Way back when

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Between yesterday and today, our first reading covered the story of Creation from Genesis 1. It is a familiar story, a story told in children’s book, a story we have heard countless times over the years. It is a story that I think we are so familiar with that we no longer bring that same wonder and imagination when we first heard the account as children. And yet it is perhaps the fundamental account of the Power of God’s word – working toward good – working toward very good. Which is not a bad description of what we hope God’s word is creating in us: a movement from good to very good.

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In the beginning…

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Yesterday I invited you to take 8 minutes or so of your day and watch the Bible Project’s video on the literary design of Genesis 1, the creation story. One of the voices on that video belongs to Tim Mackie. On the Bible Project website, he is introduced as follows: “Tim Mackie is a writer and creative director for BibleProject. He has a PhD in Semitic Languages and Biblical Studies. He wrote his dissertation on the manuscript history of the book of Ezekiel, with a focus on the Septuagint and Dead Sea Scrolls. What a total nerd! He is a professor at Western Seminary and served as a teaching pastor for many years.”

Tim is one of the founders of The Bible Project and does amazing work. Today I offer you a chance to take about 45 minutes of the day and listen/watch Tim in his role as a teaching pastor presenting on Genesis 1.

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In the asking

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Next Sunday is the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time in Year B. The gospel continues our following the early ministry of Jesus in Galilee. You can read a full commentary of the gospel here.

40 A leper came to him (and kneeling down) begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” 42 The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. 43 Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 44 Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 45 The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

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Riches of the deep end

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The first reading from the 5th Monday in Ordinary Time, Year B as well as the 5th Tuesday, cover the opening verses from the Book of Genesis. It is the account of the creation story. There are all manner of commentaries available that richly and in great detail describe and analyze the text and all its nuances. At one point in my life, I would dive into the “deep end of that pool” to soak it all in. And then turn to the folks in my Bible Study and start to share the discovered riches…and watch their eyes glaze over. Not because of the nature of the riches, but because of the narrator … me. Along the way I got better. I hope. At least the eyes were not noticeably glazed. But I think the masters of offering a mixture of the big picture and the detailed riches are the folks at the Bible Project.

So, I invite you to take about 8 minutes of your day and watch their video about the literary design of Genesis 1.  It will give you a deeper understanding of Genesis and probably lead you to want to dip your toes in the “deep end!”

As I always note, the Bible Project is an amazing not-for-profit group that I think worthy of our support for their great work of evangelization.

Being sent

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The story of Job is the well-known biblical account in which a person’s life goes from prosperity and security, from joy to despair. He has lost his family, his possessions, his security – and Job is the one who asks aloud what some of us only whisper – where is God in all of this? Job watches while his life unravels losing prosperity, family and feeling that the entirety of his life under assault. He has looked into his life to see if he is being punished for sin. But he finds none. And the assault doesn’t stop. He grows sick and covered with sores.  No wonder he laments: “My days … come to an end without hope. …. I shall not see happiness again.”

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Preparing the heart for Lent

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Back in the day when I was working in the world and spending way too much time on airplanes accumulating way too many frequent-flyer miles, it seemed to me business travelers did three things on longer flights: sleep, work, or read Stephen’ Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” The book argues that one should align universal and timeless principles with one’s values. Covey sees principles as external natural laws, while values remain internal and subjective. Covey asserts that values govern people’s behavior, but principles ultimately determine the consequences. If sales volume is a measure of the usefulness of this self-help book, then 25+ million copies sold says something. Maybe there are some possibilities for a parallel book about the best practices and habits for Catholics. Might be a Lenten best seller! “The 7 Habits of a Clean Heart.”

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The struggling veteran

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In the previous article we had left Francis in the spring of 1205, in his early 20’s, just released from a year as a prisoner of war, suffering severe physical effects and psychological burdens, that to the modern mind fit the description of PTSD. He returned with compromised health, face drawn and sallow, digestion impaired, and was plagued with bouts of recurring fever. When he was out of bed he was listless and kept to the house.  A biography written within two years of Francis’ death (by Thomas of Celano, 1C) records Francis’ convalescence from his imprisonment in Perugia as follows: “When he had recovered a little, he began to walk about through the house with the support of a cane… [and] one day, he went outside and began to gaze upon the surrounding countryside. But the beauty of the fields, the delight of the vineyards and whatever else was beautiful to see, could offer him no delight at all [and he] considered those who loved these things quite foolish.” (1C4) Continue reading →

Virginia and the death penalty

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Today, Bishop Michael Burbidge (Arlington) and Bishop Barry Knestout (Richmond) issued the following joint statement on the abolition of the death penalty in the Commonwealth of Virginia:
“We welcome today’s vote by the Virginia House of Delegates to abolish the death penalty, as well as the vote by the Virginia Senate to do so earlier this week.
“We offer – and affirm the utmost need for – prayerful support for the families of victims of horrific crimes. We also affirm, with clarity and conviction, the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: ‘[T]he death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person’ (no. 2267).

“The same paragraph of the Catechism also notes, ‘[T]here is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes.’ We see this increasing awareness at work in the many voices that joined together to advocate for this legislation, and ultimately in the votes by the Senate and House in favor of ending the death penalty in Virginia, which has executed more people than any other state.

“In the words of Pope Francis, ‘Indeed, nowadays the death penalty is unacceptable, however grave the crime of the convicted person. It is an offence to the inviolability of life and to the dignity of the human person; it likewise contradicts God’s plan for individuals and society, and his merciful justice’ (Remarks to 6th World Congress against the Death Penalty, June 2016). As Pope Francis, his predecessors and the U.S. Catholic bishops have consistently noted, we have other ways to provide punishment and protect society, without resorting to executions. We too have been consistently clear in our stand on the abolition legislation this year and on similar legislation in years past, and in our direct interventions before executions occurred in Virginia and at the federal level.”