Author Archives: Steve Benner

Martyrs of RwandaIn a time span of one hundred days, between April and July 1994, Rwanda’s political arena imploded. The country collapsed into chaos, and violence escalated into the genocide of one million people among members of the Tutsi ethnic group and moderate components of the Hutu ethnic majority in the country. The genocide occurredContinue reading “Oremus for Monday, April 7, 2025”

Antiphon1 Ant. If a man would serve me, let him follow me;wherever I am, my servant will be there too.V. O Lord, hear a cause that is just; *pay heed to my cry.Turn your ear to my prayer: *no deceit is on my lips.From you may my justice come forth. *Your eyes discern what is upright. John 12;Continue reading “Oremus for Sunday, April 6, 2025”

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/2up5tr2v Look to your covenant, O Lord,and forget not the life of your poor ones for ever.Arise, O God, and defend your cause,and forget not the cries of those who seek you. Psalm 74 Gracious God,our sins are too heavy to carry,too real to hide,and too deep to undo.Forgive what our lips tremble to name,what ourContinue reading “Oremus for Saturday, April 5, 2025”

Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta. As the son and grandson of Baptist preachers, he was steeped in the Black Church tradition. In 1954, King became pastor of a church in Montgomery, Alabama. There, Black indignation at inhumane treatment on segregated buses culminated in December, 1955,Continue reading “Oremus for Friday, April 4, 2025”

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/48bst233 Blessed are the peacemakers,for they shall be called children of God.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5 Eternal God, our judge and redeemer,we confess that we have tried to hide from you,for we have done wrong.We have lived for ourselves,and apart from you.WeContinue reading “Oremus for Thursday, April 3, 2025”

Frederick Denison MauriceIn the same year that Karl Marx declared religion to be the “opiate of the people,” Frederick Denison Maurice wrote, “We have been dosing our people with religion when what they want is not this but the living God.” Like Marx, Maurice wanted to solve the questions of our complex society; unlike Marx,Continue reading “Oremus for Tuesday, April 1, 2025”

John DonneJohn Donne was born in about the year 1571 and brought up as a Roman Catholic. He was a great-great nephew of Thomas More, although this seems to have had little influence on him, as he led a somewhat debauched youth and was extremely sceptical about all religion. He went up to Oxford when he wasContinue reading “Oremus for Monday, March 31, 2025”

Antiphon1 Ant. Rejoice, O Jerusalem; and gather round, all you who love her;*rejoice in gladness, after having been in sorrow;exult and be replenished with the consolationflowing from her motherly bosom.V. I rejoiced when they said to me, *“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”And now our feet are standing *within your gates, O Jerusalem. Isaiah 66;Continue reading “Oremus for Sunday, March 30, 2025”

John KebleKeble, born in 1792, received his early education in his father’s vicarage. At fourteen, he won a scholarship to Oxford and graduated in 1811 with highest honors. He served the University in several capacities, including ten years as Professor of Poetry. After ordination in 1816 he had a series of rural curacies, and finallyContinue reading “Oremus for Saturday, March 29, 2025”