Deep Calls to Deep 6th Sunday Easter –
Last Sunday, I was privileged to confirm three young adults who had decided it was time to complete their initiation as part of a kind of return to the church. I didn’t preach about the gospel directly, about love. Remember the Word? John 15:9–12 As the Father has loved me, so […]
Taking up the Pilgrim’s Staff again…
On Sunday, May 6th, the notice below appeared in the bulletin of the Church of the Gesu announcing my leave-taking from parish ministry in favor of a new assignment. It will involve a major focus on writing (I have five books in outline form to work on) and composing music for liturgy (besides songs I […]
5th Sunday Easter – Abiding In the True Vine (2): How???
The liturgy proclaims and celebrates the mystery of God revealed in the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Grace is always given. The Latin term, ex opere operato, signifies this. That when we gather for liturgy, Grace is always given. Another Latin term that resembles the above phrase, ex opere operantis, points […]
5th Sunday Easter – Abiding In the True Vine (1)
What a rich proclamation: Jesus is the True Vine [otherwise rendered the Faithful Vine or the Holy Vine by the NRSV]. Jesus identifies himself as the New Israel. John 15:1–2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that […]
4th Sunday Easter (Recap)
On the 4th Sunday of Easter, the Gesu community welcomed a newly baptized child named Theodore. While the gospel was about the good shepherd, I focused more on the first reading as a way to get into our connection with baptism. First, the Acts of the Apostles tells of the healing/saving of the bling beggar […]
3rd Sunday of Easter – You Are Witnesses of These Things! Recap…
Scared Witnesses of Christ’s Resurrection, as found in Luke. Yes, scared. Not sacred… What’s that about? The resurrection is not some nice deal. Jesus startles the disciples because it bodes the end of their self-righteous and self-hating rebellion! Luke 24:36f While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them […]
Greetings again… and Coming this Week…
and Well, I’m mostly over a nasty cold & flu that did me in for a couple weeks. And I wait in joyful hope that spring will actually take root in Milwaukee this week. In the meantime, I wish to catch you up on some preaching I’ve done. And some study. […]
2nd Sunday Easter – What does Divine Mercy Look Like? [3]
What I found interesting and exciting this year is how the story of [doubting] Thomas parallels the passage we looked at yesterday. Never saw that. There are a few differences, but this one explicates the first one, goes deeper into it. Thomas did not doubt. OK? He simply stated the fact: “Unless I see the […]
2nd Sunday Easter – What does Divine Mercy Look Like? [2]
The gospel from Sunday (John 20:19-31) reveals divine mercy at work within the locked asylum where the disciples felt safe in their fear. Jesus stood among them. “Peace…” Then he showed them his hands and his side. Why did they rejoice? 19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and […]
2nd Sunday of Easter – What does Divine Mercy Look Like?
The passage selected for this 2nd Sunday from the Acts of the Apostles depicts Divine Mercy as the healing of greed. This is one of the key themes in the writings of St. Luke: The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his […]
Deep Calls to Deep 