Category Archives: Musings

In the courtroom

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One of the wonderful things about the Gospel of John is the Book of Signs a name commonly given to the first main section of the Gospel of John, from 1:19 to the end of Chapter 12. Included within this section are the seven signs of the reign of God as evidence, as witness, to a new creation. The seven signs are

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A clear view

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Several days ago I posted an article about Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this morning’s New York Times there is fascinating/disturbing article about facial recognition – something not foreign to many users of smart phones that use the technology to unlock phones and open software. But the article by Kashmir Hill is about a company, Clearview AI, that provides advanced facial recognition software to law enforcement agencies, private companies, and public concerns.

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Your response

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Today is the Feast of St. Patrick which has optional readings you can find here.

The scene in the gospel is familiar – “oh sure, I’ve heard this before, Jesus is calling his disciples to be fishers of men” – perhaps too familiar. As with most scriptures, there is more than meets the eye.

The account begins with a wide-angle view with Jesus in a natural amphitheater with a large crowd. Having Simon Peter take him in the boat just a little offshore, Jesus can take in the breadth of the crowd as he teaches. There among in the crowd are people who have heard of the great things he has done in Nazareth and Capernaum, as well as Pharisees, scribes and officials from Jerusalem. There too are the ones who will become his disciples and follow him.

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Hope and Healing

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Today’s readings are a combination of the well-known (the Gospel) and the “what’s-going-on” (Ezekiel). The former is the familiar story of the man, afflicted for 38 years, who encounters Jesus and is heal and has hope restored. The latter is a grand vision of living waters flowing from the Temple into all the land bring abundance and life.

The Ezekiel reading is the epilogue to the “dry bones’ vision the prophet had just proclaimed. In his vision, the prophet finds himself standing in a valley full of dry human bones. Before him, the bones begin to move and assemble into human figures, skeletons rising and standing in the valley. Almost as in modern computer-generated visual effect, the skeletons begin to receive layers of living flesh: tendons, muscles, organs and skin. They then arise, standing upright, alive and vital. These are the Israelites living in exile who are returning to Jerusalem.

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Hope and Healing

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Today’s readings are a combination of the well-known (the Gospel) and the “what’s-going-on” (Ezekiel). The former is the familiar story of the man, afflicted for 38 years, who encounters Jesus, is healed and has hope restored. The latter is a grand vision of living waters flowing from the Temple into all the land bring abundance and life.

The Ezekiel reading is the follow-on to the “dry bones’ vision the prophet had just proclaimed. In his vision, the prophet finds himself standing in a valley full of dry human bones. Before him, the bones begin to move and assemble into human figures, skeletons rising and begin to stand. Almost as in modern computer-generated visual effect, the skeletons begin to receive layers of living flesh: tendons, muscles, organs and skin. They then arise, standing upright, alive and vital. These are the Israelites living in exile who are returning to Jerusalem.

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Heaven and Earth

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In today’s first reading from Isaiah, the prophet is speaking to the Jewish people in exile in Babylon (or soon thereafter) and reminding them of their mission to be a light to the world of the goodness and justice of the God of the Covenant. Isaiah holds up an image of a “new heavens and a new earth” – a similar image to one spoken of the Book of Revelation in the New Testament…. and those images, I suspect, are quite different from ones we hold in our minds. Images that propose for us, heaven is somewhere not here, a place we hope to go to when we pass from this mortal coil, where God lives. Earth becomes the transit stop on the way. All of this is mingled into the idea of the Second Coming of Jesus. When this latter topic is brought up, I will often say, “That’s right…. but have you ever heard of the Second Going?” Continue reading →

Tech and the future

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I subscribe/follow several sources of news and information on thing tech. More big picture than detailed technical. This week the CEOs of Airbnb and Facebook offered their insights about the post-pandemic future. It has been my experience the press release/announcement is splashy event with all the rest playing itself out over time. But in the interim their pronouncements about the future are increasingly red-carpet events and there is a tendency to opine about things not exactly “in their wheelhouse.” [Note: idiomatic use of “wheelhouse” – the field in which a person excels; one’s strongest interest or ability; Oxford English Dictionary … in case you were wondering.]

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How far?

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In today’s readings we encounter a familiar passage. One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31)

One of the great leaders of Judaism was the sage and scholar, Rabbi Hillel. He was also the president of the Sanhedrin and the highest authority among the Pharisees in Jerusalem during the reigns of King Herod and the Roman Emperor Augustus. Rabbi Hillel is thought to have died during the time Jesus was a youth. Possibly he heard Hillel teach as a young boy (Lk 2:41-51); certainly, Jesus would be familiar with Hillel’s teachings as he began his public ministry.

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Psalm 8

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The expression “a preferential option for the poor” or “option for the poor and vulnerable” is a basic tenet of Catholic Social Teaching, a body of papal encyclicals from the late 19th century up through today. It consists of seven basic themes of which the US Bishops have nice introduction here. One of those themes is “Option for the Poor and Vulnerable.” This theme says that a basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. Many times we read the Matthean passage and feel the call to individual acts of compassion and justice, but the US Bishops also direct our attention to more systemic issues of economic justice and domestic poverty. Lots of links and lots to consider! And you might be asking “what does this have to do with Psalm 8?”

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Pope Francis’ word

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You might know that Pope Francis daily celebrates Mass at the chapel where he lives, Santa Marta. He reflections on the daily readings are available on the Vatican News website’s page, Word of the Day.  As an ever work-in-progress homilist, I greatly appreciate his insights and the clarity (and brevity) of his homily. From Pope Francis:

Vigilance! But, three criteria, eh! Do not confuse the truth. Jesus fights the devil: first criterion. Second criterion: the one who is not with Jesus is against Jesus. There is no middle ground. Third criterion: vigilance over our heart because the devil is clever. He is never cast out forever! That will happen only on the last day.” (Homily, Santa Marta, 11 October 2013)