You Can Kill the Prophets, but More Effective is to Shower Praise and Do Nothing

Last updated on: October 8, 2019 at 8:27 am By Jack Hartjes

Greta Thunberg, young Swedish climate activist, has spoken in several venues since arriving on our shores by solar-powered sailboat. When testifying before a Congressional committee along with three others young people, she was mostly silent. She gracefully let the others carry the ball, including one Republican who carried it sideways or even a little backward. But speaking on her own, she has been precise, eloquent, and devastating. We have a “CO2 budget” of 350 gigatons to keep global warming to... Read more

Climate Week, Many Words, and (Maybe) Action Plans

Last updated on: September 19, 2019 at 8:43 pm By Jack Hartjes

A preaching that does not point out sin is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good, so that they are secured in their sinful state, betrays the gospel’s call. – Oscar Romero Greta Thunberg is the right person at the right time. When congresspersons praise her for her courage, she says, “I don’t want your praise. I want you to do something.” When they say they hear her, she says, “Don’t listen to me.... Read more

“This Page Intentionally Left Blank” and More Superfluous Words on the Feast of St. John Chrysostom

Last updated on: September 16, 2019 at 5:24 am By Jack Hartjes

St. John Chrysostom, the “Golden Mouth,” has September 13 for his feast day. Famous for his eloquence and two-hour sermons, he is the patron saint of preachers. I can’t help smiling at the following bit of irony. On the very feast of this master of words, looking through the day’s mail, I turned a sheet over and came to these utterly useless words: “This page intentionally left blank.” Have you noticed that whenever you read, “This page intentionally left blank,”... Read more

Anointing of the Sick Celebrates Healing, Healers, and, Most of All, People who Want to be Healed

Last updated on: September 13, 2019 at 6:12 am By Jack Hartjes

Celebrations of Grace: The Sacraments of the Catholic Church, Part 15 Sometimes death is just the last gift a person gives us, the final chapter in the book of blessings that he or she is for us. It was that way for me in the deaths in the same year of both my parents—times of inspiration, family togetherness, and love. I didn’t want to think about gift when my brother and my niece died too soon of cancer, but the... Read more

It’s Patriot Day. What Have We Learned from 9/11?

Last updated on: September 11, 2019 at 6:12 am By Jack Hartjes

It’s Patriot Day, the anniversary of the most horrible attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. If an event is worth remembering, it’s because it contains lessons for us and because it has changed us in important ways. I hope I’ll be pardoned for wondering on this Patriot Day if the change has been mostly positive or negative. What lessons have we taken from 9/11? How has it changed us? Has it reinforced in us the idea that it’s us... Read more

Reconciliation Happens, Against All Odds

Last updated on: September 13, 2019 at 6:12 am By Jack Hartjes

Celebrations of Grace: The Sacraments of the Catholic Church, Part 14 We often think about the Sacrament of Reconciliation—or any occasion when reconciliation might be in order—backwards. We think: First, the person who committed the offense shows some evidence of sorrow. Then the injured party forgives and reconciliation can occur.  Actually, it works much better the other way around.  It’s easier to be sorry when you know you’ve been forgiven already. The many sayings of Jesus on this subject are... Read more

Confirmation, Support for a Journey that isn’t Nearly Complete

Last updated on: November 5, 2021 at 5:12 pm By Jack Hartjes

Celebrations of Grace: The Sacraments of the Catholic Church, Part 13 It wasn’t easy to decide what to tell 11th graders about the Sacrament of Confirmation. From their older brothers and sisters to their teachers to the shape of the Confirmation program itself, the common perception of the sacrament is: “sacrament of maturity in the faith.” Joanna Wahlund (“Stop Holding the Sacraments Hostage: Confirmation”) has an excellent critique of this way of looking at Confirmation. My textbook didn’t say Confirmation... Read more

Have you heard of Greta Thunberg?

Last updated on: October 8, 2019 at 8:28 am By Jack Hartjes

I was chatting with an old acquaintance up in St. Cloud. She’s from England and would like to go back for a visit but was wishing there could be a way of going there other than by plane. I responded, “I’m so excited about Greta Thunberg!” She said, “You’re the first person I’ve talked to who knew who Greta Thunberg is.” I’ve written about Greta Thunberg before, here. She is probably the world’s most reported-on climate activist at the moment.... Read more

Conversion of an Angel: Some Corporations Show it can be Done

Last updated on: June 20, 2022 at 7:12 am By Jack Hartjes

Writing about corporations is a strange way to honor labor – unless it’s about a hope that corporations may turn to the good side. Walter Wink’s interpretation of angels justifies connecting such religious terms as angels and conversion with economic institutions. You can find my presentation and minor criticism of Wink’s view of angels in a series of posts here, here, here, and here. In several books[i] about the New Testament’s “powers” language, Wink assures us there really are such... Read more

Amazon Fires, the Churches, and the Coming Amazon Synod

Last updated on: August 30, 2019 at 9:04 am By Jack Hartjes

Religion News Service published an article on the different ways churches are responding to the fires in the Amazon rainforest. Beyond the simply ecumenical and purely political issues, it prompts some thinking about the relation between Church and state. That’s a theme I explored in a series on the regime of dictator Augusto Pinochet and the response of the Catholic Church. Chile’s bishops ultimately abandoned the mode of exhorting and enunciating general principles and pursued actions that included networks of... Read more