Deep Calls to Deep Retrospect to 2nd of Easter – Lost Audio
Yeah, I just got this audio file this week. It’s about, as you may recall, Jesus’ appearance to the disciples in what came to be the ‘safe environment’ of the room with the locked doors. It’s only within such a safe environment that we can face how we use others to shore up our fragile self-esteem. […]
3rd of Easter – Emmaus & Heartburn (4)
How might heartburn (from Jesus opening the scriptures to them) and broken bread be related? Seems to me… Heartburn revealed their experience of purification from their idolatry – their demand that Jesus be the kind of redeemer they wanted. They were choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life and remained immature. Jesus […]
3rd of Easter – Emmaus & Heartburn
This is very important to answer: What did the disciples recognize? Obviously, they recognized him in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:35) What else? To come to know, perceive, recognize = ginosko They knew Jesus and the Father: Luke 10:22 […]
3rd of Easter – Emmaus & Heartburn (2)
Why think that the Emmaus story is about repentance/conversion? How is it our story, too? Here we see the need for their hearts to burn, our hearts to burn – purification! Here are a couple connections the Greek makes internally in Luke and with the Greek Old Testament: To go; proceed; travel = poreuomai HOW were they […]
3rd of Easter – Emmaus & Heartburn (1)
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” Whaaaa…? Christ’s gift of heartburn? What does the Greek, kaio, “to burn,” signify? Two things, the presence of God and purification. Check it out: Exodus 3:2 There the […]
Roc Homily (c) – “Silence” and the Call of the Disciples…
Last night, I viewed the movie, “Silence.” It touched me in many ways and led me to reflect on the Call of the Disciples in last Sunday’s gospel. First, a bit of exegesis on the call. Matthew 4:15f “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee […]
Roc Homily – 3rd Sunday Advent Cycle A 2016 (An Introduction)
Jesus didn’t live up to the expectations of John the Baptist. He didn’t call the religious leaders a “brood of vipers” and didn’t threaten their destruction, “even now the axe is laid to the root of the tree!” Talk about hell, fire, and brimstone! Who is this guy? Had he prepared the way for the […]
A Question for You…
October 31, 2017 will mark the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. Wikipedia describes it thus: “On 31 October 1517, Martin Luther wrote to Albrecht, Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg, protesting against the sale of indulgences. He enclosed in his letter a copy of his “Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power […]
Roc Homily Part Deux – Twenty-Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time 2016
Unprofitable servants?!?! Wha the…!!! What was your reaction to being reduced from “Special” status? This is the passage from Luke I love to hate. It uncovers my tried and true sense of entitlement. “Look, I’m a St. Louis Jesuit for goodness’ sake. What do you mean, ‘unprofitable servant’! Don’t you realize how much I’ve done […]
Roc Homily – Twenty-Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time 2016
“Increase our faith!” Let the people say, “Amen!” Ah, the wonders of the lectionary that does what it has to do, select passages and leave others out. And Sunday’s gospel is a good example of contextus interruptus. The first four verses of chapter 17 are kind of important for they tell us exactly what prompted that prayer. […]
Deep Calls to Deep 