Fifth Sunday of Lent

Their vision

Firehose to your soul

Silence calls

Ez 37:12-14 / Rom 8:8-11 / Jn 11:1-45

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

But where shall we go
Up, down, a place in between?
Something wonderful!

Wis 3:1-9 / Rom 5:5-11 / Jn 6:37-40

Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Eat, drink, be merry!
Let your troubles fall away.
They will satisfy.

Nm 11:4b-15 / Mt 14:13-21

Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Divide and conquer.
Souls under the microscope.
They find only wheat.

Ex 24:3-8; Mt 13:24-30

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

What is in a name?
Definitions and answers.
We Are; all you need.

Ex 3:13-20; Mt 11:28-30

Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Holy E ticket!
Twist! Turn! Loop! How will it end?
Marvel of marvels.

Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5; Mt 10:7-15

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

God: Three equals one.
They are strange! Alleluia!
More to say. Not now.

Prv 8:22-31; Ps 8:2-9; Rom 5:1-5; Jn 16:12-15

Easter Sunday – The Resurrection of the Lord

The tomb is open and here is your hope: "Seek what is above."

Many will call this escapism. They find hope in the power of smart people and smart ideas. They place their faith in utopian promises of transforming our world into something better, something beautiful. But such dreams, noble as they might be, always end in death and despair. For they are human schemes, and such things always come with the human baggage of greed, arrogance, and brutality.

Which is why our Parent asks us to "think of what is above, not of what is on earth." This is not a call to deny the reality of the culture of death, but an invitation to see that reality for what it truly is. Things we perceive as ugly or futile are actually steps in a grand plan that might take decades or centuries to come to fruition. God always produces what they desire, which is why love always wins.

Yes, accepting this invitation brings great challenges, but not an impossible task. And once you gaze through your Parent's eyes, you will never want to look away. You will come to know that your purpose is not to fix the world, but to weave your small piece in the grand tapestry of life. In short, you will find something wonderful, something that makes every day worthy of rejoicing and being glad.

So once more, here is your hope: "Seek what is above." Will you take it?

Acts 10:34-43; Psalms 118:1-24; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9

Easter Sunday – The Resurrection of the Lord

"Seek what is above." There is a certain irony to our feast coinciding with April Fool's Day. Think of the values and intentions represented by these two holydays. Which does our world celebrate? And which does our culture find foolish? If we must be court jesters, let us at least serve a worthy king.

"Seek what is above." Some might see this attitude as a cop-out. We live on terra firma. We have real problems, that need real solutions. But how often do those solutions just generate new problems? And how often do they bring about the peace and joy that we crave? Do not be seduced by the demand for action. Rushing into the tomb does not guarantee an understanding of what one finds inside.

"Seek what is above." Be wary of false saviors and the kingdoms they build. They might look beautiful and taste sweet, but they never last as long as promised. Yes, most devotees of the cults of celebrity and politics mean well. They honestly strive to do good. But their focus will always be on the rewards of the here and now. Such gifts are merely dust, and to dust they shall inevitably return.

"Seek what is above." The world can be a dark and brutal place. We need hope. Our culture, however, excels at other things: virtual orgies; digital bread and circuses; intellectual dumpster fires; and worst of all, an endless supply of pharmaceuticals to numb the pain until we hit the grave, oftentimes thanks to the pills themselves. We cannot amuse our way into hope. We must find a different path.

"Seek what is above." Yes, I know, all I have given you are questions, problems, and concerns. Where are the solutions, the practical advice, the ten-point plans? If that is what you are looking for, go find a guru. I am a no-name prophet, offering foolish and wonderful grace. Take it, if you dare.

"Seek what is above." Alleluia! Alleluia!

Acts 10:34-43; Psalms 118:1-24; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Today is our annual reminder that the Divine is not the rational and reasonable object we wish them to be. God is strange, in so many ways. We can try to explain away such truth. Or we can accept it. We can embrace it. And then we will come to know someone wonderful, someone far more wonderful than any consumer-friendly version peddled by corporate religion. Yes, God is strange! Alleluia!

Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalms 8:2-9; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15

Ash Wednesday

"Return to me with your whole heart." That is our invitation and our challenge for these forty days: to turn away from power and money and all our worldly concerns, and to turn towards our Parent and our siblings and the kingdom we all share. It is our annual opportunity to remember why we were created and to whom we will return. Lent is a gift. Let us welcome it with open arms and hearts.

Joel 2:12-18; Psalms 51:3-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-18

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Scripture tells us that we were created in God's image. So if they are three, plural, a we are instead of an I am, then what does that make us? If the Trinity is truth, and we take that truth seriously, can we continue to worship our sacred cows of freedom or tribalism? Parent, Son, and Spirit are bound to one another as a family of love. Like it or not, so are you and I and all the rest of our brothers and sisters. We are family; bound to one another in a sacred dance that takes us far beyond our comfort zones of tolerance, sentimentality, or utilitarian convenience. A true we are, not just a collection of I ams.

So how do we tap into our trinitarian nature? How do we act more like the family that we are? Perhaps it is as simple as being gentle to one another. Give your siblings the benefit of the doubt. Try with all your might to see the best in the person you like the least. Do less agitating and more listening. And take a lesson from some anonymous Turkish villagers who in the midst of genocide mourned the loss of their neighbors: "The Armenians were the salt of our land … that which gave us taste and aroma is gone … may God look after us all." Yes, may We Are look after those she has chosen to be his own, those whom they have blessed with the greatest of all inheritances: family.

Deuteronomy 4:32-40; Psalms 33:4-22; Romans 8:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20

Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 61:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-28

"I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul." For our Parent has anointed me, so that I might bring their glad tidings to you, my brothers and sisters. Look in the mirror; be you rich or poor, gleeful or brokenhearted, master or captive, jailer or prisoner, every one of you is adorned with the trappings of salvation, justice, and love. Do not worry if this vision escapes you. Many are those who never recognize it. Just trust. Let these final days of Advent be a time of trust. For the One who created you is faithful, and they have accomplished all that you need. Alleluia!