Touching What Separates Us,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Loose The Bonds Of Injustice: The True Fast Of Lent,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Loose The Bonds Of Injustice: The True Fast Of Lent, Bella Brinkman
Obsculta
This reflection was written for and delivered to the community of the Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary on February 19, 2026. It reflects on Isaiah 58:6–8 and the theme of Lenten fasting, as part of the Midday Prayer Service during the first week of Lent. The reflection was composed and offered in the context of the ongoing immigration enforcement raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis. It invites the community into a deeper consideration of the Christian response to injustice during the Lenten season.
The Great Hall Under The Shadow Of The Abbey Church,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
The Great Hall Under The Shadow Of The Abbey Church, Doug Herbek
Obsculta
Great Hall in background, Abbey Church in foreground
A Shaded View Of Worship,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
The Incomprehensible God Who Wants To Reveal: Exodus 40 And Sirach 24,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
The Incomprehensible God Who Wants To Reveal: Exodus 40 And Sirach 24, Gilbert Perez
Obsculta
God's transcendence above everything is present in many theological traditions, who recognize and answer in a diverse number of ways the question of how to approach the incomprehensible. Using the Historical Critical Method of exegesis with examples from the works of the recently deceased Walter Brueggemann, two completely different contexts in the Old Testament: Exodus 40 and Sirach 24, are presented to show how scripture itself often responded to the question of how God is made comprehensible.
The Boardwalk,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
I Cry At Night Before You: Theologies Of Depression In The Psalms,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University
I Cry At Night Before You: Theologies Of Depression In The Psalms, Travis Spillum Osb
Obsculta
This work looks to the Psalms to discover theologies that resonate with experiences of depression. If one struggling with depression feels as if God is angry with them, that their condition is oppressing them, that loved ones have abandoned them, or that God's love for them is wavering, they can utilize the psalmist's words to voice their feelings and express their anguish in prayer to a God who is seemingly deaf to their groaning.
Row Your Boat,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Fulfilled In Your Hearing: What Has Been Fulfilled; What Remains To Be Heard,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Fulfilled In Your Hearing: What Has Been Fulfilled; What Remains To Be Heard, William Skudlarek Osb
Obsculta
This article reflects on the enduring legacy and contemporary relevance of Fulfilled in Your Hearing, the 1982 U.S. bishops’ official statement on the Sunday homily. Written by the document’s principal drafter, the piece explores the text’s revolutionary methodological shift: moving the starting point of preaching away from the preacher or the isolated text and toward the assembly gathered for Eucharist. The author argues that the homily is not an exegetical lecture or a discourse on morality but a sacramental interpretation of human existence through the lens of Scripture that calls the assembled worshippers to conversion, thanksgiving, and service. Central to …
Paul: A Man Called To Reform Status: The Radical Practice Of “One In Christ”,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Paul: A Man Called To Reform Status: The Radical Practice Of “One In Christ”, Garrett S. "Faustino" Miller
Obsculta
This paper explores Saint Paul's ministerial pedagogy as he challenged Roman social hierarchies by calling believers to a radical unity as "one in Christ." By examining what this radical practice means, and what it is rooted in, this paper also urges readers toward the same radical and transformative vision of Christian oneness; a vision that seeks to build bridges rather than walls in the world today.
St. John's Leaves In The Fall,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Lights Of The Lake,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Theology As A Form Of Prayer,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Theology As A Form Of Prayer, Melissa Tovar-Guerrero
Obsculta
This piece reflects on the essential tasks of theology to foster practical expressions of prayer, to establish a fruitful and transformative dialogue with the Trinity through Christian meditation.
All Guests Are To Be Welcomed As Christ,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
All Guests Are To Be Welcomed As Christ, Doug Herbek
Obsculta
In Saint John's Abbey Guesthouse
Chapel Walk, Stepping Logs,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Chapel Walk, Stepping Logs, Barbara Marincel
Obsculta
Photograph taken in October on a walk out to the Stella Maris Chapel at Saint John's University
Tree That Bites,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Human Freedom And God’S Image In Undocumented People,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Human Freedom And God’S Image In Undocumented People, An Nguyen
Obsculta
This article explores the relationship of human freedom in the theological perspective and undocumented immigrants in the United States: how immigrants embody the divine image, Imago Dei, despite legal and social constraints. I will begin with the theological foundation—freedom as a distinguishing characteristic of God’s image in humanity—and analyze the complex nature of freedom as both a divine gift and a human responsibility. Additionally, I will demonstrate that the Church has a special responsibility to recognize and affirm the inherent dignity of undocumented people by drawing from Catholic social teaching, migration studies, and theological anthropology, ultimately calling for pastoral practices …
Called From Within The Community: The Vocation Of Undocumented Hispanic Men To The Diaconate,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Called From Within The Community: The Vocation Of Undocumented Hispanic Men To The Diaconate, Anisabel Palma
Obsculta
This paper examines the discernment of undocumented Hispanic men to the diaconate within a diocese facing growing Hispanic populations and a shortage of Spanish-speaking clergy. Using ethnographic research, theological reflection, and historical analysis, it argues that this reality should be discerned not as a pastoral problem but as a response to concrete community needs. Interpreted through four theological perspectives (sacred vocation, divine initiative, unconventional divine choice, and the community-oriented nature of diaconal ministry) the study proposes that welcoming undocumented men into formal discernment and formation for the diaconate constitutes a faithful and ecclesial response to the Church’s mission.
Emmaus Sundown,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Second Edition Of The Liturgy Of The Hours: Impact On The American Diaconate,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Second Edition Of The Liturgy Of The Hours: Impact On The American Diaconate, Michael Walsh
Obsculta
This piece explores the upcoming Second Edition of the English Liturgy of the Hours coming to the United States. This piece touches on the psalter, hymnal, and other portions of the new edition as well as the publishing companies chosen by the USCCB to promulgate it. This piece highlights the impact this new edition can have on all of the faithful but particularly the American Diaconate.
