Sharing the Word for May 23, 2020
All the people over all the earth are invited to be joyful in the Lord because God is king over everything. He is enthroned over all the nations.
Franciscan Christmas in Austria
This is a country where the normal greeting is a smiling “Grüss Gott ” ( “God be with you “). The spirit of this greeting is lived out in the season celebrating the Incarnation of that goodness in Jesus Christ.
Faith and Works: Catholics and Lutherans Find Agreement
So is it faith or works? When the Vatican and the Lutheran World Federation signed a historic joint declaration on justification last October, some media, notably The Wall Street Journal, declared Lutherans the victors.
Dolly Parton’s America
“You’ve paid a lot of money to come here tonight, ” Dolly Parton once said to an adoring London crowd, “and I want you to know that I appreciate it because I do need the money. You’d be amazed at how much money it can really take to make a person look so cheap. “
Saint Gregory VII
Saint Gregory VII, originally known as Hildebrand, was a reformer before and during his papacy. He struggled to gain the Church’s freedom from undue civil influence and paid a price for his efforts. Gregory VII died in exile in 1085. Thirty years after his death, the Church won its struggle.
Red, White, and Green Martyrs?
In the book How the Irish Saved Civilization (Doubleday), Thomas Cahill talks about both green and white martyrdom. According to Cahill, Ireland was unique in that Christianity was introduced there without bloodshed (red martyrdom).
