Category Archives: Neil

(This is Neil) Dear brothers and sisters, as disciples of the Lord we have a common responsibility to the world, we must carry out a common service: as the first Christian community of Jerusalem, beginning from what we already share, … Continue reading →

(This is Neil.) “[O]ur hope is alive that, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, many diligent and competent persons who work in the ecumenical realm, will be able to make their contribution to the achievement of this great ecumenical … Continue reading →

(This is Neil. I’m back. You can find the readings, commentaries, and prayers for the entire week here. Please pray with me.) Day 1 The Church in Jerusalem Readings Joel 2:21-22, 28-29 I will pour out my spirit on all … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) This coming Tuesday is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, or Candlemas. The readings can be found here (or, alternately, here). The learned Anglican Bishop of Gibraltar, Geoffrey Rowell, in his Credo column for the … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) The editor of New Blackfriars has generously made a number of articles about Thomas Aquinas freely available. One of them is Yves Congar’s “Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Spirit of Ecumenism,” originally published in 1974 (see here … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) Day 8 Theme: Witness through Hospitality Text – Have you anything here to eat? (Luke 24:41) Readings Gen 18:1-8 Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves Psalm 146 He who gives justice to … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) Day 7 Pray for what we need …help the weak (1 Thess 5: 14) 1 Sam 1: 9-20 Hannah prays for a son Ps 86 Listen to my cry of supplication 1 Thess 5: (12a)13b-18 We urge … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) If you are like me, you have already concluded that there is far too much to read, and, consequently, have stopped reading most comment sections. However, I found the following comment by the scholar Philip A. Cunningham, … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) Day 6 Theme: Witness through Faithfulness to the Scriptures Text – Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us? (Luke 24:32) … Continue reading →

(This is Neil. I’m sorry that I was unable to post this yesterday.) Day 5 Theme: Witness through suffering Text – Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory? (Luke 24:26) … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) The Orthodox priest John Breck’s “Life in Christ” column is presently about Haiti. I would like to make one quick note before I provide an excerpt. Breck writes, “Most people, including many Orthodox Christians, have had their … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) Day 4 Theme: Bearing witness through celebrating the faith we have received Text – “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth.” (Luke 24:19) Readings Deuteronomy 6:3-9 The Lord is our God, the Lord alone … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) All of the material can be found here. Yesterday, the Pope received an ecumenical delegation of the Lutheran Church in Finland and said: The Second Vatican Council committed the Catholic Church “irrevocably to following the path of … Continue reading →

(This is Neil) The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins today. The Pope has said (for translation, see here): Our proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus will be much more credible and effective the more that we are united … Continue reading →