by Peter James | Feb 24, 2024 | St. Ignatius of Antioch
They were different. Peculiar, some thought. An alien cult, perhaps. They did not join in worshiping Roman gods, nor did they participate in the gladiatorial games. Some accused them of being cannibalistic, given their secret rite of ingesting Jesus’ body and...
by Peter James | Feb 23, 2024 | Lewis Bayly
John Bunyan and his wife married in 1648 in a simple service befitting those who were poor. Mrs. Bunyan (history does not record her first name) had two books in her possession inherited from her father. One was titled The Practice of Piety, Directing a Christian how...
by Peter James | Feb 22, 2024 | Gelasian Sacramentary
I associated Ash Wednesday with Catholics in my childhood years. Receiving ashes on the forehead, giving up things for Lent, and refraining from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays were things only Catholics did. Silly me! Ashes have long been used as signs of humility and...
by Peter James | Feb 21, 2024 | Prayers for the Children
Jim Jarvis was homeless, living on the streets of east London. He was all of ten years old, an orphan whose mother likely died in a cholera outbreak. Jim attended the Ragged School for poor children. Its founder, Thomas John Barnardo (1845-1905), had been studying...
by Peter James | Feb 20, 2024 | Johann Hamann
I’m intrigued by the innumerable ways people come to saving faith in Christ. For some, conversion is dramatic and decisive. For others, it is gradual and progressive. Philosopher Johann Hamann (1730-1788) had elements of both in his spiritual awakening. He...
