This weekend’s Gospel offers a profound moment of spiritual insight. Jesus reminds us that God often works in ways that challenge our expectations. We may sometimes see only brokenness, failure, or darkness in the world or even in our own lives. Yet Christ sees something deeper: the possibility of healing, renewal, and grace. Lent invites us to look at our lives through the eyes of Christ—to recognize where God’s light is already breaking through and to trust that even in our struggles, God is at work bringing new life.

This week we are also releasing a new Faith Formation video reflecting on the Passion narratives found in the four canonical Gospels. While the Gospels share many common details about the suffering and death of Christ, each evangelist offers a unique perspective that deepens our understanding of these saving events. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each emphasize different theological themes, inviting us to contemplate the mystery of Christ’s sacrifice from multiple angles. As we move closer to Holy Week, this is a meaningful time to spend prayerful moments reading the Passion narratives and reflecting on the love of Christ revealed in them.

As always, please remember that our ministry is here to serve you. If you have prayer requests, pastoral needs, or would like to receive the sacraments, please do not hesitate to reach out. It is always a blessing to pray with you and to walk together in faith.
Peace,
Rev. Ben

This weekend we are pleased to welcome Bishop Rob Lyons for an apostolic visitation to Saint Oscar Romero Ministries. Bishop Rob is the bishop of the Old Catholic Ordinariate for Specialized Ministries and a personal friend. Tonight, Saturday, March 7th, he will celebrate a quinceañera, and on Sunday, March 8th, he will preside at our Sunday liturgy in the Saint Oscar Romero Chapel. Because of his visit, our Sunday liturgy will be posted online shortly after it concludes. We warmly welcome Bishop Rob and look forward to his encouragement and enthusiasm for the proclamation of God’s Word.

We also continue our Lenten journey together. This past week we began posting videos of the Office of Readings from the Ordinariate Daily Office. Throughout the week we posted the Office each day to give viewers a basic introduction to how this form of prayer is practiced within the Ordinariate tradition. In the future we will likely post the Office two or three times per week. While we pray the Office daily, recording, editing, and posting each video requires time and energy. There are moments when prayer fulfills the Lord’s call to enter the quiet of the upper room, and there are moments when prayer is something we share publicly so that we may strengthen one another in faith.

During Lent we also hope to post weekly devotional materials. This past Friday we shared a video of the Stations of the Cross, and in the weeks ahead we hope to offer additional devotions such as extended readings of the Passion or other traditional Lenten reflections.

We are also pleased to announce the launch of the Saint Oscar Romero Ministries Facebook page, where we will share reflections, updates, and videos from our ministry.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580974298417

Of course, we will continue posting liturgies, devotions, and faith formation materials on our YouTube channel:
Saint Oscar Romero Ministries YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@SaintOscarRomeroMinistries

This weekend we also released a new faith formation video on the doctrine of the Atonement, an especially meaningful topic during the season of Lent. In this presentation we explore how Christians have historically understood the saving work of Jesus Christ—how his life, death, and resurrection bring reconciliation between humanity and God.

The video introduces several major theological models used throughout Christian history. Among them is Recapitulation, developed by St. Irenaeus, which describes Christ as the “new Adam” who restores humanity through perfect obedience. The Christus Victor model emphasizes Christ’s victory over the powers of sin, death, and the devil. Anselm’s Satisfaction model highlights Christ’s obedience as restoring the honor of God disrupted by human sin, while the Penal Substitution model, emphasized during the Reformation, focuses on Christ bearing the consequences of sin on behalf of humanity. The presentation also includes Peter Abelard’s Moral Influence model, which sees the cross as the supreme revelation of God’s love that calls humanity to repentance.

Finally, the video reflects on several biblical images of salvation, including Christ as the healing physician, the sacrificial lamb, and the scapegoat who carries away the sins of the community. Rather than competing explanations, these models are best understood as complementary perspectives that illuminate different dimensions of the human condition—our guilt, shame, fear, and broken relationships—and the many ways Christ brings healing and redemption.

You can watch the full video here:
Jesus Christ and Models of the Atonement – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Mysteruim_Fidei

As we continue our Lenten pilgrimage, let us support one another in prayer, repentance, and renewed faith. Please remember that I remain available for sacramental needs, pastoral care, or simply to receive a prayer request.

May God bless and keep you during this holy season.
Peace,
Rev. Ben