On my way to the airport, the outside temperature was 33 degrees and was a harbinger of the days and season to come. But then again, I was on my way to the airport. Eight hours later
There are new posts in the queue so content will continue during my sojourn, but otherwise I will probably just enjoy another day in a place that offers days in the 70s with sunshine. Just mark me as “gone fishing.”
Image credit: Image by luplupme / Getty Images
Article:”From Landlines to Tamagotchis, Love Letters to Obsolete Technology” by Kimi Goffe available here.
Over the last six months or more I have been reading about Critical Theory. Perhaps as you read this you are thinking about Critical Race Theory (CRT). That is but one specific focus of Critical Theory; there are many others. The broad and narrow focus of Critical Theory designates several generations of German philosophers and social theorists in the Western European Marxist tradition known as the Frankfurt School. According to these theorists, a “critical” theory may be distinguished from a “traditional” theory according to a specific practical purpose: a theory is critical to the extent that it seeks human “emancipation from slavery”, acts as a “liberating … influence”, and works “to create a world which satisfies the needs and powers” of human beings. So offers Max Horkheimer, one of the leading and founding philosophers of the Frankfurt School. Continue reading
A good friend and staff member at Sacred Heart in Tampa (where I served for many years) was asked by the friars to prepare a reflection on St. Francis in honor of his Feast Day. Barbara is the Director of Faith Formation at the parish and a wonderfully vibrant and faithful woman. The final line of her reflection describes her well: “May we strive to emulate the spirit of St. Francis by leading lives of humble service to one another and to love the Lord God above all.”
This coming Sunday is the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle A. Jesus has already entered Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1 ff) and been received by the people, proclaimed as Messiah, overturned the moneychanger’s tables (21:12-17), and had his authority questioned by the chief priests and elders. Jesus is performing signs and speaking in a way that the people are interpreting as Messianic – and there is a history there. Jesus is not the first messianic figure to come to Jerusalem and the chief priests and elders want to protect the people – although they have already concluded that Jesus is another false claimant. They have been amassing charges and accusations against Jesus and are simply waiting for the opportunity to bring him to trial and be done with him. Continue reading
From the September 4, 2014 Angelus reflection by Pope Francis:
On 14 September the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Some non-Christian person might ask: why “exalt” the Cross? We can respond that we do not exalt any cross whatsoever or all crosses: we exalt the Cross of Jesus, because in it God’s love for humanity was fully revealed. That’s what the Gospel of John reminds us of in today’s liturgy: “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son” (3:16). Continue reading
Happy Star Trek Day. It was September 8, 1966 that the pilot of the television series “Star Trek” was first broadcast on NBC. As you no doubt already know (or should know!) the series followed the voyages of the crew of the starship USS Enterprise, commissioner for deep space exploration by the United Federation of Planets in the 23rd century. Its mission was “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before”. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. The previous two Sundays have focused on the gospel narrative that is set at the site of Peter’s great confession of faith: Caesarea Philippi. This is also the place where Jesus’ first passion prediction occurs which leads to Peter’s exclamation: “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (16:22) – in effect denying the revealed nature and role of the messiah. Jesus corrects Peter in v.24: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Despite his confession of faith and the blessing in response to it, Peter initially rejects the possibility that Jesus’ messiahship could involve suffering. This leads to Jesus’ instruction to the disciples about the true nature of the cross and the willingness to carry it in accordance with the will of God. Continue reading
Friday we received word that one our Franciscan Brothers, Fr. Salim Joseph OFM unexpectedly died from a heart attack at the age of 58. Salim was a wonderful soul who taught me all the ins and outs of Cricket in the India Premier League (Go Chennai Super Kings!). He will be missed.
Here is a tribute to his life and mission prepared by the India Province of the OFMs. May he rest in peace.
This coming Sunday is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle A. “Then Jesus said to his disciples” With these words the scene moves from the personal debate with Peter to a general pronouncement about discipleship, the first part of it echoing what Jesus has already said to his disciples in 10:38–39: “whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” The disciples’ first reaction was not the softened “self-denial” or “take up one’s burden.” They understood the cross as the sign of Roman torture and death: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (16:24) These words are about literal death, following the condemned man on his way to execution. Continue reading
