Deep Calls to Deep Who’s the Greatest? (Part the Third) Whose Ways?
Lookee! The August 2017 Eclipse provided a time for “looking up.” Not that God’s ways are totally “up there,” nor are they totally “down here.” They’re simply different from my ways, your ways, our ways. Perhaps these audio reflections will speak to you on your path of discernment. Blessings! –roc,sj
Who’s the Greatest? – We’re Second Place! YAY!!!
Yep, my book is definitely second! Congratulations to Joyce Rupp for her 2018 book which received first place recognition! You may be able to see what James Martin, SJ wrote: “Joyce Rupp is one of the best Christian spiritual guides writing today.” So many women and men have been touched and inspired by her books. […]
Who’s the Greatest? (Part Deux)
Ali talked smack. And he backed it up. “Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee!” What do you wish to be great at? To be recognized for? What do you aspire to? What does, “I have arrived!” look like for you? I told those in the congregation last week that I wanted to be […]
Who’s the Greatest? (Part One)
I first saw “The Young St. John in the Wilderness” [Giovanni Battista Caracciolo] in the early 1980’s at a gallery on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. It took a moment or several to register. Then I saw – he had not yet taken up the banner, “Ecce Agnus Dei,” or, “Behold, the […]
24th Sunday Ordinary Time – A Teachable Moment or Two…
Mark records Jesus and Peter squaring off pretty much in the middle of the gospel. In other words, there was still a long journey to Jerusalem and Galilee for Peter to come into the fullness of discipleship, of learning to learn. It wasn’t about eternal life. It was about growing as much as he could. […]
24th Sunday Ordinary Time – Go. Behind Me. Satan.
The tone we hear in Jesus’ rebuke of Peter can open for each of us the mystery of our lives. Is Jesus raging? Does Jesus blame & shame? Did Jesus drop-kick Peter to the ditch? What’s the tone and attitude you hear? Loving? Bored? Frustrated? Whatever. It could reveal the inner critic that lurks in […]
24th Sunday Ordinary Time – “Two Ways: Jesus’ Way or ‘the Culture’s Way?'”
The encounter between Jesus and Peter reveals the clash of cultures. Jesus’ way. The popular way, Peter’s way. In other words, the gospel here reveals Peter, though called to follow Jesus, as thoroughly caught up in “the culture.” The rest of the gospel, then, is devoted to Jesus attempts to resolve this clash of cultures […]
24th Sunday Ordinary Time – “Who do You Say I Am?” and the Two Paths
“Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there’s still time to change the road you’re on…” [Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin] This encounter between Jesus and Peter (and by extension, the Eleven others and the disciples) takes place on the Way. Not just any road, but the Way of discipleship. […]
23rd Sunday Ordinary Time – What are Friends for???
A bunch of friends of the person who was deaf brought him/her to Jesus to be healed. They themselves had heard the great deeds of God worked by him (from the wild man – Mark, chapter 5). So here they all were. It’s a good image for us today who believe we have been touched […]
23rd Sunday Ordinary Time – Falling on Deaf Ears…
Again, once we look below the surface story, the ‘historical’ picture of Jesus with a person who couldn’t hear or speak correctly, we find the scriptural web of relations that uncover the biblical meaning of “deaf.” We can see ourselves in this. We may discover how we are deaf ourselves. Israel is deaf, stiff-necked, rebellious. […]
Deep Calls to Deep 