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Articles 1 - 30 of 88
Full-Text Articles in Liturgy and Worship
Alumni Spotlight: Ezekiel Prophet Of Hope Address, Mark J. Seitz
Alumni Spotlight: Ezekiel Prophet Of Hope Address, Mark J. Seitz
Obsculta
This lecture was delivered by Bishop Mark J. Seitz upon receipt of the Ezekiel Prophet of Hope Award from Saint John’s University in August of 2025. The Ezekiel Prophet of Hope Award seeks to lift up alumni or alumnae of Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary who have dynamically lived out the principles of collaboration and ecumenism that are at the heart of the mission and the Benedictine heritage of Saint John’s. Just as Ezekiel saw a splendid vision of the new and everlasting temple, modern prophets off er us new and sustainable visions for the church.
Loose The Bonds Of Injustice: The True Fast Of Lent, Bella Brinkman
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.
Fulfilled In Your Hearing: What Has Been Fulfilled; What Remains To Be Heard, William Skudlarek Osb
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 …
Theology As A Form Of Prayer, Melissa Tovar-Guerrero
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.
Called From Within The Community: The Vocation Of Undocumented Hispanic Men To The Diaconate, Anisabel Palma
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.
Second Edition Of The Liturgy Of The Hours: Impact On The American Diaconate, Michael Walsh
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.
Wedding Appropriate?: A Reflection On 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, Barbara Kowalkowski Osb
Wedding Appropriate?: A Reflection On 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, Barbara Kowalkowski Osb
Obsculta
This piece looks at whether the passage of 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a (the wedding verses) is overused or misused as one of the most popular readings during wedding ceremonies by considering the context of the passage. It delves into whether its use leads to misunderstanding among those gathered for their wedding on what its true meaning is.
Schillebeeckx And Homilies: Why Should Sermons Be More Than Words?, Paulinus Daeli
Schillebeeckx And Homilies: Why Should Sermons Be More Than Words?, Paulinus Daeli
Obsculta
This article highlights the importance of good preaching by exploring the relationship between theology, rhetoric, and spirituality through the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx. It argues that preaching must go beyond words to create a deep experience for the congregation. By exploring Schillebeeckx's theological foundations, the article also discusses the conflict between the liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist in Holy Mass, and suggests a comprehensive approach to preaching. The article emphasizes that both aspects of the Mass must work in harmony to provide spiritual nourishment. Finally, it concludes by emphasizing the importance of preaching as a communal act, which …
Dance Partners, Francis Agnoli
Dance Partners, Francis Agnoli
Obsculta
Using dance as an organizing image, the preacher explores the relationship between works and grace in a homily preached at midday prayer at the School of Theology on September 25, 2025. The text proclaimed at prayer was Ephesians 2:4-10. Music sung at prayer included "El Señor es compasivo y misericordioso" (Psalm 103, Peter Kolar) and "Amazing Grace."
Caring For Our Neighbors: Public Prayer As A Pastoral Tool For Multicultural Communities, Gilbert Perez
Caring For Our Neighbors: Public Prayer As A Pastoral Tool For Multicultural Communities, Gilbert Perez
School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses
Throughout 2025 and in the first few months of 2026 there has been an increased presence of immigration law enforcement in the state of Minnesota, which has extended into the central Minnesotan diocese of St. Cloud.
Instaurare Omnia In Christo: The Vision Of Virgil Michel, Henry Widdicombe
Instaurare Omnia In Christo: The Vision Of Virgil Michel, Henry Widdicombe
Obsculta
The vision of Virgil Michel was of an integration of the liturgy with life—he considered the liturgy to be the ground for social regeneration. This essay will first explore that idea but, following that, will contextualize the quest for integration within the particular sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist—particularly as it concerns participation in and consciousness of those sacraments. To synthesize, the essay will expound the basics of Virgil’s thought on the Mystical Body of Christ. In conclusion, the essay will set out the issue behind the issues that plagues liturgy—what Romano Guardini has proffered as the inability of …
Homily For Mass Of The Holy Spirit, Dale Launderville Osb
Homily For Mass Of The Holy Spirit, Dale Launderville Osb
Obsculta
This year, the monks of Saint John’s Abbey, the sponsoring religious order of the Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, convened to elect a new abbot, after the retirement of the previous, who had served for twenty years. This homily was given by Father Dale Launderville, OSB at the Mass of the Holy Spirit, which both opened the official election process and was the culmination of a year-long process of discernment and prayer that enable the monks to enter the voting confident of the aid of the Holy Spirit.
Different Forms Of Power In Worship Spaces, Patrick Russell
Different Forms Of Power In Worship Spaces, Patrick Russell
Obsculta
This project examines the importance of power in a worship space. In particular, looking at the historical structures of St. Paul's Cathedral in London and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, this paper strives to lay out the presence of power inherent in places of worship. While other aspects could be used: power as a political structure, power of shared identity, power of scale, and power as a means of limits are given here for consideration.
Gluten-Free Hosts And The Cross: Revelatory Suffering In Christianity, Gilbert Perez
Gluten-Free Hosts And The Cross: Revelatory Suffering In Christianity, Gilbert Perez
Obsculta
The body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus are said to be made present by the Eucharist: bread and wine placed on the altar. However, the Roman Catholic Church teaches there is no validity to consecrations with gluten-free Hosts. This article notes the past permissions on gluten-free hosts and explores how present and former practices exhibit the nature of the Crucifixion, humanity’s participation in a world it abuses, and, furthermore, how to remedy this source of exclusion.
Sunday Celebration In The Absence Of A Priest And Women's Role In Presiding, Kristyn Demers
Sunday Celebration In The Absence Of A Priest And Women's Role In Presiding, Kristyn Demers
Obsculta
This essay explores instances of Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest, specifically within the rural context where the effects of the priesthood shortage are felt most strongly. Additionally, this paper examines the role that women play in the church, especially the rural church, and calls for the church to respond by creating more equitable roles for women within church leadership and ministry.
To Embody Christ's Image: Queer Presence In Liturgy, Maggie Nadalin
To Embody Christ's Image: Queer Presence In Liturgy, Maggie Nadalin
Obsculta
This paper examines how approaching liturgical issues from a Queer vantage-point in both theory and practice offers a fresh lens for not only understanding liturgy but recognizing the urgent need for Queer-influenced liturgical rites.
Blessed, Broken, And Shared, Joseph Penny
Blessed, Broken, And Shared, Joseph Penny
Obsculta
This paper seeks to boldly confront the evils of racism while simultaneously pointing to a renewed baptismal ecclesiology and a praxis of radical communion as a way forward. Venturing into the unknown, we will persevere onward to the road less traveled by briefly charting the Catholic Church's historical cooperation with White Supremacy. We will also celebrate the wisdom gleaned from Black and Latin American communities and their seemingly mundane yet deeply sacred rituals.
Christ In You Is Your Hope Of Glory: Exploring Colossians In The Sunday Lectionary, Maggie Nadalin
Christ In You Is Your Hope Of Glory: Exploring Colossians In The Sunday Lectionary, Maggie Nadalin
Obsculta
This paper was submitted in the Fall of 2022 as an assignment for LTGY 421: The Liturgical Year and the Word of God, exploring the use of Paul's letter to the Colossians in the lectionary cycle.
Two Churches, One Vision: Sacred Architecture As A Reflection Of Benedictine Values And Liturgical Reform, Katheryn Wethli
Two Churches, One Vision: Sacred Architecture As A Reflection Of Benedictine Values And Liturgical Reform, Katheryn Wethli
Obsculta
This piece compares the architecture of the worshipping spaces of Saint Benedict's Monastery's Sacred Heart Chapel and Saint John's Abbey Church; presenting how the worshiping spaces uplift their monastic communities’ Benedictine values and demonstrate their monastic call towards evangelizing the Gospel in the modern world, highlighting the liturgical reforms of the mid-20th century.
Incarnate Spirits: The Embodied Roots Of Worship, Henry O. Widdicombe
Incarnate Spirits: The Embodied Roots Of Worship, Henry O. Widdicombe
Obsculta
Spirituality is “how the Spirit of Jesus enables Christians to grow into fullness with God in this life and in particular historical circumstances.” The role of the community is definitive in shaping the spirituality of an individual and the interior dynamism of spirit is contextualized by incarnate experience. This piece employs the thought of Bernard Lonergan, SJ bolstered with the work of two Lonergan scholars, Ian Bell and Timothy Brunk, on the notion of a “worshipful” pattern of experience.
Anger And Hope In Rural American Liturgy, Benjamin Durheim
Anger And Hope In Rural American Liturgy, Benjamin Durheim
Theology Faculty Publications
Sociologists and political scientists have published a number of studies recently dealing with the tumultuous and often angry ethos of rural and small-town America. However, while a number of scholars have recognized that the anger and resentment present in much of the atmosphere of rural and small-town America is multifaceted and deeper than a simple desire for policy change, very little scholarly work has focused specifically on the role of ritual in exacerbating or alleviating social anger in these contexts. This article argues that the liturgical cultivation of hope is a powerful antidote to the vitriol of the political atmosphere …
Eucharist, Kenosis & Ignatius Of Antioch's Johannine Ecclesiology, Jayan Koshy
Eucharist, Kenosis & Ignatius Of Antioch's Johannine Ecclesiology, Jayan Koshy
Obsculta
An anti-hierarchical ethos has been assumed in John’s Gospel by much modern biblical scholarship. The Johannine community functions, especially for non-episcopal communions, as an emblem of “flat” ecclesiology in the early Church, defying the Synoptic emphasis on apostolic ministry. However, recent scholarship destabilizes this consensus, drawing on figures associated with John in early tradition to present alternative Johannine ecclesiologies. Andrew Byers, for instance, seeks to harmonize Ignatius of Antioch’s high theology of the episcopacy with the theology of John’s Gospel. Building on Byers’ work, this essay argues that the Johannine tradition is not only compatible with Ignatius, but even supplies …
Liturgical Signs And Gestures, Chinh Nguyen Op
Liturgical Signs And Gestures, Chinh Nguyen Op
Obsculta
Fully, consciously, and actively participating in the sacred liturgy was one of the goals of the renewal of the liturgy called for by the Second Vatican Council. This paper explores the question, how do we enter in? The answer is there are many ways to help the faithful take part in the sacred action of the liturgy. One of the best ways is understanding what we are doing or celebrating in the Sacred Liturgy of the Church. The practical way is comprehension of the meaning of the liturgical gestures.
The Church As Polis, Amy Wen
The Church As Polis, Amy Wen
Obsculta
This paper aims to name a growing rift between belief and ethic in contemporary American society. It suggests the concept of liturgy as ‘primary theology’ and a liturgical anthropology as the solution to this rift. The paper picks up on voices from Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions to highlight an ecumenical approach in retrieving a Christian worshiping anthropology.
Reclaiming Rights To The Rites Of The Anointing, Kelly Olson
Reclaiming Rights To The Rites Of The Anointing, Kelly Olson
Obsculta
This submission is a paper written in response to the discussion of Jesus’ healing ministry restoring ethnomedical health of a community through healing particular individuals thus representing the need to reintegrate the marginalized within the body of the community and the utilization of the Rite of the Anointing as a communal sacrament to renegotiate the individual in the community amid circumstances contributing to the migration to the periphery creating discord and illness. I have used the diverse and global impact of the pandemic to illuminate imbalanced health of communities and the urgency with which we must respond through sacramental theology.
Christ, Be Our Light: An Epiphany Encounter, Marie T. Racine Osb
Christ, Be Our Light: An Epiphany Encounter, Marie T. Racine Osb
Obsculta
Can hymn singing during liturgy affect the worshipping community’s life in the world? This paper proposes that singing the hymn Christ, Be Our Light by Bernadette Farrell during the liturgy of the Feast of the Epiphany can help transform the hearts of the worshipping community and compel its members to the social action highlighted in the hymn. An examination of the theology of the Feast through the lens of its proper prayers, a theological and literary analysis of the lyrics and analysis of the musical setting of the hymn reveal a strong connection between hymn and Feast. A theology of …
We Come From The Same Body: Reflecting On The Feasibility Of Women's Participation In Liturgical Services From The Perspective Of Susan A. Ross’S Feminist Theology, And Reflecting On The Practice Of Relevant Theories In The Diocese Of Hong Kong, Wong Kwan Yau
Obsculta
In this paper, I discuss the relationship between feminism and women’s liturgical service in the church from three aspects. In the first part, I will give a general description about the development of women’s social status, hoping to show that how women have always struggling to survive and strive for reasonable treatment in societies dominated by men. In the second part, I will turn to the work of Susan A. Ross, a Catholic feminist theologian, and show how from a feminist perspective, women can serve the church with men with their unique circumstances and advantages, and at the same time, …
In Defense Of Doubt(Ing Thomas), Meghan Stretar
In Defense Of Doubt(Ing Thomas), Meghan Stretar
Obsculta
Here is a fresh (somewhat satirical and sarcastic, New Yorker Shouts and Murmurs-inspired) interpretation about the importance of Thomas's doubt and a defense of having doubt in light of faith.
Brother John, August Turak
Brother John, August Turak
Obsculta
Recipient of the prestigious $100,000 Templeton Prize, Brother John is the true story of a magical Christmas encounter between the author, going through a midlife crisis, and an umbrella wielding Trappist monk. Uplifting, deeply moving, and set in the magnificent Trappist monastery of Mepkin Abbey, Brother John leads us to the redemptive power of an authentically purposeful life.
Lectio Of Surprises, Kathleen A. Cahalan
Lectio Of Surprises, Kathleen A. Cahalan
Obsculta
This is a short piece I wrote for Saint Paul Monastery’s Benedictine Center on lectio divina. It was posted on their blog in November 2019. I lead their School of Lectio Divina, a 6-day silent retreat, and wrote this piece about my own lectio practice. It included 3 pictures, which could not be uploaded in the document in this format. I’m happy to send them to you if you want this piece