Two of my favorite books of all time, The Shack (William Paul Young) and The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom) were both turned into movies. I don’t find this very often, but I did find these two movies were every bit as good as the books that spawned them. While they are both pure fiction, they nevertheless include deep truths about life, faith, forgiveness, and love that give you reason to do some self-reflection before moving …
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I remember being at a talk 30 years ago, given by John Shea, who was invited to speak at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa. John Shea is a theologian from Chicago, and the best storyteller I have ever heard. One of the things he said–and for some reason I remembered it 30 years later–was, “The key to gospel spirituality is not to look at Jesus but to look with Jesus. You’ll learn very little, if anything at all, by …
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LET US OFFER EACH OTHER A SIGN OF PEACE
Offering each other the “sign of peace” is something you have done countless times, if you are a regular participant at Mass (unfortunately, this gesture is non-existent in the French-speaking churches in our diocese). Just prior to reaching our hand out for the hands of our neighbours at Mass, we hear the priest say this: Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: “Peace I leave you, …
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As we say “good-bye” to gospel writer Matthew, who has been our guide this last liturgical year, we end with a reading that summarizes Jesus’ entire life among us. If we were to read and try to apply just this gospel reading alone, I’m convinced it would be more than enough to convert us and change the world forever. When I take this gospel passage seriously in my own life, I realize I have more blow opportunities, more sins …
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Once again Jesus gives us a parable that does not tie things up in a neat package with a bow around it. Parables are meant to stretch us, to take us out of our small worlds, our small kingdoms and invite us to consider what the Kingdom of God is like. We will only let go of our little kingdom if we are convinced we are getting a bigger kingdom in exchange. But letting go has never been our …
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As is the case with so many of our Sunday Scripture readings, there is a common theme, an overlap, between the first reading and the Gospel passage. Both deal with “wisdom.” In the first reading, from the Book of Wisdom itself, the author presents wisdom as a strikingly attractive woman. Wisdom in the gospel, however, is preparedness and not alertness. All 10 bridesmaids fall asleep. None of them remain alert, but five were considered wise because they were prepared.
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There are a couple of warning shots fire over our heads in the readings today. They warn us against hypocrisy. The first shot is taken by the prophet Malachi. Even though Malachi lived about 500 years before Jesus, notice how his words are similar to Jesus’ words. Malachi says, “O priests, this command is for you. Your hearts don’t give me glory. You’ve corrupted the covenant of Levi, and you cause many to stumble by your instructions.” Jesus, 500 …
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The very first thing I ever remember watching on our black and white television, back in the late 1960s, was fighting in the Middle East. I was shocked at what I was seeing and wondered, as a three or four-year-old, “Why are they fighting and not loving one another? Why doesn’t someone, from the adult world, just step in and stop this?” Of course, I didn’t know anything about the complexities of human behavior; I still don’t know much. …
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Time flies. Soon we’ll be into the Season of Advent and with that comes a new liturgical year for the Church. We’ll say “good-bye” and “thank-you” to the gospel writer Matthew, who guided us through his gospel this past year, and we’ll prepare ourselves to welcome Mark as our guide for the upcoming year. But before we say good-bye to Matthew, let’s go back to the beginning of Matthew’s gospel and the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Matthew started …
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Nature and the Soul
A few days ago, as I drove around Îsle d’Orléans outside Quebec City (near Montmorency Falls and Sainte Anne de Beaupré), I was pleased to see so many families enjoying themselves outdoors. Apple orchards, one after another, were busy with families clambering in and out of tractor-drawn wagons taking them to and from the u-pick orchards. Seeing people, young and old, escaping the world of electronic gadgetry to enjoy the outdoor was …
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