Deep Calls to Deep An anniversary worth recalling… GM Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins: Jesuit Priest and Poet (1844–1889) Gerard Manley Hopkins was born in England to a prosperous Anglican family. Though he excelled at Oxford and seemed destined for a brilliant career, these expectations were dashed when he announced his decision in 1866 to become a Roman Catholic, and then a Jesuit priest. A gifted poet, […]
A Reflection on Memorial Day 2016
We do remember those who died in battle to maintain the integrity of the U.S. – 620,527 in the last 100 years: 116,516 in WWI / 405,399 in WWII / 33,686 in the Korean Conflict / 58,209 in Vietnam / 4,488 in Iraq / 2,229 in Afghanistan We do remember all who serve in the military today. Let us […]
Happy 75th Birthday, Bob Dylan!
I’m supposed to dine with you sometime, Bob. That’s what our rabbi told me anyway – me and Rev. Dr. Lucy Forster-Smith, former head chaplain at Macalester College, now chaplain at Harvard University. Just before Rabbi Bernie Raskas (God rest his soul) was going to Jerusalem for the summer in 1999, Lucy and I had […]
Roc Homily for Feast of Pentecost 2016
Homily for Pentecost (6 pm Mass) I find three things in the reading from Acts of the Apostles that speak to this feast this year: regeneration, purification, & mission. What seems like the next better step in our spiritual lives toward living a more mature discipleship? How do we in fact pray, “Come, Lord Jesus, send […]
Roc Homily for 6th Sunday of Easter 2016
Baptism & the Holy Spirit – it’s about receiving! Catholic theology of the sacraments says that sacraments always give grace (ex opere operato). What might it look like when we receive fully the gift given? (ex opere operantis) Perhaps what living out our baptismal call and receiving the Holy Spirit looks like has to do with this […]
Announcing: Scripture with Scholars…
sponsored by the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist & the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for the Year of Mercy “A Disciple’s Journey into Mercy” – Reflections on the Road to Emmaus story through music, teaching, & prayer with Fr. Roc O’Connor, SJ, Associate Pastor, Church of the Gesu At the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, Tuesday, 10 May, 2016, 7:00 pm
Roc Homily for 5th Sunday of Easter 2016
What is your next step in your spiritual life? Might it have to do with this from today’s gospel: “Love one another AS I have loved you…” Jesus’ glorification happened on the cross when he died and handed over the Spirit. That is, he revealed God. Jesus revealed that he abides in the Father and […]
Roc Homily for 3rd Sunday of Easter 2016
Sit with this for a moment if you will: How do you respond with Simon Peter to Jesus’ question, “Do you love me?” This may be the most revelatory question in the whole gospel in that it can reveal to you, to me, where we are with God revealed in Christ through the Spirit. “Do […]
Roc Homily for 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy)
Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy) Some propositions for your consideration: 1. Thomas did not doubt. Rather, he stated a fact: “Unless I put my finger into his hands…” 2. The phrase, “whose sins you retain are retained,” may be the worst translation in the NAB. The Greek, krateo, is translated as “to hold fast, to grasp (a […]
Roc Homily for Easter Sunday 2016
Easter Sunday (March 27, 2016 – 11:30 am Mass) The author of the Gospel of John used 4 different verbs in Greek to demonstrate some fine distinctions between the Magdalene, Simon Peter, and the disciple whom Jesus loved… as well as possible differences each of us can experience in our walk with and encounter with […]
Deep Calls to Deep 