Priest. Hermit. Aspie.
Most people hate weeds.
We hate them in our gardens. We hate them coming up through cracks in our driveways or sidewalks. We hate them in our backyards. We hate them in our dooryards.
Weeds are like green eggs and ham. We do not like them, Sam I am! Continue reading “Weeds”
One day in early spring, I somehow caught a bad stomach flu. It began one evening with some stomach cramps. Then came that feeling that things were about to work in reverse, if you know what I mean. I needed to get to the bathroom, and quickly. That was the first of several experiences of multiple vomiting that I had that night. “Unpleasant” doesn’t begin to describe it! The next day, I felt totally depleted. It took a great deal of willpower to get myself to do anything.
A couple of days later, I began to feel restless. To me, that was a good sign. My energy was beginning to return, and was looking for an outlet. I wasn’t yet ready for my normal routine, but the worst of that flu was certainly over. My restlessness was the first positive sign of that. At times, that is what our times of restlessness mean. Our bodies simply have some excess energy that needs an outlet of some kind. Continue reading “The Voice of Restlessness”
This weekend offers us a fascinating conjunction of meaning and symbolism. Today, May 13, marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin at Fatima. The month of May has, traditionally, been associated with the Blessed Virgin. As if that weren’t enough, tomorrow, May 14, is Mother’s Day.
The Scripture readings for this Sunday do not speak of Mary explicitly. However, these readings (and the Gospel in particular) offer us a context in which we can more clearly see certain aspects of Mary’s role and how they harmonize with and point to the central role of her Son. Continue reading “The Servant of the Lord”
Following the old maxim “Better late than never”, here is a reflection for today’s readings. It was delayed because of an ‘episode’ I had over the last couple of days. I agreed to do two funerals this week, which I knew was a dangerous thing for me, with Holy Week approaching and my “people energy” already low. Yesterday, after the second funeral, I had what people on the autism spectrum know as a meltdown.
For some, a meltdown is a very obvious experience. They will lose all control, rant, throw things, even hurt themselves or others (unintentionally). For me, a meltdown is all internal. Very little of it reaches the surface. In fact, only a small portion of my emotional world reaches the surface, especially when I am with other people. Here is a reliable rule: if you detect the slightest hint of an emotional reaction in me, or if I ever say something like “I’m tired” or “I feel stressed”, you can always safely move the decimal point at least two places to the right in order to obtain the strength of the emotions I am actually experiencing at the moment. Continue reading “The Resurrection and the Life”
Long before I was ordained, I remember being at a particular Mass where the priest preached rather strongly against a certain sin. After Mass, as people were leaving the church, one man said to the priest, “You really told them, didn’t you, Father?” The priest replied, “I meant that for you, too!” Stunned and speechless, the man walked out.
When we read or hear Jesus’ strong words about the Pharisees in today’s Gospel reading, we, too, might be tempted to say, “You really told them, didn’t you, Lord?” We easily forget that the Gospels are not only about events that happened during the life of Jesus. They are also about the life that each one of us is called to live today as followers of Jesus. As such, the sins of the Pharisees mean very little to us today. However, the stories of Jesus that were included in the Gospels were chosen, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, precisely because they had a great deal to say to Christian life. Unless we can see that we, too, can be like these Pharisees, we have missed the point. Continue reading “Integrity”