WEEK OF July 12, 2025

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,
I hope you see God’s blessings and presence in your life this week.  Just a few updates to share with you.  A video on How to Read a Theology Book was released on YouTube and is also linked below.  Reading a theology book takes skill as the genre is different from fiction and other subject.  Theology is the study of God who by definition cannot be contained in thought.  Theology is an attempt to speak about the reality that transcends thought and language itself.  I remember attempting to read theology the summer before I left for seminary and being frustrated.  The book was a selection of different writings by Aquinas and was surprised that I did not understand it.  The video shows how my method for reading theology books changed over the years.  This video, I hope, is a bit of a resource for people who want to begin reading theology but are unsure of how to do so. 

Speaking of reading, I finished Yves Congar’s book “Faith and Spiritual Life” and will release 2-3 videos later this year.  I created two videos this past week and think I have enough material for one more.  These videos will be released in late November.  I am praying about which book I want to read next.  I feel like I need to release one or two on moral topics.  At the same time, I recently picked up a few books on Spirituality that I believe are important to cover.
​
Our patron, Saint Oscar Romero, longed for all people to experience liberation – liberation from poverty, disease, hate, political repression, and so much more.  Liberation was not a revolutionary overthrow for him.  Romero worked for peace and justice while all striving to love even those who disagreed with him.  I say this as I came across two things on the internet this week which deeply moved me.  The first is an article: “Why Evangelicals Turned Their Back on PEPFAR” which is linked here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/why-evangelicals-turned-their-back-on-pepfar/ar-AA1I3EnE?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=4357a37737e64ff48abb4965eae2ee9d&ei=24  Are there certain aspects with the program or the political bias In the article that readers might not agree with?  Certainly.  At the same time, the article shows that Christians cannot stand by while brothers and sisters suffer. I do not believe the United States is morally obliged to be the world’s police force, source of all aid (economic, medical, food, knowledge, and so on).  I do have an issue when so many lives could be saved over a relatively small sacrifice. 
​
This week, I also prayed The Stations of the Cross by Nazareth House Apostolate.  The link to their stations is found here: Nazareth House Apostolate Blog: Enduring the Cross in life, in ourselves, in others...  I was deeply moved by the stories of human suffering recounted in these stations.  The Body of Christ on this earth continues to suffer.  How are we going to live out the Beatitudes to minister to Christ who suffers today?  We cannot end all suffering, poverty, disease, lack of education or opportunity, political repression, racism, sexism, discrimination, hatred, and every sort of evil that remains.  We can be faithful in our own way to the example that Jesus sets before us and seek to follow him.  How will our following Jesus this week make us more aware of our brothers and sisters in need?
Peace,
Rev. Ben