Deep Calls to Deep Roc Homily – 3rd Sunday Advent Cycle A 2016 (final reflection, maybe)
“Lepers are cleansed…” Psalm 51:1f 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. How do you interpret this well-known psalm? What does being cleansed from sin look […]
Roc Homily – 3rd Sunday Advent Cycle A 2016 (audio file+)
Jesus told the disciples of the Baptizer, “Tell John what you see and hear – the blind see…” From yesterday’s post, it would seem that his mission was to the Pharisees and those of us like them. Since fulfillment of prophecy is big in Matthew’s gospel, notice especially the first from Isaiah: those who are […]
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 Story for the 2nd Week of Advent…
I walked back from Church of the Gesu last night just before 6 pm. By the time I arrived at the crosswalk at the MU Library, I heard a human voice howling. My goodness! It came from near the bus stop on 16th. Painful, coming from a wounded man. The voice was coming eastward on […]
Roc Homily – First Sunday of Advent Cycle A (2016) drei
There is only one war on Christmas… Otherwise, there’s only a war on Advent, my dear Catholic friends. Our season is Advent now. You know, purple or deep blue; ‘O Come O Come Emannuel’, readings from the prophet Isaiah. This is our season. It isn’t Christmas until the sun goes down on the 24th of December. Let’s […]
Roc Homily – First Sunday of Advent Cycle A (2016) zwei
FYAR – For Your Advent Reflection Matthew connected this passage to other wisdom parables in the 1st Sunday Advent’s gospel. Perhaps waiting has something to do with being wise, possibly strategic this Advent? The parable of the wise & foolish virgins 1. To awaken, remain awake = gregoreo Matthew 24:42f — 42 Keep […]
Roc Homily – First Sunday of Advent Cycle A (2016)
Be alert! Stay awake! Head’s up! For crying out loud, wake up!!! Egads! Is this what Advent looks like? It certainly got my attention. I’m not too worried about someone breaking into my community. Besides, there’s someone usually up at various points during the night. Matthew connects this rather odd and definitely threatening passage (chapter […]
Roc Homily – Feast of Christ the King 2016 (3)
Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” The way I hear this is: “Take it away! I don’t deserve this! Save me from the consequences of my actions! Help me escape unscathed and unchanged!” And what I find […]
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 […]
Deep Calls to Deep 