Category Archives: Musings

God’s Children

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The first reading for today is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 2 that begins an exhortation to remain firm in the faith and not simply drift away. The exhortation is rooted in Hebrews 1 which argued that since the Son is superior to the angels, the message of salvation he brought is even more to be obeyed than the law of Moses, which came through angels.  Here in Chapter 2, the argument takes a new angle to argue that Christ is superior to the angels. Previously it was argued that Christ was superior as the Son of God; here he is superior because he is a human being. Continue reading →

Things to wonder about

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The two semifinal games in the college football playoff (CFB) series were great games for fans and spectators alike. There was lots of exciting plays and the games came down to nail-biter finishes. Last night’s championship game did not share those characteristics as the University of Georgia (UGA) overwhelmed TCU. I watched the first half finish with a score of 38-7 and then decided to read a book for the rest of the evening. A few moments later I received a text from a friend who wondered if the 2nd half television advertisers were going to receive a rebate/discount as non-UGA fans began to turn off the broadcast. Turns out it is a flat-fee arrangement, but what the future holds in terms of rebates or discounts, … something to wonder about. Actually, I’ve already spent too much time on the topic.

Covenant People

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Today marks the end of the Liturgical season of Christmas as we celebrate the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Throughout the Christmas season we have heard the titles and honorifics: Messiah, Wonder Counselor, Prince of Peace; but today, we hear the simple most intrinsic of all. This day the gospel proclaims the identity of Jesus: “This is my beloved Son.” (Mt 3:17). Continue reading →

Hooked

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Today’s gospel for the Saturday in the Octave of Christmas is the Prologue from the Gospel of John (1:1-18). The words are familiar and are the gospel for Christmas Mass during the Day. When musing about what to write, I kept coming back to opening lines of books or first chapters that made me want to read the rest. For me the most memorable comes from Norman Maclean and his masterpiece  A River Runs Through It:  Continue reading →

What makes a family holy?

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Is your family holy? What makes a family holy? Most often when we think of families, we think of what makes them healthy – and that too is a good question, a good goal, and something worth time and energy to ensure. A family should want to be a place where its members feel welcomed, warm, embraced, safe, supported, loved and so much more.  But do all those things – as good as they are – make a family holy? Continue reading →

What’s the best word to describe…

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…Representative-elect George Santos of New York? His self-described actions are “embellishments.” According to Merriam Webster the word “embellish” means “to make something more appealing or attractive with fanciful or decorative details.” That is the core of advertising – using words to make the product more appealing, desirable, economic or some other key attribute to garner the potential buyer’s interest and ultimately for them to purchase the item. We might disagree with a product’s description, the embellishment, but we can agree their is an actual product. Back to George Santos. Continue reading →

My last words

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The gospel for today is one of my favorite passages: Luke 2, the Nunc Dimitis, or the encounter with Simeon in the Temple. The moniker of the passage comes from the opening words in the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible: “Nunc dimittis servum tuum Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace” –  “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”  (Luke 2:29-32)

The Nunc Dimittis is part of Night Prayers/Compline in the Divine Office of the Church. It is perhaps my favorite prayer of the day. They are may last words of every day.

Speaker of the House

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It would be hard to follow the news and not be aware of the upcoming contentious election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The stew pot of politics is ripe with intrigue, posturing and backroom dealings. The Republican party has but a slim majority and within its own ranks there is deep division.  There are at least six candidates who have indicated they plan to stand for election. Those that are “in the know” (and does not include me, not in this or any imaginable universe) assure us that this is likely to go into a contested ballot – despite assurances from the supposed front runner that he had adequate votes to clinch a first round victory of a simple majority. But happens if he does not? Continue reading →