God’s Word and words made flesh in preaching and worship matter. Communication and not the noise of slogans or the repetition of cliches is becoming
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Tag: Thomas Merton
Worn Out Days
In the years that have followed the second council of the Vatican many aspects of our life have changed. And we might add, they needed to change in a radical manner.
Read moreA Monk of Our Time
Thomas Merton OCSO, monk of the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky, died on this date in 1968, twenty seven years to the day after he entered the Abbey in 1941.
Read moreThomas Merton and the Future of Liturgical Renewal
“Thomas Merton has it right, I think, when he suggests reimagining the priesthood and the liturgy, and moving beyond older forms, be they pre-conciliar or post-conciliar. Fluidity rather than fixity is needed for a liturgy that is founded on relationality and the active participation of the entire assembly. The new wine of Spirit simply does not belong in the old wineskins either of Trent or Vatican II. The Church needs to encourage experimentation with new shapes for Eucharistic and other rituals.”
Read moreCrowdsourcing wisdom: hospitality ministry and introverts
Hospitality ministry is, I think, one of the most difficult tasks to define, let alone do well. It has no specific form or rubrics. It depends not only on cultural context but even on individuals’ personalities. Yet its purpose, to help integrate people into the social community of a parish, is indispensable for church life.
Read moreOct 1: St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church, friend of Thomas Merton
On this memorial of the “Little Flower,” I had to think of Thomas’ Merton’s discovery of Saint Thérèse.
Read moreBeads of Prayer
Prayer is never easy. Sitting alone for an extended period of time, whether on an open hillside, by the shore of the ocean, or in a church or at a shrine, is not easy.
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