Author Archives: Steve Benner

Enrique AngelelliEnrique Ángel Angelelli Carletti was a bishop of the Catholic Church in Argentina who was assassinated during the Dirty War for his involvement with social issues. Angelelli, whose commitment to the “Church of the Poor” offered a model for the future Pope Francis, was murdered two months after U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger gaveContinue reading “Oremus for Monday, August 4, 2025”

Antiphon 1 Ant. You gave us bread from heaven, O Lord,having in it all that is delicious,and the sweetness of every taste.V. Give ear, my people, to my teaching; *incline your ear to the words of my mouth.I will open my mouth in a parable *and utter hidden lessons of the past. Wisdom 16, Psalm 78 Praise to you,Continue reading “Oremus for Sunday, August 3, 2025”

LydiaLydia was Paul’s first European convert. She was a Gentile woman in Philippi who, like many others, was attracted to Judaism. As what the Jewish community called a “God-fearer” she was undoubtedly accorded respect by the Jewish community, but still would have been marginalized. Paul encountered her on a riverbank where she and a groupContinue reading “Oremus for Saturday, August 2, 2025”

Joseph of ArimatheaJoseph of Arimathea was a member of the Jewish Council who graciously provided a tomb for the burial of Jesus. He came from the town of Arimathea, north-west of Jerusalem. He was well-to-do and is presented in the Gospels as sympathetic to Jesus’ mission, though not an open disciple. FATS Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/78ujert8 Let theContinue reading “Oremus for Friday, August 1, 2025”

Ignatius of LoyolaBorn in 1491, the son of a Basque nobleman, Ignatius served as a soldier and was wounded at the siege of Pamplona in 1521. During his convalescence he read a Life of Christ, was converted and lived a life of prayer and penance, during which he wrote the first draft of his SpiritualContinue reading “Oremus for Thursday, July 31, 2025”

William WilberforceWilliam Wilberforce was born in 1759 in Hull. Converted to an Evangelical piety within the Church of England, Wilberforce decided to serve the faith in Parliament instead of being ordained, becoming a Member of Parliament at the age of twenty-one. He was a supporter of missionary initiatives and helped found The Bible Society. SettlingContinue reading “Oremus for Wednesday, July 30, 2025”

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany The gospels describe how Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus gave Jesus hospitality in their home at Bethany outside Jerusalem. Jesus is said to have loved all three. After Lazarus’ death, he wept and was moved by the sisters’ grief to bring Lazarus back from the dead. Martha recognisedContinue reading “Oremus for Tuesday, July 29, 2025”

Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685 into a family of musicians. As a youngster he studied violin and organ and served as a choirboy at the parish church. By early adulthood, Bach had already achieved an enviable reputation as a composer and performer. His assignments as a church musicianContinue reading “Oremus for Monday, July 28, 2025”

Antiphon1 Ant. Ask, and you will receive; *seek, and you shall find;knock, and it shall be opened to you;for all who ask, receive,he who seeks, finds,and to him who knocks it shall be opened, alleluia.V. In you, O Lord, I take refuge. *Let me never be put to shame.In your justice, set me free; *incline your earContinue reading “Oremus for Sunday, July 27, 2025”

Walter RauschenbuschBorn the son of a German preacher in upstate New York, Walter Rauschenbusch’s childhood was steeped in traditional Protestant doctrine and biblical literalism. While attending Rochester Theological Seminary, he came to believe that Jesus died “to substitute love for selfishness as the basis of human society.” For Rauschenbusch, the Kingdom of God was “notContinue reading “Oremus for Saturday, July 26, 2025”