Deep Calls to Deep Roc Homily (c) 2nd Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 2017
St. Thomas Aquinas on Atonement… St. Thomas Aquinas considers the atonement in the Summa Theologiae into what is now the standard Catholic understanding of atonement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisfaction_theory_of_atonement For Aquinas, the main obstacle to human salvation lies in sinful human nature, which damns human beings unless it is repaired or restored by the atonement. In his section on […]
Roc Homily (2) – 2nd Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 2017
1. ATONEMENT: St. Anselm and his theory of atonement Thanks to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisfaction_theory_of_atonement St. Anselm of Canterbury first articulated the satisfaction view in his Cur Deus Homo? as a modification to the ransom theory that was postulated at the time. The then-current ransom theory of atonement held that Jesus’ death paid a ransom to Satan, allowing God to rescue those under Satan’s bondage. […]
Roc Homily – 2nd Sunday Ordinary Time (A) 2017
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) One of the first occurrences in Leviticus of the Greek, ‘amnos (one of 3 terms in Greek that means ‘lamb’), happens in 14:1. This passage describes an elaborate ceremony in which the priest ritualizes the return of a leper who has been made […]
Roc Homily – Solemnity of Mary 2017 (fin)
Finally! As we saw earlier, some shepherds were takers and not givers. And the sign of hope for them (us!) was that they came to THE Shepherd. For us, can we recognize how we take without giving? And come to the Shepherd? And Mary “engaged, debated, made war against” all she had seen and heard. […]
Roc Homily (intro) – Solemnity of Mary 2017
From my study of the Greek work, poimén, meaning ‘shepherd’, it seems that we have overly romanticized these characters, made them innocuous. Of course, some have described them as poor, outcasts, smelly, and rude. However, the connections Matthew drew upon tells a different story. Two stories, actually, since the shepherds came to visit THE Shepherd. What might […]
(Belated) New Year’s Reflection
January 1, 2017 + Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God “The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!” (Numbers 6:24-26) This New Year’s blessing taken from the first reading for […]
Roc Homily – Christmas 2016
A belated Merry Christmas to family & friends! The picture sets the scene. The audio says it all. The people who walked in darkness have seen a tiny bright light; Those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them the light has shined. The people whose darkness keep them apart have found a welcoming light. […]
Prepared to celebrate…
Merry Christmas to you, family and friends! Preparations continue at the Church of the Gesu to walk into the night to find Jesus, born in the place where no one wants to go. I sure don’t! It’s too painful. The stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem is the world. Who wants to seek the tiny light […]
Smallness at Christmastide
Here’s a poem sent to me by John Staudenmaier, SJ today. It says it all. Merry Christmas! –roc,sj Gitanjali # 1 Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure.This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again,and fillest it ever with fresh life.This little flute of a reed thou hast carried over hills and dales,and […]
Texting with Joseph…
Wednesday, December 22nd Roc: Joe, when arrive? Staying @ Hilton outside Bethlehem. Arrive Thursday night. Joseph: Cool! Joseph: Left too quickly, No reservations. See what’s there. Roc: Will be waiting. Can’t wait to meet Mary. Due soon? Joseph: Didn’t think so, but riding this donkey may have moved things along. She’s a trooper. No complaints. Most […]
Deep Calls to Deep 