I was just blessed to see Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon at my church's feast--the feast of the Holy Transfiguration on Wednesday. My Church and All Saints has enjoyed a close relationship. I like his book of Christ in the Psalms and on the atonement.
You’ve introduced me to a thinker I should have known.
I often dwell on the secular resonance of faith—believing that grace doesn’t need a signature. Or, as I sometimes say, “God doesn’t sign his sunsets.” Perhaps, technically, that’s praeparatio evangelica—a first word, a preamble, a goad toward the larger story and God’s last word in Christ. I usually leave that last word implicit, more as a question than the answer I also believe.
Fr. Reardon, with his natural erudition—warm and inviting—gives us the rest of the words, or rather, reminds us of them. He helps tell the fuller story of Christian faith, beyond our own questions and answers. I know that story. But he moves me toward a richer way of speaking it—naming the unnameable, no holds barred.
I suspect there’s something in my disposition that speaks for many of us—and in Fr. Reardon’s words, much that speaks to all of us who call ourselves Christian.
I used to be part of a discussion group with Rod Whitacre, David Mills and others at Tom Howard's place and others including mine back in the early-mid 80's. We called it Beer and Bull. Maybe you were one of those wayward guests. He was teaching Greek at GCTS near Boston at the time. I forget where he went after that.
I did indeed drop in on the Beer and Bull meetings circa 1983. I first met David Mills at that time, and Rod about a year later at TESM. Perhaps we crossed paths then.
I would have been there, probably with a pipe and not saying much. The meetings became smaller after awhile but fun. We had some interesting people pop by. Many went their separate ways by the late 80's.
I was just blessed to see Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon at my church's feast--the feast of the Holy Transfiguration on Wednesday. My Church and All Saints has enjoyed a close relationship. I like his book of Christ in the Psalms and on the atonement.
You’ve introduced me to a thinker I should have known.
I often dwell on the secular resonance of faith—believing that grace doesn’t need a signature. Or, as I sometimes say, “God doesn’t sign his sunsets.” Perhaps, technically, that’s praeparatio evangelica—a first word, a preamble, a goad toward the larger story and God’s last word in Christ. I usually leave that last word implicit, more as a question than the answer I also believe.
Fr. Reardon, with his natural erudition—warm and inviting—gives us the rest of the words, or rather, reminds us of them. He helps tell the fuller story of Christian faith, beyond our own questions and answers. I know that story. But he moves me toward a richer way of speaking it—naming the unnameable, no holds barred.
I suspect there’s something in my disposition that speaks for many of us—and in Fr. Reardon’s words, much that speaks to all of us who call ourselves Christian.
Thank you for this post.
I used to be part of a discussion group with Rod Whitacre, David Mills and others at Tom Howard's place and others including mine back in the early-mid 80's. We called it Beer and Bull. Maybe you were one of those wayward guests. He was teaching Greek at GCTS near Boston at the time. I forget where he went after that.
I did indeed drop in on the Beer and Bull meetings circa 1983. I first met David Mills at that time, and Rod about a year later at TESM. Perhaps we crossed paths then.
I would have been there, probably with a pipe and not saying much. The meetings became smaller after awhile but fun. We had some interesting people pop by. Many went their separate ways by the late 80's.