In this day in 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during a pistol duel in Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton died the next day.
Hamilton – not the musical
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A contrast
This coming Sunday is the 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time in Lectionary Cycle C. This week we will encounter the well known story of Martha and Mary. Our pericope ( fancy word for story) has an immediate context:
- Jesus sending out on mission the 72 other disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God
- A scholar of the Law who quizzes Jesus, who in response tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, asking who acted as neighbor?
- Our passage herein, the oft told story of Martha and Mary
- Immediately followed by Jesus teaching his disciples to be persistent in prayer
38 As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. 39 She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. 40 Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” 41 The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 42 There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Continue reading
The Battle of Britain
July 10, 1940: On this day in history, in the midst of World War II, the Battle of Britain began as the Luftwaffe started attacking southern England. The Battle of Britain was a military campaign in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany’s air force, the Luftwaffe. It has been described as the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. The Battle of British lasted until 31 October 1940, which overlaps the period of large-scale night attacks known as the Blitz, that lasted from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941.
Seeing
“Go and do likewise.” This seems like a pretty clear command from Jesus. Go about your day and life, showing mercy, being a merciful person. As Moses says in the first reading this command is not mysterious, hidden, something remote and inaccessible. Just do it! ….So… are you a merciful person? Yes? No? Sometimes? Hopefully we at least reach the “sometimes” rating. Jesus’ dialogue with the scholar, in a way, held up a new standard for him to follow: the 10 commandments are great – follow them – but, as St. Paul says, without love, without mercy, those commandments are just clanging gongs and clashing symbols. Just noise. Continue reading
Why a Samaritan?
This coming Sunday our gospel is the well known story called the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In yesterday’s post we see the “Good Samaritan” coming to the aid of the beaten man who was left for dead on the roadside. In this parable, why would Jesus choose a Samaritan to be the “hero” of the story? Brian Stoffregen has interesting insights into this answer: Continue reading
The burdens
From time to time this summer I have been commenting on the first reading, recently from the prophets Amos and Hosea. Their words have been direct and challenging to any who would listen: this is how you are seen in the eyes of God. It was a rough encounter. While it promised doom to those whose heart remained hardened, there was always the call to turn back to God, back to the covenant. Continue reading
Seeing a need for Mercy
This coming Sunday our gospel is the well known story called the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In yesterday’s post the parable begins to play out with the priest and Levite passing by the beaten man without rendering aid. And then along comes a Samaritan. Continue reading
The Parable
This coming Sunday our gospel is the well known story called the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In yesterday’s post the questions from the scholar continue, moving on to an inquiry about who is (or is not) a neighbor whom one is to love. It is at this point that the parable begins. Culpepper [229] identified the central character as being noticeably undefined. He is not characterized by race, religion, region, or trade. He is merely “a certain man” who by implication could be any one of Jesus’ hearers. The phrase “a certain man” (anthrōpos tis), however, will become a common feature of the Lukan parables (12:16; 14:2, 16; 15:11; 16:1, 19; 19:12; 20:9). Jesus’ audience no doubt imagined the man to be Jewish, but Luke’s audience may have assumed he was a Gentile. The point is that he is identified only by what happened to him. Continue reading
Neighbors
This coming Sunday our gospel is the well known story called the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In yesterday’s post Jesus’ dialogue with the scholar goes well. Jesus accepts the scholar’s answer: “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But there are more questions: But because he wished to justify himself… And who is my neighbor?” One wonders why the scholar did not “quit while he was ahead?” Continue reading
The Trombone
On July 4th I attended a neighborhood house party in Leesburg, Va. It was a festive gathering made even more festive by the presence of the Jefferson Street Strutters, an ensemble of folks who play New Orleans jazz in the style of the 1910s-1930s. While listening I began to wonder how a slide trombone works. Mobile phone in hand my question was quickly answered with a search. Later on, chatting with the trombone player, I got an even more detailed answer. Along the way, my etymological interests were also entertained. The word “trombone” comes to us via the Italian: trumpa – trumpet and one – large. Basically it means a large trumpet. It is good that our word comes from the Italian and not the middle English. Until the early 18th century, the English word for trombone was “sackbut.” It has its own linguistic evolution from the French, but it is just an unfortunate rendering in English.
friarmusings 