About Friar Musings

Franciscan friar and Catholic priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Triangle, VA

Seeing with wonderment

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Friar Musings

I think my favorite comic strip of all time is “Calvin and Hobbes.” It was a simple comic strip featuring Calvin, a preternaturally bright six year-old, and Hobbes, his imaginary tiger friend. The comic strip managed to infuse wondering (and wandering) on a cosmic scale into an ageless world of lazy Sunday afternoons, space adventures, and tales of befuddled babysitters, teachers, and parents. What I most enjoyed about Calvin and Hobbes was that it reminded me of our innate human ability to be surprised, to imagine, and enter into mystery – and to do it with an amazing, incredibly open wonderment. Calvin’s openness to the mystery of it all allowed him entry to even the theological arts where he mused about the combination of predestination with procrastination, finally concluding, “God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind that I will never die.” Continue reading →

On the Sidewalk

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Friar Musings

Sunday is a day when it is easy to find a priest if you want to mention, ask, or chat about something. Most topics are simple and straight forward, but once in a while someone asks a question that is very different from the others. It is then that the conversation is too important to have on the sidewalk but is better suited to a moment when time is more available and others are not waiting to chat or to simply offer their greetings.

Some time ago, a person asked if I thought there are “times we need to forgive God?” My first reaction was, “Sorry, could you repeat that?” Definitely one of those “can we talk about this in the office?” questions. That is when the person let me know they were a visitor. The best I could offer in the moment was, “I will have to think about that.” Continue reading →

Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Friar Musings

¹²On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ¹³He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. ¹⁴Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ ¹⁵Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” ¹⁶The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover. ¹⁷When it was evening, he came with the Twelve. ¹⁸And as they reclined at table and were eating, Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” ¹⁹They began to be distressed and to say to him, one by one, “Surely it is not I?” ²⁰He said to them, “One of the Twelve, the one who dips with me into the dish. ²¹For the Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” ²²While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” ²³Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. ²⁵Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” ²⁶Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:12-25) Continue reading →

Consecrated

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Friar Musings

Growing up in the South I acquired an affinity for revivals and the accompanying pace, inflection, and power of the tent preacher. I think I inherited it from my father who sometimes would take us over to Pine Street on a Sunday evening. I can remember sitting outside the Pentecostal church and hearing the rhythmic call and response of the congregation. Continue reading →

Holy Trinity: mission

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Friar Musings

All power…all nations… all that I have commanded you…with you always. One should be struck by the repetition of the word “all” in this passage:

Jesus has been given all power (v.18).
Disciples are to be made of all nations (v.19).
Disciples are to obey all that Jesus commanded (v.20).
Jesus will be with the disciples always (literally “all the days”; v.20).

The universality of Jesus’ power and his continuing presence provide the dynamic for the universal discipleship mandate. The disciples will be able to make disciples of all the nations only as they recognize that Jesus has been given all authority and that he will be with them all the days until the end. The universal task is daunting, but it can be done because of the continuing power and presence of Jesus. Continue reading →

Holy Trinity: doubt

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Friar Musings

Doubt/hesitation. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Many English translations offer “but some doubted.” Unfortunately the word “some” does not appear in the Greek text. The only two valid translations are “they worshiped, but they doubted (hesitated)” or “they worshiped and they doubted (hesitated).” It is hard to avoid the simple statement of the text: those who worship are also those who doubt.

Mark Allan Powell writes about this verse in his book, Loving Jesus [121]. Continue reading →

Holy Trinity: the eleven

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Friar Musings

¹⁶The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:16-20) Continue reading →

Holy Trinity – more context

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Friar Musings

Holy Trinity: contexts

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Friar Musings

Pentecost Sunday

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Friar Musings

The description of the first Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles tells us that when devout Jews from many different nations heard the Spirit-inspired proclamation of the gospel by the disciples, “each one heard them speaking in his own language.” The outpouring of the Spirit of God united this very diverse group of people in a powerful moment of God’s self-revelation. Such is the power of Spirit. Continue reading →

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