Deep Calls to Deep “Redeemer Lord” – a song for our times
Today’s gospel from Luke 12 has one prophecy of Jesus that indeed has been fulfilled – deep and profound divisions everywhere. Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two […]
29th Sunday Ordinary Time – Hypocrite? Me? Nah…
Hypocrisy is the fine line all good persons walk who profess any adherence to religious and spiritual values. Me, too. A hypocrite was an actor on stage who spoke behind a mask. That’s the root image. This is one touchy area to talk about. Hypocrisy is something to admit rather than accuse. Accusing others merely […]
29th Sunday Ordinary Time – “I pledge allegiance to…”
What we wear signifies our tribe and our allegiance. Tee shirts, jackets, hats, flags, whatever manifest our allegiance. These and many other items are there for purchase to prop up our fragile sense of esteem and buttress our identity by showing we-belong-to-a-successful-group. Anyone you know say, “We’re number 2!!!” Or, “We’re number 37!!!” So, when […]
29th Sunday Ordinary Time – OK, I’m from Nebraska. Get over yourselves!
I grew up in Nebraska and am a fan of Nebraska football and have been since 1962. I recalled the “Game of the Century” in my homily Sunday – Nebraska vs. Oklahoma in 1971. Titans clashed. Back and forth, forth and back. And Nebraska won, thanks in a major part to this amazing punt return […]
10/20/17 First Reading: Romans 4:1-8 – Some thoughts on Justification by Faith
Next Tuesday, October 31st, the world will commemorate the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. It’s important for us as Catholics to attend to it. As I understand it, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk and scripture scholar, suffered terribly from scruples. I’ve heard it said he went to confession every day, sometimes for […]
Special Report: What Can Catholics learn from the Reformation about the Human Quest for God?
Some of my good friends are Protestant. One of my sisters married one. When I was studied theology in Berkeley, CA, we Jesuits hung out with the Lutherans. Not so much the Franciscans or Dominicans. Pretty much every Wednesday, we would gather at the Chesire Cat just north of the CAL campus for pizza and beer and […]
28th Sunday Ordinary Time – “Not Worthy…”
I didn’t believe it when I discovered that there are two Greek words used in the Bible for “worthy.” Go figure. The one we are most familiar with is hikanos. Luke uses it 27 times in the gospel and Acts. Luke 3:16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize […]
28th Sunday Ordinary Time – “Called to the Marriage…”
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come…” Matthew 22:1f The king called the guests to come to the marriage of his son. This intro is laden with theological ramifications… Given […]
27th Sunday Ordinary Time – “It is Marvelous in our Eyes!”
Hypothesis: We really have only one way of relating to God, self, and others. We employ our patterned responses to everything and everyone. Thus, “the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…” tells us that whatever and whomever we reject for whatever personal reason mirrors what we reject in Christ and in ourselves. Seems to […]
27th Sunday Ordinary Time – Something’s Changing…
It seems to me that this homily both revealed to me and confirmed in me the changes going on in me. For about forty years, I have referred to myself as an Irish-Existentialist. And I am. No two ways about it. I have borne that mantle with an edge these decades. Yep. Grace is doing something new […]
Deep Calls to Deep 