Deep Calls to Deep 4th of Easter – Desire & Locked Doors
Seems to me that what we humans desire most is connection – acceptance, approval, love, welcome, hope, and such. Why does it seem many either don’t really pursue our deeper desires or we find other things to fill that connection? Case in point – The disciples locked the doors (gates) yet Jesus stood among them and spoke to […]
3rd of Easter – Emmaus & Heartburn (2)
Why think that the Emmaus story is about repentance/conversion? How is it our story, too? Here we see the need for their hearts to burn, our hearts to burn – purification! Here are a couple connections the Greek makes internally in Luke and with the Greek Old Testament: To go; proceed; travel = poreuomai HOW were they […]
3rd of Easter – Emmaus & Heartburn (1)
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” Whaaaa…? Christ’s gift of heartburn? What does the Greek, kaio, “to burn,” signify? Two things, the presence of God and purification. Check it out: Exodus 3:2 There the […]
Easter Week – Remembering Triduum backwards 4
Why did Jesus die on the cross? Why was he put to death? Why do we humans, you and I, put others on the cross? Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) pictured Jesus immersed in and among wounded human beings. Like us, though we may look better in the mirror. John’s Passion Narrative, the ending of “The Book […]
5th SUN LENT – Hurt people hurt people…
The “other part of the story” that came to light for me about the raising of Lazarus (while studying to preach) was opened up by the insightful commentary on the gospel of John, “Life Abounding,” by Brendan Byrne, SJ. It’s about the Pharisees. The gospel on Sunday ended with verse 45, which in fact, is […]
5th SUN LENT – “What would you say to Jesus…?”
This came up at a Saturday lunch conversation. “What would you say to Jesus if you were raised from the dead after four days?” I asked that this morning at our celebration of the 5th Sunday of Lent. I heard a chorus of “thank you!” That’s sweet. However, think about it… It’s now four days since you […]
4th SUN LENT – “How do I get there from here?”
“As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” (John 9:1ff) Jesus simply acted. […]
Fr. Don Driscoll, SJ – RIP 2007
It’s ten years today since Don died suddenly of a heart attack. He had served as chaplain to the College of Pharmacy at Creighton University for a number of years before. So many of his colleagues and students and friends and family and Jesuits remember him today with a huge sense of loss. Especially […]
3rd SUN LENT – Thirsty people…
We are thirsty people. Where do we go to slake our thirst? John’s gospel highlights this conundrum by using two different Greek words for “well.” …So [Jesus] came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well [pēgē – ‘fountain’] was there, and […]
2nd SUN LENT – back to the same mountain?
Jesus was tempted on a high mountain. He was transfigured on a high mountain. Hmmm. Matthew 17:1 (NRSV) — 1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. Matthew 4:8 (NRSV) — 8 Again, the devil took him to a […]
Deep Calls to Deep 