Not in our stars, but in ourselves

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Friar Musings

Our psalm today cries out, “Have mercy on me Lord, for I have sinned.” Maybe a better petition would be, “Have mercy on me Lord, for I am sorely tempted.” Sin can be but a moment when one gives in, but then one knows the battle is over, but the war is not lost. There is forgiveness and at least the battle is over. Not so with temptation. It was more life the never-ending, deadly trench warfare of World War I: constant struggle, continuous causalities, and wondering “why” and “where are the reinforcements.” It seems as though it never stops. “Have mercy on me Lord, for I am sorely tempted.” Such is temptation. Continue reading →

Prepare, Practice, and Pray

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Friar Musings

I have a pop quiz for you. No, really.. a bible quiz. What was the final verse of last week’s gospel?

It was just last week, we heard Jesus not only tell us what is possible – but we were commanded to strive for that very possibility: “…be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Be perfect, telios, the Greek word which speaks of wholeness, a completeness, a certain end point, goal or destiny that is ours. “…be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Our destiny, our divine calling – a project for this lifetime. A project that with the grace of God is ours in the here and now – and forever. A project we have already encountered, however briefly, already. Continue reading →

A Moment of Perfect

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Friar Musings

There is a picture in my office. It is in a place only I can see it. I didn’t plan it that way, it was just the only place to hang it when I moved in. It has been there almost seven years. I should probably move it, but I kinda’ like it there. I just have to glance up – and it is there.

It is a picture taken during the final stage of the Tour de France on the Champs Elysees. Not the one shown here – that is just a stock photo. It could have been taken in almost any year. The one of my wall is of one person; of one moment in time. Continue reading →

Being Salt and Light

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Friar Musings

Last week I wrote about the Sermon on the Mount, which contains the Beatitudes and is one of the great discourses in the Gospel according to Matthew. I thought I would provide some more food for thought as our Sunday gospel continues with the Sermon on the Mount – better described as the Discourse of Discipleship.

In our reading today, Jesus uses two of the most well-known metaphors: “You are the salt of the earth.” and “You are the light of the world.” (Mt 5:13-14) Two things that are vital to human life – not nice, but vital. Several years ago, NPR aired a report about an isolated area of Myanmar (Burma) with no natural salt deposits – at least my memory says Myanmar (my search of NPR failed to uncover the story). This very fertile land was unoccupied because of that reason until an earthquake moved a mountain and a road was opened to the region. At least then people could live there and travel to market to buy salt. Salt is that vital to human life. But beyond the life-sustaining aspect, salt gives flavor and is used to preserve, to prevent corruption.

“You are the salt of the earth.” This is what Jesus proclaims to the disciples, to the ones who have already responded to his call to follow him. And all of this is in connection with the Sermon on the Mount’s focus of letting disciples know the demands of the kingdom. Disciples of Christ need to be life-giving, need to add the distinctive flavoring of being “blessed,” and to preserve others for life in the eternal kingdom.

Disciples, if we are true to our calling, make the earth a purer and a more palatable place. But we can do so only as long as we preserve our distinctive character: tasteless salt has no value. The Rabbis commonly used salt as an image for wisdom (cf. Col. 4:6), which may explain why the Greek word translated as “lost its taste” actually means “become foolish.” A foolish disciple has no influence on the world; a foolish community makes no difference in its locale.

It raises the questions whether as a community or individuals – are we salt for the earth? What is distinctive about us as disciples? Our church buildings are very distinctive. But are we? If we are not, then we are simply foolish.

Let me go in peace.

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Friar Musings

Last words. We have always place a special emphasis on last words. There are websites dedicated to recording the last words of famous people. Some are profound, some hilarious, and some ironic. Movies highlight the last words of the dying. I guess it is that we believe that for the person, this is their last shot at figuring things out, summing things up. We assume that at death’s doorway there is no need nor desire for pretense or fabrication, but only moments of deep, abiding truth and wisdom – and we hang on the edge of our seats. Continue reading →

A Light to the Nations – giving voice to Faith

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Friar Musings

Over the last several Sundays I have been connecting the readings beginning with Holy Family Sunday. St. Paul gave us advice on being a holy family: to put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and over all these, love. (cf. Col 3:12-13). And so I encourage you to use your family to practice those virtues, to become the embodiment of those virtues. Then on Epiphany Sunday, the message was to reveal those virtues to the world through your life – to become the epiphany of Christ to others. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord followed in which the prophet Isaiah’s word says that in our baptism we are formed as a covenant the people – a vow, a promise, a bond, a connection that binds us to the promise and the power of Christ on one side and to the world on the other.

And so with good intent and hopeful hearts we work away in our personal lives and in our families – to be the person, the family, the witnesses to heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and over all these, love. We want those virtues in our lives and in our families, but have we been practicing them? Have been talking about them within the family. I suspect most of us pray about it, we work at it, we succeed, we fail, we start over… mostly silently. And think about it. If we are hesitant to speak about it within the safety of home, how likely are we to testify about it all in the company of others.? Continue reading →

Behold the Lamb of God: commentary

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Friar Musings

John 1:29-34 ²⁹The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. ³⁰He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ ³¹I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” ³²John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. ³³I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’ ³⁴Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

Commentary. After John’s interrogation by priests, Levites and Pharisees, the evangelist tells us, The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ This is but the start of a short, compact testimony by the Baptist witnessing to the One he had just baptized. Continue reading →

Behold the Lamb of God: context

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Friar Musings

Context. In the prologue the Fourth Evangelist presented John as “a man sent from God” who “came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.” (John 1:6-8; see also 1:15; and later 5:33) This opening characterization sets the stage for the narration of John’s ministry in 1:19–34. John’s identity is further probed when he is called to account by a delegation sent by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Three times John denies being a particular end-time figure: the Christ (1:20; cf. 1:8, 15); Elijah (1:21a); the Prophet (1:21b; cf. 6:14; 7:40; cf. Deut. 18:15, 18). Continue reading →

A Covenant of the People

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Friar Musings

Two Sundays ago, on the Feast of the Holy Family, we listened to some of the best advise about how to become a holy family. St. Paul wrote in the Letter to the Colossians: “Put on,… heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another…And over all these put on love” (Col 3:12-13). It raises the question to all of us, in whatever form our families take, are we practicing those virtues in order to become a holy family? Would someone on the outside peer into our families and see evidence of those virtues? Continue reading →

Revealed at home; revealed in the world

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Friar Musings

Now that New Year’s has arrived our greeting is “Happy New Year.” In the days before December 25^th we greeted each other with “Merry Christmas.” Did you know that the Christmas season begins with the Christmas Eve masses and then moves through Holy Family Sunday, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, and continues to include the Baptism of the Lord – which we will celebrate next weekend.

Christmas through the Baptism of the Lord is all part of one season, when the church is of one mind – to proclaim that born unto us is a savior – and then to begin to unpack what that will mean for us. The birth is celebrated at the Christmas masses, but the meaning is revealed in the celebrations that follow. It is all connected. It is all of one voice. Continue reading →

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the musings of a Franciscan friar…

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