If you are a frequent reader of this blog you know that I am a big fan of The Bible Project. The project/website is a great way to begin or deep dive into Sacred Scripture. Appropriately here on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, they offer a great video (<5 minutes) on the Gospel of the Kingdom. You can find it here.
If you are a frequent reader of this blog you know that I am a big fan of The Bible Project. The project/website is a great way to begin or deep dive into Sacred Scripture. As you can see from the menu there are videos to watch, an app to download, podcasts, detailed studies, a blog – and an opportunity to support their mission and ministry.
Today’s blog post was super interesting: “God has a Name” Here is the opening paragraph:
Have you ever read the Bible, especially the Old Testament and thought God seems to be called by a lot of names? Who is this Yahweh, Elohim, El Roi, Adonai, Savior, Redeemer, and Angel of the Lord? What happened to the simple Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? There are in fact, dozens of ways in which the people of Israel referred to God. Many of these names are revealed to us in Genesis and the rest of the Torah. This multiplicity of names can be a little confusing for those who don’t know ancient Hebrew. So we thought we’d do our best to open up this fascinating can of worms and show you why it’s important to understand the many ancient names of God.
Enjoy!
If you would like to see a video version you can find it here.
As I have mentioned on previous occasions, one of the ministries here at St. Francis of Assisi in Triangle, VA, is to celebrate interment services at Quantico National Cemetery. It is an honor to minister to the families of women and men who served our country with honor and distinction. I am always moved when driving past the rows upon rows of my veteran brothers and sisters.
As I get older, I am not unaware that I am increasingly laying to rest a person younger than I – a little dose of mortality now and then is a good thing. Psalm 90 says that we are given 70 years or 80 for those who are strong. Yesterday I help lay to eternal rest Celestino Almeda. He reached 104 years old – and it was an active 104 years. At age 99 he was roaming the halls of Congress and the Veteran’s Administration seeking to right a wrong, an injustice.
This week we have been reading from John 8 – it has been a week of tough conversations that followed Jesus’ basic statement: “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12). And the Pharisees then and us now are challenged to discern what we see by that light. This part of John’s gospel is part of the Book of Signs, the seven miraculous signs that people could see and come to believe Continue reading
In today’s gospel we listen into the ongoing conversation of Jesus with the Pharisees. In yesterday’s reflection I asked, “what will you see?” Today we see part of the answer on the part of Pharisees. And buried in that reply is one small phrase that points to the fact that they heard and inferred clearly what Jesus was claiming: that he was God. They rejected that saying, “We have one Father, God.”
It is often said that “the good” becomes the enemy when it keeps you from “the best.” Continue reading
I spent the day at the US Naval Academy with classmates who were dedicating chairs in Alumni Hall for those in their company (35th) who had passed away as well as those who are still with us. It was a touching and moving ceremony – and great to spend time with classmates.
In today’s gospel we see Jesus in an encounter with the Pharisees as time rapidly approaches the events we know as Holy Week. The Pharisees and other religious leaders have had about three years of reports, stories, encounters and more about this itinerant preacher from Galilee. How is it that the son of a carpenter is so well versed in Scripture and such a gifted orator? What about the reports of healings, driving out demons, healing leprosy, and all the demonstrations over the power of nature? The pieces of the puzzle are all there waiting to be joined into one clear mosaic. He is the one who teaches with new authority, who commands the power of the sea, the one who implies he has the power to forgive sin! But they just can’t put it together. They just can’t see it. Continue reading
Today is April 1st the traditional day for pranks and jokes ending with the classic: “April’s Fool.” The exact history of the celebration is shrouded in speculation and mystery, but historians have their “best guess.” Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1. Continue reading
At first blush it does seem odd that the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord falls in the midst of Lent. It is an event in the life of Christ that we associate with Advent. That scene in which the Angel Gabriele comes to Mary to announce she will be the mother of Emmanuel, “God with us.”
My friend, Fr. Bill McConville OFM, notes that part of the church’s art tradition is that the scene of the Annunciation often portrays Mary, not empty-handed, but holding a book or a scroll, her reading and reflecting on Scripture being interrupted by the angel’s pronouncement. The tradition is that she is meditating on Isaiah 7 (today’s first reading) in which there is the promise that a virgin will bear a child. Continue reading
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