Temptation

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The first reading today and all this week is from the Letter of James. Today’s “installment” is just one of many insights the letter carries about the human condition: “Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation” (James 1:12).

Temptation: no one wants it, no one can avoid it, and it isn’t going away. When St. Paul refers to the “thorns in his side” (2 Cor 12:7) I think, in part, he is talking about temptation. When Paul asked God to take them away, the answer was simply “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9) Continue reading →

Ash Wednesday and Sundays in Lent 2024

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lent-2-heartlargeAsh Wednesday, the first day of the penitential season of Lent in the Catholic Church, is always 46 days before Easter Sunday. It is a “movable” feast that is assigned a date in the calendar only after the date of Easter Sunday is calculated. How is it calculated? I’m glad you asked.

According to the norms established by the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and later adopted for Western Christianity at the Synod of Whitby, Easter Sunday falls each year on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This year the vernal equinox falls on March 19, 2024 and the first full moon after that occurs on Monday, March 25th. Therefore, Easter Sunday is celebrated this year on March 31st. If you want to know the date of Ash Wednesday, just count backwards 46 days and you get February 14th. Continue reading →

Reading Mark

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This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Lent. When we read this account in Mark, it is natural to insert the familiar details of the wilderness temptation from Matthew and Luke. Those are accounts that are filled with details of fasting, the appearance of Satan, more robust descriptions of the details of the encounter. Those details naturally lend themselves to placing more emphasis on  an extended period of time in the desert. Some commentators find it of interest that Matthew and Luke do not mention the presence of the “wild beasts.” Continue reading →

Isn’t that always the question?

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So… “What are you giving up for Lent?” Isn’t that always the question? As if that is the reason for the season. Growing up, everything I remember about Lent circled around the acts of self-denial – what food, entertainment, or habit one would give up, and how hard it was to deny oneself of that thing. It was not always made clear that the denial was meant to help one think about God and Christ’s sacrifice Continue reading →

The Brevity of Mark

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This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Lent in Lectionary Cycle B. The Gospel of Mark is noted for its brevity and perhaps no better example exists than the narrative of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness: 12 At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, 13 and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. 14 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Continue reading →

Imitators of Christ

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“He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp” – frightening and dreadful words.  Spoken to a people in the wilderness, a people on the Exodus betwixt and between the slavery of Egypt and the promised land of Palestine. Words that ban, isolate, shun, and place someone beyond the connection to the community. These are words spoken to family and friends that pushed them from the routine of life into the wilderness. In modern life, we have our own words, instances, texts, and posts that push others into a more modern wilderness. Continue reading →

A first step

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What is penance?  Most will answer that “penance” is the prayers and actions that the priest gives you at the end of the Sacrament of Confession. And indeed, that is true. But that is really just the “period at the end of a sentence.” The older, deeper meaning of penance might be better described as the period “at the end of chapter” in the story of one’s life. Continue reading →

Some Final Thoughts

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This coming Sunday is the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Thomas Wright points out one element of human nature that might be in play. Some people just can’t keep a secret. Jesus had his reasons for the man to follow the proscriptions of Leviticus. For a person who is blind or lame, their healing is quickly evident to us. For someone burdened with leprosy, most of the affected areas of the skin are not visible to the public – people might be rightly skeptical. But if the person had gone to Jerusalem, received the declaration of healing, and followed the purification ritual, and then returned. All doubt would be removed. But some people just can’t keep a secret. Continue reading →

Deafness

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Today readings have something to say about deafness. The story in the gospel reading is straightforward: a deaf/mute person is healed by Jesus’ touch as He proclaims: “Ephphatha.” The gospel verses are a prophetic sign that in Jesus, the One has arrived. The One by whom and in whom the world can be restored to its original wholeness in mind, body and spirit; the One to whom we need listen. Continue reading →

The spirit of penance

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The great thing about the internet is that you have access to all kinds of information. Think of all the medical sites available allowing you to research in great depth all your current symptoms – real or perceived. My sisters and many of my cousins are medical professionals. You can imagine how thrilled they are to have a conversation start, “I was reading on WebMD….” Continue reading →