Fish or cut bait is a common English language colloquial expression, dating back to the 19th-century United States. Its origins are not exactly clear and over time the meaning has changed. Most often these days its meaning is clear enough: get to the important task at hand, or get out of the way and at least do something supportive. More generally it can be an admonishment to stop procrastinating. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday. In yesterday’ post. Yesterday’s post was an introduction to the Wisdom books in general. In today’s post we focus the introduction on the Book of Proverbs. Continue reading
The first reading today often focused on the miraculous: “For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’” – and that is miraculous, the work of God. Sometimes the miraculous plays out before our eyes. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday. In yesterday’ post we touched upon the “theology and economy” of God’s innermost life which is a fundamental part of the Christian creed. In many forms, the Trinity and all that it implies in terms of person and nature, is at the heart of a whole range of heresies during the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries. But there was no Sunday that was universally dedicated to this most fundamental of beliefs – not until the 14th century. As noted yesterday, this week I plan to consider the first reading from Proverbs in which the focus is on the oikonomia of the Wisdom of God. Let me provide some context with an overview of the Book of Proverbs (adapted from a word by Rev. Donald Senior). Continue reading
In 2018 Pope Francis decreed that the ancient devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mother of the Church, be inserted into the Roman Calendar. The liturgical celebration, B. Mariæ Virginis, Ecclesiæ Matris, is celebrated annually as a Memorial on the day after Pentecost. In the decree, it was noted that the Pope’s decision took account of the tradition surrounding the devotion to Mary as Mother of the Church. The Pope also noted his desire to promote this devotion in order to “encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety”. Importantly, this feast specifically commemorates Mary’s motherhood of the Church rather than her motherhood of God, a feast celebrated on January 1. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday. If you have been following the Gospel readings from weekday Masses, you will find that this Sunday gospel is very much in continuity with those readings. They come from the Farewell Discourse within the Gospel of John. A synopsis of the discourse can be understood as: the warning of Jesus’ coming death, that He is going away to a place they know and where the Father has a room prepared for them, not to worry, the Holy Spirit will come to enlighten their minds, enflame their hearts and remind them of all they have been taught. On Pentecost Sunday, just a week ago, that promise was fulfilled with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Before fully entering “Ordinary Time” in the liturgical year, we shift gears to celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday followed by Corpus Christi. Continue reading
If we are attentive to Scripture we should be able to recall the Apostles’ reaction to their witnesses to the Resurrection: let’s see….. went back to the Upper Room and hid, .. hmm…. they went fishing in their old haunts of Galilee … what else? … then went back to the Upper Room … then went out to witness the Ascension … and went back to the Upper Room. At first glance it seems as though there is a lot of lollygagging going on. I mean what happened to “ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”? Not a whole lot of going, disciple making, baptizing or teaching going on. What’s up with that?
What is the old advice about eating an elephant? One bite at a time. So far I have been able to keep up and ahead of things on this Saturday morning feature “The Reformations.” The elephant bit back in terms of parochial responsibilities, some other projects that need attention, and some need to gather notes and such for what lays ahead.
What lays ahead? There will be more on the Swiss Reformation focused on Zwingli and the movement in Zurich, the rise of the Anabaptist movement, its persecution by Zwingli, and its movement into the Low Countries and beyond. Other reformations that need more detailed attention include: England, France and the rise of Calvinism, John Calvin in Geneva, and the spread of Calvinism throughout Europe. Two other topics that need attention are the Catholic Counter Reformation as well as the religious-political wars and resulting treaties.
Now you know one of my summer projects. So….. this will be the last of the Reformation posts for a while. I hope you’ve enjoyed it so far.
The Swiss Milieu. The Reformation is Switzerland progressed in a different way from Germany. Where Germany had no central monarch or government, Switzerland already had a republic in essential operation via the Old Swiss Confederacy. Their governance was an odd rotating administration of the common lands which was alternately a cause of tension and a source of “we need to figure this out.” Continue reading
Today the Church Universal celebrates the feast of St. Charles Lwanga and the Ugandan martyrs. Likely you do not know much about him and the 21 people that were martyred along with him. Today’s celebration of St. Charles Lwanga and Ugandan martyrs is a major feast and holiday in East Africa. And a reminder to us that this truly is a church universal – katholica.
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