When it is revealed

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Friar Musings

I spent last weekend away. I joined several of my US Naval Academy classmates for a weekend in Ormond Beach at one of their homes. And as it is always likely to happen, when we get together, there were lots of sea stories. Daring tales of iron men and wooden ships braving the deep waters – and some of the stories were even true. It was also interesting hearing all the details of my friend’s assignments and their encountering other classmates in those assignments. Several of the men at the gathering had made careers of the Navy; several of us had not. Continue reading →

Who could love us?

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Friar Musings

[Note: I am away on vacation! I though I would repost this – it seemed to fit the readings for today]

I suspect that most of us here share a fundamental experience with sheep. First we confuse lambs and sheep. Most of us think about lambs who seem wonderfully cute, are gentle of spirit, and how can you not love them? I mean, really. And our experience is mostly limited to the petting zoo/farm context. I suspect that as children we turned to our moms and said: “Mom can we have one? I promise to feed him and take care of him….. please…!!”

I assume most of us here share another attribute – we are all city slickers, urban folk, and suburbanites. Which are all good things… but does not necessarily give us great insight into the lives of sheep or shepherds. Continue reading →

Small worlds

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Friar Musings

I think that on our best days, we who profess to be Christian, we are storytellers. This morning I have three stories for you. Two of which we know the ending; the third is a work in progress. Continue reading →

An incomplete ending

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Friar Musings

This year in the cycle of liturgical years we are primarily using the Gospel of Mark for our Sunday readings. But then this particular Gospel is the shortest of the four canonical texts and so it requires “a little help” to fill in the whole of the year – especially during the long stretch of Ordinary Time between Pentecost and Advent. This year, as per normal for Year B in the cycle of readings, the 17th through the 20th Sundays or Ordinary Time is from the Gospel of John. Continue reading →

Its your choice

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Friar Musings

There are no miracles in the Gospel of John. Well, at least he does not call them as such. John assiduously avoids calling them miracles, preferring to call them “signs.” In fact the first part of the Gospel of John is called the “Book of Signs” – and there are seven. Continue reading →

As personal as it gets

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Friar Musings

“The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their [ancestors]..for they broke my covenant, …this is the covenant that I will make…I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer 31)

Way back in the day, before this life as a Franciscan, I was helping out with a teen ministry program at my parish. I will always remember one comment a young women made – the topic is not relevant (and not so well remembered) – but her last words stuck with me: “It’s not like I have a contract with God or anything.” Continue reading →

Like it or not

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Friar Musings

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” It is perhaps the best known bible verse here in the United States. It appears on signs held up in crowd shots at major sporting events, it appeared in the midst of Tim Tebow’s eye black at a college national championship game, and it appears on bumper stickers. It’s everyone’s favorite Bible verse. But… I’ve wondered whether, if people thought about what this verse says for just a little longer than it takes to read a bumper sticker, it might just prove to be far less comforting and far more troubling. Continue reading →

Overturning tables

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Friar Musings

During Lent, as you might expect, we have more and more folks coming to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This past Friday we had three priests hearing confessions before the daily noontime Mass. Many folks carried with them one of the various Examinations of Conscience, most are based on the 10 Commandments – something we heard about in the first reading today. I wonder if our gospel might be a better model for examining our lives especially in this Lenten season. Continue reading →

Are you listening?

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Friar Musings

I don’t think it is possible to hear the story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac — and not feel disturbed, at least a bit uneasy. Even if we do not ask it out loud this time, this day, there probably has been a day when we have wondered, “What kind of God is this that would ask the slaughter of an innocent young boy?” As soon as we think it we catch ourselves and think, “That’s not right. God was only testing Abraham. God never intended to have Abraham go through with it.” But then again, there is the lingering question. And we wonder. Continue reading →

Remembering Rightly

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Friar Musings

Several summers ago we did a special summer Bible study on biblical covenants. We traced and discussed all the covenants between God and his people – beginning with Adam, continuing with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and reaching its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Covenants: the memory and the promise that we will hold God alone and above all things, He will be our God, and we will be his people. Covenants are the means by which God builds his people. Continue reading →

friarmusings

the musings of a Franciscan friar…

Category Archives: Sunday Morning