A call to action

In the first reading for today we encountered one of the passages that, the first time I read it, I had to blink, shake my head to remove possible cobwebs, and then re-read. Did they just find “the book of the law” (2 Kings 22:8)? Were the first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch, unknown to them? The books that are the most fundamental to letting Israel know who and whose they are; “the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD”; all were a revelation to the young King Josiah. Continue reading

The Iniquity of Sin

When was the last time you used the word “iniquity?” Admittedly, it is not one of those words that leaps to one’s mind. It sounds somewhat archaic and perhaps reserved to a fire-and-brimstone preacher. Iniquity is not exactly the same as sin. Iniquity describes something as being wicked or immoral in nature or character. It is not an action like sin, but rather the character of the action”. We have a hint of that in the phrase “the iniquity of my sin” (Psalms 32:5). Iniquity can be described as the essence of wrongdoing or evil. Continue reading

The beginning of the journey

In this coming 13th Sunday of Ordinary time, the gospel is taken from Luke. In yesterday’s post we explored the Elijah-motif of Luke’s narrative. Today we focus on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem as a march toward exaltation (“to be taken up”) in fulfillment of God’s plan. The earthly journey of Jesus serves also as the framework for the progress of the church in the time after the ascension. We find ourselves on the way toward Jerusalem with the Lord. But the march to glory, as Jesus has already warned, is a path through suffering. The disciples must expect to be treated no better than the Master. The cost of Christian discipleship is clearly stated as the journey gets underway. Continue reading