Category Archives: Musings

Courage and Urgency

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“To the Lord our God belongs justice; to us, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, to be shamefaced, as on this day” (Baruch 1:15)

These words from the prophet Baruch are not just a historical lament of the first wave of exiles to Babylon. It is not a “woe-is-me” indulgence. It is a realization that the choices they made have led them to this moment: exile. The people of Israel, in exile, finally recognize the root of their suffering: their refusal to listen to God, their stubbornness, and their idolatry. It’s a moment of collective repentance, a turning back to the Lord. They should be a mirror held up to every generation, including our own. 

In Jesus’ time the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were probably faithful people, no foreign gods among them. Where Baruch’s generation turned back to God, here and now, God turns to the people in the person of his Son who performed signs and miracles. But people are unmoved. They chose indifference to the grace that was evident to them. Jesus’ words are a lament of love rejected. 

In our modern spiritual lives, these readings challenge us in two profound ways: having the courage to confess and an urgency to respond. 

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Continuing the Lessons

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This coming Sunday is the 27th Sunday in Year C with the Gospel taken from Luke 17:5-10. Throughout the previous chapter (Luke 16), Jesus has addressed the Pharisees and scribes (scholars of the law) with beginning and ending parables: the dishonest steward and the rich man and Lazarus – each begins with a statement, “There was a rich man.” The clear target were the lovers of money, i.e., those whose love of riches prevented them from truly being lovers of God. Although the parables are aimed at the Pharisees the lesson continues a theme from 12:1 “Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.”  The disciples are reminded of the characteristics of true discipleship as well as the pitfalls along the way.

In addition, looking ahead to Luke 17:11: “As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem…” it is clear that Luke will return to a travel motif to continue telling the narrative. It is as though v.11 marks a new subsection within the longer travel narrative (9:51-19:48).  Joel Green holds that 17:1-10 marks the end of a lengthy question that began in 13:10, namely, “who will participate in the kingdom of God?” (Green, Luke, 611). If this is true, then clearly the two characteristics emphasized are faith and service.

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Without Superpower but with Purpose

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out the Twelve with power and authority to cast out demons, to cure diseases, and to proclaim the Kingdom of God. It’s a dramatic moment. They are given extraordinary gifts and a clear mission. But what about us? Most of us are not sent with power over demons. We are not miracle workers. We are not itinerant preachers going from village to village. So how does this Gospel speak to us?

While the form of our mission in the world may differ, the heart of the mission remains the same. Jesus sends the Twelve to do two basic things: proclaim the Kingdom and heal the broken. And that remains our mission in our time and place.

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Let us go rejoicing

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The year is 587 BC. The armies of Babylon have captured and destroyed the city of Jerusalem – including the Temple built by Solomon. The people are taken into the diaspora that will be known as the Babylonian Captivity. “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat weeping when we remembered Zion…But how could we sing a song [of joy for] the LORD in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137)  There is no Temple, there is no rejoicing.

In yesterday’s first reading we read that King Cyrus of Persia has freed the Israelites from captivity in Babylon, allowing them to return to Jerusalem along with all the sacred items the Babylonians took from the Temple in Jerusalem some 40 years prior. The king’s instructions were to rebuild the Temple and worship God in their tradition.

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Faith That Shines

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“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.” (Luke 8:16)

Jesus uses a simple image—a lamp—to teach a profound truth about discipleship. 

Think about the purpose of a lamp. Lamps are meant to shine, to give light. We can put them on timers or systems like Alexa.  You can set your family room lights to turn on 20 minutes before sunset. Why? Because we know that’s when the light is needed. That’s when the light can fulfill its purpose: brighten the darkness, illuminate, make clear the way to go, to be the beacon of hope like a lighthouse to a seafarer.

And so it is with our faith.

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Love and Money

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In today’s first reading, St. Paul gives us one of the most quoted lines in all of Scripture today: “The love of money is the root of all evils.” It’s important to notice that he does not say money itself is evil. Money is a tool, something necessary for daily life; life is too complex for a barter system. 

At the beginning of this passage, the author warns against those who treat religion as a way of personal gain—using faith to acquire status, comfort, or wealth. For the most part, in our parishes and communities, this is not where most of us fall. Few people come to Mass in hopes of making money. Most are here out of love for God, a desire for prayer, and the need for grace.

But then we go out into the world and go to work … if we are not able to earn it the old fashioned way: inherit it … or win the Powerball lottery.

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What about this generation?

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares His generation to children in the marketplace. No matter what song is played, they refuse to respond. So Jesus offers them a new song: a lament.

John the Baptist came in austerity fasting, wearing rough clothing, calling for repentance – a bit of the wilderness wild man. Yet in verses just prior to our reading, Jesus has praised John the Baptist and pointed to him as the greatest of those born of women. But the people have hesitated. They can not decide or commit to John’s call for repentance so they go to another extreme. They claim he is possessed and thus can be ignored.

The austere wild man too much? Jesus comes to the people where they are. He came eating and drinking, sharing table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. Surely, the wandering preacher from Nazareth can’t be of God if He is eating with “them.” They claim Jesus is just a glutton and a drunkard. 

In other words, no matter what God offered, be it stern warning or gracious welcome, many refused to listen. Jesus’ words are indeed a lament. 

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Cutty Sark

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Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. In case you missed it, Sunday afternoon I posted a short vocabulary of pirate expressions to aid your celebration. Today we celebrate more things nautical. Not one of my usual post, but then again I am always fascinated by words – for example, the expressions “cutty sark.”  Many folks are familiar with that word because of the brand of whiskey. Others might know that the expression has an earlier origin – the whiskey’s name inspired by the legendary clipper ship “Cutty Sark”

But did you know, the name of the ship was inspired from an even older source?

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The Assumption of Mary in Art

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Much of our religious consciousness is affected by art; we have inherited specific images that are more artistic than biblical.  For example, we always imagine St. Paul being knocked from a horse on the Damascus Road.  There is no mention of the horse in scripture.  Is that a bid deal? Perhaps not.  But when Caravaggio placed Paul on the horse, a sign of privilege or royalty, he removed Paul from the midst of Corinth, the hard-scrabbled sea port town, from among the drunks, slackards, ner-do-wells, and people who sorely needed salvation. Continue reading →