Author Archives: Steve Benner

Anniversary of the Bombing of HiroshimaOn this day in 1945, the United States hastened the end of World War II in the Pacific by dropping the first nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, it bombed the city of Nagasaki. The Japanese surrendered shortly thereafter. Given what we now know aboutContinue reading “Oremus for Tuesday, August 6, 2024”

John Mason NealeJohn Mason Neale was born in 1818 and, whilst an undergraduate at Cambridge, was influenced by the ideas of the Tractarians. He was a founder of the Cambridge Camden Society, which stimulated interest in ecclesiastical art and which played a part in the revival of Catholic ritual in the Church of England. WhilstContinue reading “Oremus for Monday, August 5, 2024”

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 Almighty God,to whomContinue reading “Oremus for Sunday, August 4, 2024”

Flannery O’ConnorFlannery O’Connor is considered one of America’s greatest fiction writers and one of the strongest apologists for Roman Catholicism in the twentieth century. Born of the marriage of two of Georgia’s oldest Catholic families, O’Connor was a devout believer whose small but impressive body of fiction presents the soul’s struggle with what she called the “stinkingContinue reading “Oremus for Saturday, August 3, 2024”

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 Friday, August 2, 2024”

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 Thursday, August 1, 2024”

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 Wednesday, July 31, 2024”

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 Tuesday, July 30, 2024”

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 Monday, July 29, 2024”

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 28, 2024”