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.
​
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