Category Archives: Musings

Tarshish and Vegas

Posted on by
2

Today’s first reading is from the Book of Jonah, one of my favorites. It is about our calling, our mission in life, our choices, and the unintended consequences for others.

The Lord called Jonah to go to preach repentance to the Assyrian capital city of Nineveh, the home of  Israel’s most feared enemy. There was his mission laid before him by the Lord. But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish. Why Tarshish? Take a look at the map. A picture is worth a thousand words. Continue reading →

Matthew’s Vineyard

Posted on by
Reply

This coming Sunday is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Much like Isaiah 5:1-2 (the reading from the OT accompanying our gospel), Matthew’s parable has a vineyard setting (also the preceding two parables: 20:1-16, the workers in the vineyard; 21:28-32, the two sons). What does the vineyard represent? In Isaiah it represents Israel and many have assumed that that is its meaning in the gospel parable, e.g., the vineyard = Israel; the tenants = religious leaders; landowner’s slaves = prophets whom they rejected. With this interpretation, we note that the vineyard is not destroyed, but turned over to new tenants. To use another biblical metaphor, the unfaithful, greedy shepherds are removed (Mt 9:36; Ezekiel 34) and new shepherds are installed to care for the sheep. Continue reading →

A Call for Change

Posted on by
Reply

This coming Sunday is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle A. In this section of the Gospel according to Matthew we encounter Jesus in Holy Week amidst an on-going dialogue with the chief priests and elders. These folk are not happy with Jesus as just the day before he had upset the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple area. When Jesus returned to the Temple the following day, the leaders of Judaism were there with questions about the authority with which Jesus takes such bold and prophetic actions (and interrupts the commerce of the Temple). Continue reading →

Luddites Among Us

Posted on by
Reply

The Luddites have a bad reputation. These days, the word is most commonly used as an insult—shorthand for somebody who doesn’t understand new technology, is skeptical of progress, and wants to remain stuck in the ways of the past. The Luddites were English textile workers who, at the dawn of the industrial revolution, resisted the introduction of new machinery. They would sneak into factories in the dead of night and destroy the power-looms they believed were threatening their jobs. The Luddites were not anti-machinery; many of them were machine experts and welcomed the introduction of new equipment that made their work easier. Continue reading →

Talk like a Pirate

Posted on by
Reply

As you know (…or don’t know), September 19th was “Talk Like a Pirate Day.” While you may have missed the celebration this year – largely consisting of talking like a pirate throughout the course of the day – it is not too late to begin training for next year’s celebration. To that end, this particular post is offering you a short lesson in the key phrases and their etymology. Continue reading →

Returning to the Lord

Posted on by
Reply

The first readings for the beginning of this week are taken from the Book of Ezra – a book that might not be familiar to you. Here is “the big picture”: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah are two of the historical books of the Old Testament that tell the story of the return of the Israelites from exile in Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The Book of Ezra begins with the decree of Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, allowing the Israelites to return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon and rebuild the temple. While the Temple was dedicated in 516 BC, religious reforms were another matter. Ezra was not with the original returnees. He arrived in Jerusalem in 458 BC some 80 years after the decree of Cyrus the Great. Continue reading →

Uncle Bob

Posted on by
2

With all apologies to all the great Uncle Bobs out there, growing up in my family we did not talk about “Uncle Bob.”  In fact I think I was 12 before I knew I had an Uncle Bob. His story, a sad one indeed, is for another time. But what made me think of those hidden family stories was today’s “Word of the Day” from Merriam Webster: nepotism. Continue reading →

Junk Mail

Posted on by
Reply

There was an interesting article in this morning’s news on mass mailing (a.k.a. junk mail) – its history, volume, rationale and the US Post Office’s dependence upon on it.  But what was most interesting to me was a description of the means to stop the a great deal of junk mail. The article (I tried to stop my junk mail forever) was written by Michael J. Coren and appeared in the Washington Post. Continue reading →

Obsessions

Posted on by
Reply

In today’s first reading we are warned against “a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds.” (1 Tim 6:4-5)  When you hear those words again, what comes to mind?  Do you view yourself as someone who values the importance of maintaining peaceful and constructive interactions with others? Do you like a good, lively, robust debate? Of course there is “lively” and there is “lively.” Continue reading →