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Category Archives: Musings
A tough read
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Many folks and friends have told me over the years that they “started to read the Bible… beginning with Genesis.” I always want to ask what happened when they reached the Book of Leviticus. Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Scriptures following after Genesis and Exodus. These first two books are largely narratives with protagonists, antagonists, plots, crises, and resolutions. They are forms of writing quite familiar to us. But Leviticus? It is described as “The book mainly treats cultic matters (i.e., sacrifices and offerings, purity and holiness, the priesthood, the operation of the sanctuary, and feast days) but is also interested in various behavioral, ethical, and economic issues (e.g., sexual practices, idolatrous worship, treatment of others, the sale of land, slavery). The goal of the laws is not merely legislative.” Not exactly a page turner. It is a tough read.
The Kingdom of enough
In today’s gospel, Jesus sends the disciples out on their first mission. In the fast paced Markan gospel, the disciples had seen Jesus working for the kingdom and had been helped to reflect on the meaning of his activity and his message. They had seen his commitment and the how his service to the Kingdom came as a priority to his own needs. When tracked down after finding a quiet place to pray, when told of the need to minister to the people, Jesus responded: “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” (Mk 1:38)
Dismissed
In today’s gospel, on the sabbath day Jesus attended the synagogue and was given the opportunity to speak about the reading from the sacred scrolls. The entire congregation was astonished at his teaching, which prompted questions concerning the source of his doctrine and wisdom and of the power which had been exhibited elsewhere in miracles of healing and exorcism.
Jesus had not been schooled in rabbinic fashion but had been trained as a manual laborer. His immediate family were well known to the villagers, who judged that there was nothing extraordinary about them that would have led them to expect something unusual from Jesus. What was the source of his wisdom, and who had empowered him to speak and act with such authority?
Your Last Words
In today’s Gospel on this Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we hear last words. We have always placed a special emphasis on last words. There are websites dedicated to recording the last words of famous people. Some are profound, some hilarious, and some ironic. Movies highlight the last words of the dying. I guess it is that we believe that for the person, this is their last shot at figuring things out, summing things up. We assume that at death’s doorway there is no need nor desire for pretense or fabrication, but only moments of deep, abiding truth and wisdom – and we hang on the edge of our seats.
Paying Attention
The second, longest, and most complex of this Gospel’s narrated exorcisms, Mark 5:1-20 is a tale of terror. Jesus encounters a demoniac who horrifies his neighbors by howling among tombs commandeered by diabolical powers that provoke him to appalling self-abuse. The man is impossible to restrain.
To the original hearers of the account, the story screams religious impurity because of its contact with corpses. The original hears probably heard the echo of Isaiah (65:4) describing the rebellious, stubborn nation of Israel as people who inhabit tombs and eat swine’s flesh. And then there is the demonic possession. Which in itself is bad, but again, the original listeners, when they hear the name “Legion” (Mark 5:9), pile on their revulsion at the memory of their suffering and trauma at the hands of imperial soldiers. The man is menaced and menacing. Who could come near? What cure is possible?
Useless Catholic Trivia
My Franciscan brother, Fr. Casey Cole OFM, is a prolific producer of videos, blogs, podcasts, and all manner of digital evangelization. He has a YouTube channel, his long-time blog “Breaking in the Habit“, a podcast (Everyday Liminality), Facebook page, and more – he even has a wikipedia page!
This morning, I came across one of his new videos that I wanted to share with you – as Fr. Casey says – make sure you have 18 minutes of your life that you will never get back! If you like trivia – this video is for you. Enjoy.
Fr. Casey serves the parishioners of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Macon, GA
The Story of our Lives
The children’s rhyme insists that “sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Yet anyone who has comforted a teased child knows the emptiness of the adage. Words do have power for good and for ill. Our world is woven of words. A single word can make life turn on a dime. Continue reading
Pondering a parable
So where was I….? As noted in an earlier post, today’s gospel includes the Markan version of the parable of the mustard seed: 30 He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
I wondered if there were any OT references to birds taking shelter in the shade of a plant or a tree. Two came to mind. Continue reading
Pondering parables of the Kingdom
Today’s gospel includes the Markan version of the parable of the mustard seed: 30 He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” I think it is one of those parables to which western Christians give “the holy nod.” That is an expression I apply to all the times we nod knowingly at the presentation of some matter of Scripture or faith, nodding our agreement, when inwardly we are thinking, “What? Oh well, Jesus said it, I believe it and it must be good.”
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