Once again, the opening line of the gospel is very telling and points us beyond the story itself. It starts off by telling us that Jesus led Peter, James and John up a mountain to be by themselves. You’ll recall that this will be the same trio who, later on, will be with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion. Peter, James and John, who witness his glory on the mountain peak, will soon afterwards observe ...
Continue Reading →
Prophet: The Much-Needed Archetype (Part 1)
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the role and the need for the “prophet,” especially considering the turmoil, instability, and the gratuitous violence I see unfolding in the world. It’s always been there, both the need for the prophet and the violence. However, the grease lightning speed at which we are bombarded with news (both media and social media) and the fact that we have a narcissist, a highchair tyrant, leading America, makes me ...
Continue Reading →
I have no real problem calling this gospel passage of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert by what Christians have called it for a very long time–“the temptations of Christ.” The devil, whatever you image that to be, is portrayed as the culprit, the one who enticed Jesus into sin then and the one who entices us into sin now. It’s much like the snake in the Genesis story we just heard. The snake is the antagonist who lured Adam ...
Continue Reading →
Each of us will live these 40 days of Lent in the unique way that God has called us to. As long as we are drawn closer to God and each other by the end of it then one person’s journey during Lent will be just as valid and just as good as another person’s journey. If we hear and respond to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth, then we can be sure the Kingdom ...
Continue Reading →
One day a very successful lawyer headed out the door for work. In his path was his three-year-old son playing with blocks. The man patted the boy on the head, stepped over him, open the door, and went outside to get to his car. Halfway down the walk a guilt bomb exploded within him. “What am I doing?” he thought to himself. “I’m ignoring my son. I never play with him. He’ll be old before I know it.” In the ...
Continue Reading →
For most of my life, when it comes to the spiritual life, I always thought it started within me and then it becomes manifested in the outer world. In other words, firstly I get in touch with the light within me, and by letting it shine, it encourages others around me to their light shine. I saw it as a dominoes effect. Each of us initially getting in touch with a light that Jesus obviously sees in us– otherwise he ...
Continue Reading →
One possible theme that courses through all three readings is this idea that someone, or some group of people, is being called by God. And of course, since God’s Word is a living word, and we are listening to that living word, this call must apply to us just as much as it applied to people in Biblical times. It’s God who initiates it, but it’s up to us whether we respond or not to God’s invitation, God’s call. Don’t ...
Continue Reading →
Although not obvious, there is a common thread in all three Scripture stories we have today. They are all stories of someone being called by God which should get us thinking about our own call. Along with being called is often our relentless low opinion of ourselves countered by God’s high estimation of us. If we let God’s opinion win out, we become—like every Saint in the history of the Church—useable and pliable in hands of God. Being willing to ...
Continue Reading →
With sunset today (Sunday), the Christmas Season comes to an end. On this feast of the Baptism of the Lord, a couple of questions linger. Firstly, why is the baptism of Jesus, who is somewhere between the age of 30 and 33, placed in the Christmas Season? It doesn’t seem to fit in the storyline of a baby laid in a manger attracting the attention of shepherds, wisemen and angels. The second puzzling thing is: Why is Jesus, the sinless ...
Continue Reading →
January 1st each year is a weighted day. It’s obviously, New Year’s Day in the secular world. Furthermore, for the Church, it is also the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and World Day of Peace. Putting together Mary, Mother of God and World Day of Peace makes a lot of sense in my mind.
There’s an ancient Jewish blessing, that we heard in that first reading from the Book of Numbers. In its paraphrased version it says, “May God bless ...
Continue Reading →