Do we ever know who another person really is? Do we ever know who we, ourselves, are? Sixteen years ago, I participated at a Men’s Rite of Passage Retreat (M.R.O.P.) in Southern California with 50 other men of various ages and backgrounds. After the first night’s talk, the assignment was to go back to our cabins and to share with the other men in our cabin this way. Each man was to describe himself to the others in 10 ways ...
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“You shouldn’t have to suffer … You don’t know that that’s what’s going to happen. … You have to stay positive! … There must be something you can do to change it. … Have you thought of … I think you should try … Why don’t you talk to …”
I don’t know what Peter’s words were, when he was rebuking Jesus for talking about his impending death. I imagine that they may have been similar to many of ...
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We have all heard sayings or proverbs that seem to contradict each other. For example you’ve heard, “Don’t put all your eggs in the one basket.” Maybe it was your financial advisor telling you to diversify your investments so that if one area of the economy crashes you won’t lose all your hard-earned savings. But you’ve also heard, “Don’t spread yourself too thin.” So, which one of these two are true? Here’s another one. You’ve all heard, “Practice makes perfect,” ...
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Peter, the Apostle, is one of my favorite characters in the Gospels, and it’s not because he’s considered the leader of the pack or the first pope of the Church. He’s one of my favorites because he’s so human; he’s so relatable. When he’s on his game, there’s nobody like him. For instance, when Jesus asked the 12, “Who do you say that I am?” It was Peter who gave the brilliant answer, “Jesus, you are the Christ, Son of ...
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For those of you who enjoy reading, I’m sure have read at least one book in your lifetime that you had a hard time putting down. If the author was good, they were able to get your attention and keep your attention from chapter to chapter. Usually at the end of one chapter, there was a “hook” that grabbed hold of you and made you want to read the next chapter. This “hook” pushed you deeper into the plot or ...
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Twenty one years ago, while driving back from a retreat in Arizona, I visited Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. It was November, and the tourists were pretty much gone for the season except for a few stragglers like myself. I remember getting very close to the mule deer, within a few meters, and they weren’t afraid at all. I suspected that they had gotten acclimated to the huge number of visitors to the park over the summer, and I ...
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While looking at the readings for this weekend and preparing my reflection, I was reminded of a story my father told me about something he and a friend did in his younger days. Apparently, when he was all of 14 years old, he had had enough of living at home and he and his friend quit school and boarded a train bound for Montreal to begin their “adult life” there. This is hard to imagine by today’s standards, but this ...
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The story of the feeding of the multitude apparently is the only “miracle” story that’s common to all four gospels writers. However, John—our gospel writer today—prefers to use the word “signs,” over the word miracles. I think the reason he does this is that a miracle keeps you right where you are, in a place of awe, excitement and fascination. But a sign invites you forward into deeper reflection. It was the great philosopher Socrates, as you may recall, who ...
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I know some of you have been watching the series called “The Chosen.” It is, by far, the best portrayal of Jesus and his early followers I have ever seen. I’m watching it by the old fashion method of DVDs that I purchased. However, if you are able to access this series by going to The Chosen app or The Chosen website or even YouTube or Facebook or Netflix, it would be well worth your effort. Some episodes have even ...
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The late Fr. Henri Nouwen shared an encounter he had with a man who was dying in the hospital. The dying man said to him, “My whole life’s work was continually being interrupted until I finally realized that these interruptions were my life’s work.” We tend to think that in the past, life was less complicated, less multi-tasking, simpler and more trouble-free. People got up with the sun, when down with the sun, and didn’t start a second task until ...
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