Good News

By Br. James Koester | April 24, 2023 |
For those first followers of Jesus, the resurrection was good news, not because it covered over the stink of war, aggression, religious intolerance, political power games, and military occupation. The resurrection was good news because it gave them hope. For if God can raise Jesus from the dead, then all things can be made new.

Br. James Koester, SSJE
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Resurrection

By Br. James Koester | April 17, 2023 |
Something strange has happened. Fear has turned to faith. Grief has turned to joy. Terror has turned to courage. Locked doors, meant to keep things out, cannot now keep things in. In our midst the Risen Lord speaks to us words of peace: “Peace be with you!” And in those words we know the power of the resurrection.

Br. James Koester, SSJE
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Hope

By Br. James Koester | April 9, 2023 |
Easter is a feast of hope. Not because the resurrection is a nice idea for wishful thinkers, but because God’s promise of life and liberty to all who believe is real. We know that God will keep the Divine Promise and grant us life, liberty, and healing, even as we live in the shadow of death.

Br. James Koester, SSJE
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Ark

By Br. James Koester | March 25, 2023 |

If Mary’s vocation was to be the Ark of God, then so too is ours. For when Mary assented to God’s choice that she bear, carry, and give birth to the Word made Flesh, she became the Ark of God. When we say yes to God, Jesus is planted in our hearts, and we too become Arks of God.

Br. James Koester, SSJE
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Opportunity

By Br. James Koester | March 20, 2023 |
Today we have the opportunity to encounter Christ once again. We have the opportunity to respond to the invitation of God to follow him, and to discover for ourselves the riches of heaven. Or we can turn away, sad and grieving, believing that God is asking too much, or that the cost is too great. In either case, the result is the same: we will be changed.

Br. James Koester, SSJE
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Truth

By Br. James Koester | March 14, 2023 |

Whenever you wonder if something is the truth, or if someone is speaking the truth, ask yourself if it is a manifestation of Jesus. If it’s not, then that is the real ‘fake news.’ If it is a manifestation of truth, then it will be a manifestation of Jesus, who brings transformation and hope, and you will catch a glimpse of the world over which Christ reigns.

Br. James Koester, SSJE
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Living Water – Br. James Koester

By Br. James Koester | March 12, 2023 |

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John 4:5-42

Religious art is fascinating, not simply because of what it depicts, but how the artist portrays the subject matter. Art, in whatever form, is about interpretation, and the arts acts as the interpreter, using a particular medium or form to do so, with each interpretation radically different than the next. It is fascinating to see how different artists interpret and portray the same subject.

One such piece of art that fascinates me, and I’ve seen it several times, is a small porcelain figurine that depicts this encounter between Jesus, and the Samaritan woman. [1]

Jesus sits on one side of the well. He is tall, handsome, masculine, with lots of shoulder length hair. He is deep in conversation with the woman. She stands, leaning over with her elbow resting on the wellhead. She looks directly at Jesus. Her hair is loose and flowing, and her dress is falling off one shoulder. Her hand is under her chin, just so. She is enticing, alluring, and attractive. Read More

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Meaning

By Br. James Koester | March 6, 2023 |

Life would be easier, convenient, and sometimes more fun if we didn’t have to contend with this God thing. But we would be vastly poorer for it. Life in union with God has the power to fill us with faith, love, and meaning. In a world where so much seems meaningless, life in union with God is good news indeed.

Br. James Koester, SSJE
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The Divine Rule of Prayer – Br. James Koester

By Br. James Koester | February 28, 2023 |

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Matthew 6:7-15

One of Father Benson’s less well-known books is a small volume entitled The Divine Rule of Prayer or Considerations upon the Lord’s Prayer. It was published in 1866, the same year he, Father Grafton, and Father O’Neill made their professions as the first members of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist.

What is fascinating, in part, about this book, is that in two short chapters, both about 2500 words long, he lays before the reader his understanding of the nature and purpose of prayer. He does this by constantly rooting himself in Lord’s Prayer, of which he says as prayer is the great work of life, so the Lord’s Prayer is the great form and model of [all] prayer.[1]

Many of the themes which Father Benson introduces to his audience in this book, he picks up repeatedly over the course of his life, in his other writings. Reading things published many years after The Divine Rule we hear echoes of what he says within it, perhaps reminding us that most, including it would seem Father Benson, have only one or two things worth saying, and we spend the rest of our lives saying them in different ways. Read More

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