Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

"You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." Are these words for us today? Surely our traditions are more essential than "the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds", or are they? Our Parent's commandment is to love. Is that what our rituals, doctrines, and institutions are about? Or do they arise from our fear of "the things that come out from within"? We have become just as paranoid of our own pollution as the Pharisees were, if not worse, as the source of our contamination is not food or drink, but our own hearts and minds. So "hear me, all of you, and understand", the Spirit is the judge of all that arises "from within people, from their hearts", not tradition. And tradition must be obedient to the Spirit, not the other way around. Listen to the Spirit, especially you "elders" of the Church, for she will tell you that God's love is a living thing, constantly growing and developing, and so our own love must be the same, if we are to truly follow our Parent's commandment.

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ephesians 5: 21-32; John 6: 60-69

Our pastors had a choice today. They could say "wives should be subordinate to their husbands", or not. Who among them were bold enough to poke this hornet's nest? But the real tragedy is that whether or not those words were spoken, the words that come before them were most likely lost: "Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ." How much angst was spent in either defending or explaining away the former statement, and how little in truly exploring the latter one? In a delightful bit of irony, the gospel begins with "Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said, 'This saying is hard; who can accept it?'" Who indeed? But which saying is truly hard? We should easily be able to strip the cultural anachronisms from Paul's marital advice and see the divine wisdom within. After all, this advice is premised on a more basic statement: "Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ." Clearly this saying is hard to accept, for we see all around us the evidence of our failure to heed its truth: homelessness, starvation, disease; all brought on because we believe in a world where it is acceptable for some to have any toy they can dream of, while others lack even the most basic necessities. If we have truly accepted Jesus as the Bread of Life, such a reality should be intolerable. So today, let us put aside the petty politics of modern America, gender conflicts or otherwise, and strive to be people who live for others, all of them.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 6: 51-58

Here are such clear and obvious commands to partake of the Eucharist. And yet, is Jesus really saying that all we are required to do to obtain "eternal life" is eat the bread and drink the wine? What does it truly mean to "eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood"? What intention, purpose, and desire are necessary for the sacrament to come alive in our soul? Call me crazy, but when Jesus says "the one who feeds on me will have life because of me", I think he is talking about something a little more involved than standing in line for a cracker.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 6: 41-51

How often have we encountered God, only to pass on by because we didn't recognize her? We expect the Divine to have a certain grandeur and mystique. But the reality is that the Father is rather ordinary after all. How could we truly get to know him if she wasn't?

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 6: 24-35

Once again, the crowd demands signs, and once again, Jesus refuses to give them: "Do not work for food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life." Recent news items have included updates on the Shroud of Turin and the visitations at Medjugorje. As tantalizing as these things are, all "proofs" and "evidence" eventually perish. They can only take us to the edge of the chasm, not provide a bridge over it. Eventually faith comes down to a choice, we either leap across the void or we do not. Do you believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life, or not?

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

2 Kings 4: 42-44; Ephesians 4: 1-6; John 6: 1-15

What does it mean to be generous? Of all the explanations of the "Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes", the one that rings most true would likely be dismissed as not being a "real" miracle: that the people were moved to generosity by Jesus' actions and simply shared the food they already had. Perhaps the "miracle" is that Jesus trusted in them at all. One does not need to look far to see that mistrust and divisiveness are all around us in society and Church. We can probably infer from Paul's writing that it has always been this way. But that does not stop Jesus or Paul from calling us to a different lifestyle, one only possible if we truly believe that we are "one body and one Spirit", that there is "one God and Father of all". If this is true, how can I not look upon both my neighbor and my enemy as good and honorable people, deserving of my generosity, trust, and love? Think of the "miracles" such an attitude might spawn.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 23: 1-6; Psalm 23: 1-6; Mark 6: 30-34

The metaphors of sheep and shepherd can be helpful in understanding our nature, and that of our relationship with the Divine. We are creatures whose knowledge is limited. We can lose our way easily, and are always in need of guidance. The idea that God, and most especially Jesus, is the "Good Shepherd" leading us to paradise is so powerful, because it resonates in the core of our being. How could we get there without them? But there is danger in these metaphors as well. They can give us a sort of permission to abandon free will, and let others dictate our thoughts and actions. We must always evaluate potential shepherds with Jeremiah's words in mind, no matter their credentials. Where will they lead us? Never forget that metaphors are not reality. We are not sheep, but human beings, created in the image of our Divine Parent. Let us never aspire to be anything less.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Amos 7: 12-15

It's taken me a bit longer than planned to resume writing, but here I am. And this passage seemed appropriate for a new beginning. This blog, and everything else I've ever written, is not and never will be about me. God has given me something to say, and told me to say it. And no matter how much of a pain in the ass this task is, I just cannot say "no" to my creator.

Ephesians 1: 3-14; Mark 6: 7-13

There is a theme here that Jesus shares with us the power and love of God, a relationship not possible before his arrival. But if we are a creation of our Father, were we not always her children? The Prodigal Son was always his father's child, even if he misunderstood or rejected that relationship. Likewise, we do not need to be "adopted" by God, we are his already. But in our sin, frailty, and insecurity, we tell ourselves that such a reality should not and cannot be ours. We think we need Jesus to give us a share of his inheritance, because surely we do not possess one of our own. Nonsense I say! Jesus came to awaken, not give.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Acts 4: 32-35; John 20: 19-31

Today we celebrate the infinite mercy of God. It should also be a day for reflecting upon the ways in which we have succeeded and failed in mirroring that mercy. Do our families and communities resemble that of the early Christians? Do we even want them to? Do we strive to be as forgiving of sin as our Creator? Do we delight in retaining the sin of those we dislike or misunderstand? Let us all show the kind of mercy we hope to be shown ourselves.

Obviously, this is my first post in about a month. I suppose you could say that I took to heart my own Lenten challenge: to build a lifestyle of truth. My great struggle with this blog is challenging myself to write what I truly believe and not "clean things up" to make them more "acceptable" and/or "Catholic". To that end, I will be taking another, more deliberate break to reflect on what the Spirit is calling me to say through this site. I plan to resume posting on Pentecost Sunday (May 31st). It seems a fitting day to begin again the work of sharing all that has been given to me.

P.S. If anyone's out there actually reading this, I'd love to hear from you. My e-mail address is listed on my profile. Thanks!

Fourth Sunday of Lent

2 Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23; Ephesians 2: 4-10; John 3: 14-21

Admission to the Kingdom cannot be bought or earned. The Father's love is her gift to us, completely free and unconditional. But like any gift, it is ours to accept or reject. What will your answer be?