Deep Calls to Deep Roc Homily – Feast of Christ the King 2016 (deux)
Luke 23:37f Christ the King: and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” Who rules? The Romans ruled the world then. And they didn’t take kindly to upstarts, did they? “Prove you’re greater than […]
Roc Homily – Feast of Christ the King 2016
Over the past two years of pre-election and post-election drama, I have wondered about the chances any of us have to repent, to really look at our own lives to see them more clearly. As I look at my own life, I don’t have a lot of hope about me turning to Christ any time soon. I […]
You and me, bro…
The election & post-election drama brought this word back into my awareness. Revanchism. Revenge. I think it fairly describes the western world and probably much of the eastern world. Fear of losing. Fear of losing turf. Vengeful retaking of turf. You and me, bro… Revanchism (from French: revanche, “revenge“) is the political manifestation of the will to reverse […]
Why would I not wear black…
Why would I not wear black? The dogs of war are grinning Feast! Let us feast on the flesh of our enemies Why would I not cast down my eyes today? The gods of war are brimming with spite with toothful lust and bared fang Into the breach again! Let us o’er reach again tooth and claw […]
Roc Homily (b) – Thirty-Second Sunday Ordinary Time 2016
The resistance Jesus elicited from the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, chief priests, & elders resembles that which he drew forth from healing demons in the early chapters of Luke = “What do you want from us, Holy One? Have you come to destroy us?” Jesus “destroyed” by drawing out all that was wounded and hurtful… to […]
Roc Homily (a) – Thirty-Second Sunday Ordinary Time 2016
This gospel does NOT present an academic debate about afterlife… It’s about the experience of becoming grounded in Christ so that serenity, joy, and praise take root in our lives NOW. Question: Given all the chaos leading up to this election, will there be life afterwards? Given what has come to the surface the past two […]
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 (FIN) – Thirtieth Sunday Ordinary Time 2016
Exalt? Humble? Whaaa…? How can we bear to be humbled? To discover self-idolatry and then hand it over? OUCH! To exalt Characteristics of self-exaltation: 1) forgetting God, forgetting one’s former state of humiliation because one has become self-sufficient; 2) self-idolatry, denying one’s vulnerability & mortality. Deuteronomy 8:13f — 13 and when […]
Roc Homily (c) – Thirtieth Sunday Ordinary Time 2016
Can we endure being found out? This is one scary proposition. The Pharisee couldn’t look behind his own curtain to see that he damned others of the things he was hiding. In his woundedness, he projected a pure, high-minded, righteous image: “Look, I am innocent, not like this unrighteous guy here.” However, Luke tells us that […]
Roc Homily (b) – Thirtieth Sunday Ordinary Time 2016
How does the gospel of Luke characterize the Pharisee? Better, what is there about the Pharisee that can help me see myself in order to help me pray with less pretense? Luke 18:9 (NRSV) — 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt… 11 […]
Deep Calls to Deep 