A “…strong driving wind…tongues as of fire,” – this is what descends upon the apostles and disciples gathered together. Are we surprised that they are confused, astounded, amazed, skeptical, believing, and disbelieving – all at once? In a certain way, they were simply more confused, amazed, etc. because they were already together experiencing bewilderment over how to move forward with the mission given them by Jesus when the Holy Spirit flows among them and shakes things up even more. Continue reading
Category Archives: Musings
Beautiful Feet
Salvador Dali’s painting “Ascension” is certainly one of the most provocative paintings depicting the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus. The symbolic elements are many, the speculations even more, and the agreement on meaning is still up for grabs. But I sometimes tend to focus on some of the more realistic elements cast among the surrealistic things. While the art experts discuss the finer points of Dali, his life, faith, and his work – I am fascinated by perspective, as well as the hands and feet. The former as though clutching at something; the latter soiled and showing the wear and tear of life on earth. Continue reading
Mother’s Day
“A word of advice to everyone: if you can’t remember whether or not you called your mother, you didn’t. But what about when your mom doesn’t remember if you called? And it has only been five minutes.” Those were my opening words a year ago on Mother’s Day when it became clear mom was beginning to experience increasingly severe memory issues. Continue reading
Telling stories
I think that we are at our best as people when we tell the stories that carry meaning, but have enough “wiggle room” to let people stew over the story a bit. When I was a young child the “Uncle Remus” fables were part of the narrative in books and in Disney movies. Uncle Remus is a fictional character, the title character and narrator of a collection of African-American animal stories, songs, and oral folklore adapted and compiled by Joel Chandler Harris, published in 1881. Br’er Rabbit (“Brother Rabbit”) is the main character of the stories, a likable character, prone to tricks and trouble-making, who is often opposed by Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear. Continue reading
About being pastor…
Driving around Florida last week, I mused on this upcoming Sunday, “Good Shepherd Sunday.” I wondered about this column, my homily, and other things along the way. I am assigned as “pastor” of the parish – a shepherd of sorts – and I wonder what the sheep think of all this. I sometimes joke that 25% of the people think I am “OK,” another quarter think I am less than OK on the job, another part have no opinion, and the final 25% think I am Fr. Andrew. Continue reading
Getting your bearings
Everyone is on a journey, but we are not always able to recognize it, to describe it, or to give it meaning. I can tell you from experience that you can transit the entire Pacific Ocean in a submarine and never experience motion or turbulence. It is more monastic enclosure than cruise liner. Be the journey marked by submarine, cruise liner, airplane, or other means, we all arrive at the same destination. But there are lots of things that can happen out in the broad expanse of the Pacific, just as things befall us in life. Just as things befall the disciples in today’s gospel. Continue reading
The Divine Prom
Last week I wrote that if Lent was about making “room for God” – and that is a good start – then the Easter season and beyond should be about coming to realize that God is the entire room! “God should be not merely the reference point but the whole context out of which we operate. God is not merely the source of our existence, he is the substance of our existence, the very life we have, and without God we would be lifeless, even if we are alive. Put another way, if Jesus is not Lord of all, he is not Lord at all.” Continue reading
God’s blessings
In today’s Gospel, we hear, “So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.” Scholars have speculated on all kinds of reasons for the number “153.” It is perhaps simply the number that was there, it might be the number of known fish species in the world (at that time), or perhaps the number of known nations. Who knows. Continue reading
Catholicism and Baseball
My previous post was a serious article by veteran Vatican/Catholic reporter John L. Allen, Jr. of the Boston Globe/Crux.com. Here is a more light-hearted post from the same article:
On baseball and Catholicism –
John L. Allen, Jr. , Boston Globe and Cruxnow.com
Easter is my favorite holiday, not only because it recalls the central event in the Christian account of salvation history, meaning Christ rising from the dead, but also because it coincides with baseball’s Opening Day. Continue reading
Busy Lives
May the grace and peace of the Risen Lord be with you. He is risen, Alleluia! Alleluia! I trust these words find you well, blessed, and part of the Easter people celebrating our awesome and loving God. As an Easter people we will not just celebrate one day – we are about to begin a whole season of Easter from now until Pentecost Sunday on May 24th. In that same period, your life begins to accelerate with a Parish Picnic (April 12th), Confirmation (April 26th), First Holy Communion (May 2nd), Mother’s Day, final exams, graduations, summer vacation and camp planning, getting ready for college, and a whole list of things around the home and office. Continue reading