Category Archives: franciscan

Peter’s Response, Jesus’ Rebuke

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This coming Sunday is the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle A. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” Peter’s typically direct and immediate response is not likely his alone. Just as he spoke for the other disciples in proclaiming Jesus to be the “Son of the living God,” the Messiah, now he gives voice to the horror they all share upon hearing Jesus’ description of the messianic mission. Given his confession (v.16), Peter may well feel particularly let down by the idea that his Messiah should prove to be anything less than a success. Continue reading →

Christology: Three Questions

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This coming Sunday is the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel according to Matthew accepts and uses the main Christological titles found already in the Gospel according to Mark, including Christ/Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man, Rabbi, and Teacher. But in contrast to Mark, Matthew adds several new titles and emphasizes certain aspects of Jesus’ identity. Matthew’s Gospel begins by identifying Jesus as “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (1:1), showing Jesus’ Davidic/royal and Abrahamic/Jewish heritage, respectively.  Throughout Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is presented as “the New Moses” for the people of Israel, and is given a variety of other titles, including Emmanuel, Savior, Prophet, and King of the Jews. It is in this light that our pericope asks its two questions. Continue reading →

Rhymes with Orange

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When I am inspired to offer a really bad joke, I ask, “What’s the only word in the English language that rhymes with ‘orange.'” People quickly move through their internal cache of words and come up empty. That is when, in a terribly fake Cockney accent, I offer: “door’inge.”  I did say that it would be a really bad joke. But did you know there is also a nationally syndicated comic strip named “Rhymes with Orange”?

The daily, nationally syndicated cartoon, often has a wry view of the world. Today’s edition was particularly good. You can view the cartoon here ( Aug 16 only).  The single panel scene depicts a young girl’s bedroom with a doll house – each room of which is brimming with furniture. The doll house is located right next to a 3-unit toy self-storage facility…. also brimming with furniture and stuff.  Just saying…

Push eventually comes to shove

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In today’s first reading rebellious Israel finally crosses the point of no return… so to speak. If you have been following the first readings for daily Mass, you have seen the long brewing balance of Israel’ rebellion being met with God’s faithfulness. While still at the foot of Mt. Sinai they rebelled and wanted to know why God/Moses had brought them out into the dessert to die of hunger – plus there was the incident of the golden calf. God provided manna and quail. Continue reading →

The City of Angels

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I think most people know that the expression, “City of Angels”, refers to Los Angeles, CA. But did you know that the name is only the shortened form of the original city name, which grew up around one of the Franciscan missions? The original name of the pioneer town was, “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula,” (in English, “City of Our Lady the Queen of Angels of the little Portion”). Both “Our Lady Queen of the Angels” and “the little Portion” are steeped in the earliest history of the Franciscan Order. For that we return to the 13th century and the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Continue reading →

Two Parables

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This coming Sunday is the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Matthew apparently intends the parable of the treasure to be interpreted together with the parable of the pearl, which immediately follows. The two parables do have common features: (I) In each case only a brief vignette of a crucial situation is given, without enough details to evaluate them as realistic stories. The interpreter should, therefore, be wary of filling in the gaps from pious imagination, but concentrate on what the parable does, in fact, portray. Continue reading →

A Pearl of Great Price

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This coming Sunday is the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Pearls were as highly valued in the ancient world as they are today, and were a conspicuous way of displaying wealth (1 Tim 2:9; Rev 17:4; 18:12, 16). Huge pearls are the gates in the symbolic new Jerusalem (Rev 21:21). But there is a subtle difference between this and the preceding parable. Continue reading →

Force multiplier

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Our parish is located next to Marine Corp Base Quantico, headquarters of the US Marine Corp. And as you’d expect we have lots of military families and members that make up the parish. They are quite familiar with the term “force multiplier.” In military terminology, the expression refers to any factor or capability that enhances the effectiveness and overall combat power of a military force beyond its basic capabilities. It denotes a tool, strategy, or resource that amplifies the impact of a military force, enabling it to achieve greater results or exert more influence on the battlefield. Examples can include advanced technology, air superiority, logistics, specialized units, e.g. recon, and more.

“The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Cor 9:10)

The grace of God: the divine force multiplier.

2nd Corinthians

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Last evening I was rummaging around a folder labeled “Potential Musings.” It is a place were draft posts are worked on and often languish unfinished for one reason or another. Often I have to open the file to remember the contents as the working title does not ring a bell, e.g., “no single issue saints” or “303 v. Elenis.”  But I did come across a file: 2 Corinthians. I was pretty sure I knew what was inside – and given that most of last week and all of this week, the first reading for daily Mass is taken from the Second Letter to the Corinthians – maybe it was time to dust that one off and see if was something to post.  It is more of a scripture-study kind of post and it is long, but I think it is interesting.  Here’s the teaser: how are Paul’s letters to the Corinthians like a Bob Newhart sketch? Continue reading →

Eye of Sauron

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eye-sauronFor those among us who are fans of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, there is interesting news from the world of  entomology. A new genus of butterflies has been discovered and named after Sauron, the arch-villain of the trilogy whose gaze lingers malevolently over the lands of Middle-earth. The butterfly sports dark, eye-like spots on its distinctive orange wings. An international team of scientists identified two species in the new genus — Saurona triangula and Saurona aurigera — but said there were most likely more.

In addition to the newly designated butterflies, Sauron has a namesake dinosaur, a dung beetle and a frog, according to the Natural History Museum. There’s also NGC 4151, a faraway galaxy that astronomers have dubbed “the eye of Sauron.”

Credits: image Warner Brothers, source for article, Chris Stanford, “New Butterflies Are Named for Sauron, ‘Lord of the Rings’ Villain” New York Times