Deep Calls to Deep 2nd Sunday Ordinary Time – Follow Jesus Where? Walk Where? Walk How???
John’s gospel usually has a take on Jesus’ story that seems both fresh and challenging. So, of course that happens in last Sunday’s gospel. Following Jesus involves walking… How did John the Baptist recognize Jesus? His swagger? His panache? Nah. Jesus walked like the Lamb of God (!) John 1:35f The […]
2nd Sunday Ordinary Time – On following Jesus
I found a new pattern in John’s gospel that I want to test out here with you. It has to do with following Jesus. Check it out. John 1:19-51 John pointed 2 disciples to Jesus and they followed him to abide with him. Andrew brought his brother, Simon, to Jesus. Jesus called Philip to follow him. Philip called Nathanael. Philip is […]
2nd Sunday Ordinary Time – “What do you Seek?”
“You want… WHAT!?!?!?” Another way to put Jesus’ words in Sunday’s gospel. For decades, I found it very difficult to distinguish between 1) what the Church told me to want (being good, etc.), 2) what my family wanted me to be (being good, etc.), 3) what I thought I wanted (cool toys, playing drums in a band, […]
Remembering Gerry Stockhausen, SJ (1949-2016)
It’s two years today since Gerry Stockhausen, SJ died. So many folks remember him today – family, Jesuit companions & classmates, dear friends from St. Louis, Pine Ridge, SD, Berkeley, CA, Ann Arbor, MI, Omaha, NE, Detroit, MI, and Washington, DC. Wherever this good man went, he touched people’s lives and opened doors to friendship. […]
Epiphany 2018 – The Two Ways Revealed…
More and more it seems to me how the OT’s presentation of “The Two Ways” throughout its Wisdom Literature” runs as a sub-theme throughout the gospels. We saw a bit of “The Path of Folly vs. The Path of Wisdom” demonstrated earlier in the difference between the reactions of Herod and the Magi. Here is […]
Feast of the Epiphany – Another look
We saw the other day how Herod and all Jerusalem quaked at the news from the Magi that a star had appeared in the east and heralded the birth of a baby king. Theirs was the perfect, visceral response to this divine intrusion. The birth of Jesus disrupted the lives of the power brokers in Jerusalem. Perhaps […]
The Baptism of the Lord – Repentance & Elvis’ Birthday…
Now that I have your attention… I found new delight in today’s feast, The Baptism of the Lord. I found it a grand second chance to reflect on the meanings networked together at the beginning of the gospel of Mark, especially the meaning of repentance. It’s interesting how dictionary.com defines repentance. Check out the verbs below. They mainly […]
Feast of the Epiphany – Christ the Disruptor!
A belated Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! and, today, a blessed feast of Epiphany to you all! I’m back after a week of visiting family & friends, catching a cold, slugging through it all, and finding grace on this feast day. Aaahhh! I was unable to post my Christmas homily since it failed to record. […]
Deep Calls to Deep 