I have always wondered about the practice of nonprofit fundraising and especially large capital campaigns that offer naming opportunities to attract seven-, eight-, and nine-figure donations from high-net-worth individuals. As far back as the first century CE, Roman general Marcus Agrippa had his name inscribed on the Pantheon temple. The practice continues today as expressions of civic responsibility, prestige, and power. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We are people who live in a time when transoceanic sailing is routine, but for the people of Old Testament times, the seas, deep oceans, and their creatures held a mix of practical, symbolic, and theological significance. To the OT mind the sea is the place of chaotic power, the habitation of sea monsters, and the place from whence comes evil. Given that perspective, there are three primary OT motifs which arise, not only in Scripture, but also in the text of other Ancient Near East cultures:
There is a picture in my office that I have had since last century. It is a picture of Jeff Pierce. You probably have never heard of Jeff. He was a professional bicycle racer. He rode for the 7-Eleven team back in the late 1980s when they were the first American team to race in Europe. In the 1987 Tour de France, Jeff was a domestique, a rider whose principle task was to be a support for the team leaders: carry water bottles, protect the top riders from the ravages of wind, and at the end of the day to struggle across the finish line well after the leaders. Against all odds Jeff won the grand finale, the last stage in Paris on the Champs Elysees. A gendarme in the background of the photograph stares in disbelief. Jeff is alone. Crossing the finish line, arms raised in unbelieving triumph. He won against the greatest riders of his day. An American in Paris. I look at that picture and know that perfect moments are possible. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Despite the traditional marking of chapters in the Gospel, most commentators do not include our gospel passage with the bulk of Chapter 4. Rather, our gospel passage is included with the content of Chapter 5. In 4:35-5:43 Jesus teaches with miracles that demonstrate the extraordinary character of Jesus’ power as he stills a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee (4:35-41); casts out a demonic legion (5:1-20); raises Jairus’ daughter and heals a woman sick for 12 years (5:21-43 – our gospel text for next week). These miracles show that Jesus has power over the realms of nature, the demonic, and death. Continue reading
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus references Exodus 21 in which Moses is explaining the Torah to the people. It is a description of and an attempt to regulate fair punishment for violence so that the punishment did not exceed the injury. The instruction was aimed not at excusing brutality, but at controlling vendetta. Here is a portion of the passage: Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle B. From the beginning of Mark, chapter 4, we have seen Jesus teaching via some very memorable parables about the Kingdom of God:
In today’s readings, the first reading from Ezekiel and the gospel from Mark, we have “winged creatures” or “birds of the sky” are able to rest and find shade in an unexpected place. The readings are at least thematically connected. Jesus’s focus in the Gospel is clear as he asks: “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God” – the kingdom being a topic Jesus has proclaimed since the beginning of the gospel: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15). But what is Ezekiel talking about? Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The scholar Pheme Perkins [579] offers these reflections on this Markan passage.
“The seed parables point to the certain harvest that stems from next-to-invisible beginnings. The lack of human agency during the growth process does not mean that disciples should sit back and wait for God to bring the harvest. The proverbial sayings on how faith increases warn against such a conclusion. Instead, the image of a certain harvest from invisible beginnings promises that even though our testimony to the gospel appears insignificant or even fruitless, Christians should not be discouraged or give up. Christians should beware of giving in to the mania for statistics as evidence of success, which dominates modern life. When the harvest is ripe, it will be time for the reaper.”
In today’s text for the Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, our first reading (1 Kings 19 ) finds Elijah the prophet on the run from the wrath of Queen Jezebel who has sent an army to track down and kill Elijah. He is hiding in cave wondering where is God in all this
Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound.” (1 Kings 19;11-12)
That is the New American Bible (NAB) translation. The other translations are quite similar, but the very last phrase has a lot of subtle variations: “a still small voice”, “a low whisper” and others. The Hebrew word used demā·mā primarily means “a hush” or “a whisper.”
Whatever the translation, may we always and ever be open to that still small voice that speaks to us to keep us on the road of righteousness.
Image credit: photo by Taylor Hunt, Pexels, CC-0
This coming Sunday is the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time. 33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. 34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. (Mark 4:32-34) Continue reading
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