In a cupboard in heavenstands a big old bucketinto which God poursour suffering and painand sadnessand all the coloursof our helplessness and out of which he takesdeep draughts every daydraining, drawing its terriblerainbow profusioninto his heart and drinking, hearswords uttered long agoby his own crackedlips: “I thirst!”and the crucial echo in thatGod-forsaken wastethe declaration:“Finished!” and from …
Morning prayer for Wednesday 1 July 2026
Invocation + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Pause for reflection Good morning, heavenly Father.We worship you, the creator and sustainer of the universe. Good morning, Lord Jesus.We worship you, Saviour and Lord of the world. Good morning, Holy Spirit.We worship you, sanctifier of the people …
Does redemptive suffering change us?
Pope St John Paul II led the Catholic Church for more than a quarter of a century. He died in 2005. Redemptive suffering names a difficult but enduring claim at the heart of Christian reflection: that suffering, while never good in itself, may, under certain conditions, become the occasion of transformation. It is not pain …
Reception of René Girard’s intriguing ideas
French theorist of the social sciences René Girard’s intellectual legacy combines remarkable explanatory power with sustained controversy. His theory of mimetic desire has influenced literary studies, anthropology, philosophy, and theology, yet it has also attracted significant criticism. Within Christian theology, Girard has been received both as an insightful interpreter of the biblical narrative and as …
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Ecumenism across the Christian traditions
The Ecumenical Center, World Council of Churches, Geneva, as it looked in 1970 (lower half of photograph). Ecumenism is a movement that seeks to foster greater unity, reconciliation, and cooperation among Christians. The term derives from the Greek word oikoumene (“the whole inhabited world”) and reflects Jesus' prayer that his followers "may all be one" (John 17:21). …
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