Deep Calls to Deep 2nd Sunday Lent – God’s glory revealed; Disciples’ humanity shown forth…
Sunday’s gospel of the Transfiguration (Mark) is amazingly intense. Let’s look at a few bits of that today by noting the half a dozen connections it shows with Sunday’s first reading from Genesis 22, “The Binding of Isaac.” First off, I don’t get it, I don’t like it, and its implications scare me. Yet somehow, […]
1st Sunday of Lent – What about the wild animals…??? (+ audio)
Mark 1:12–13 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Mark makes is seem that Jesus was on some kind of safari with National Geographic! Out there […]
1st Sunday Lent – Jesus tempted in the desert? So what?
The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness (AKA, desert) to be tested by Satan. He was with the wild animals and angels ministered to him. So what? Named the “Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased,” satanas (not Santana) tested Jesus concerning his identity as Son, his mission as suffering servant, and his path through rejection, suffering, death, and […]
Friday after Ash Wednesday – and after another school massacre…
An article from Thursday from The Telegraph reported this: The deadly gun rampage at a Florida high school on Wednesday took to 18 the number of school shootings across the United States so far this year – an average of one school shooting every 60 hours…According to the independent Everytown for Gun Safety group, eight of the 18 […]
Praying, Fasting, & Giving Alms in Hiddenness – WWSS?
What would Superman say about going into hiddenness, secrecy, into the secret inner place to pray, fast, & give alms? NNNOOOOOOO!!!!!! Superman was one of my heroes as a kid. I would spend hours at my buddy’s house reading his comics. Superman never failed to be heroic. I was a big fan of George Reeves, […]
6th Sunday Ordinary Time – An Audio Tour of the Wilderness
Inasmuch as my hypothesis (yesterday) means something, the application would be this: Since Jesus spent his whole ministry “in the wilderness being tempted by Satan,” why should you and I be any better? I just read Sebastian Moore, OSB talking about the fundamental questions in life – “Am I significant to You?” which can be […]
6th Sunday Ordinary Time – Jesus Tempted Every Day… the Subtext
Three levels of understanding the gospel of Jesus curing the leper: 1) Historical – Jesus touched & healed a leper during his ministry. 2) 1st Century Studies – Jesus took on the leper’s uncleanness by touching him and had to stay outside towns. 3) Mark selected specific words to convey meaning – below… Here’s my translation according to what […]
Post-Super-Bowl Reflections…
Greetings to friends on the East Coast – and throughout the country – who took in Super Bowl LII Sunday evening. I watched it with my community. We all thought it was the best game in years. (Or since the Packers last won.) We gave an A to the commercials and a B+ to Justin Timberlake et alia. […]
3rd Sunday Ordinary Time – Audio Prep for Super Bowl Sunday
“What was all this stuff about repentance? It isn’t Lent yet!” Two views of repentance: First: Jonah’s message to Nineveh – “Clean up your act or all hell’s gonna break loose!” Doesn’t this up the ante of fear for us? Which often moves into, “I have to try harder, to shape up now!” Which doesn’t […]
2nd Sunday Ordinary Time – Audio Prep for Super Bowl Sunday
Recall that Sunday’s gospel: John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to […]
Deep Calls to Deep 