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A Thorn In The Flesh?

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

“A thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.” – 2 Corinthians 12:7

In this Sunday’s second reading, Paul presents us with this well-known image of the “thorn in the flesh”. Anyone who has handled roses or similar plants can get a feel for the image. A thorn in one’s skin is painful and not always easy to dislodge. It is an unwelcome nuisance. At times, people use the image of a “thorn in the flesh” to refer to someone they find difficult to deal with or tolerate; someone who offers them a severe test of their patience. Is this what Paul means when he writes this to the Corinthians, though?  Continue reading “A Thorn In The Flesh?”

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Preparing The Way Of The Lord

Nativity of St. John the Baptist

John the Baptist has a very important role in the New Testament. All four Gospels tell us something about his life and ministry, and he is mentioned several times in the Acts of the Apostles. The Jewish historian Josephus, who wrote a history of his people about fifty years after the death and resurrection of Christ, has a paragraph about John’s life and the circumstances surrounding his death.

We usually focus on John the Baptist during the Advent season, which is consistent with his role of calling the people to repentance so that they might be ready for the coming of the Lord.  This year, we have the opportunity to reflect on John’s role during a different season, as the feast of his birth happens to fall on a Sunday this time.  Our Gospel reading for this day gives us some of the story of John’s birth as found in the Gospel of St. Luke. What I will do here is follow John’s story as given to us by Luke and point to certain details along the way. Reflection on these details may enable us to see John as one who prepares the way of the Lord for us in ways we may not have thought of before.   Continue reading “Preparing The Way Of The Lord”

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Seeds of Faith

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) – Mark 4:26-34

Our Gospel reading for this Sunday offers us two seed parables for our reflection.

The first is less well-known than the second. A farmer scatters seed upon the ground. The seed grows of itself, in a mysterious way, while the farmer goes to sleep and gets up, day after day. Finally, the seed has fully grown and the time for harvest is near.  Continue reading “Seeds of Faith”

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The Serpent’s Trap

Tenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (B)

Now that baseball season is well underway, I can mention a quote I recently came across. It was from Warren Spahn, the Hall of Fame pitcher who played for the Braves nearly all his career – beginning when the Braves were still in Boston. Here is the quote:

“Hitting is timing. Pitching is disrupting timing.”  Continue reading “The Serpent’s Trap”

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The End Of The World?

Tuesday of the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time

“Beloved: Wait for and hasten the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire. But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”  – 2 Peter 3:12-13

Scriptural references to the “end of the world” have attracted a great deal of attention over the centuries. Despite the Lord’s warning that no one knows the day or the hour – “not even the Son” (!) – people in every generation continue to scan the Scriptures, proclaim that they have broken the ‘code’, and that they have found references to contemporary nations, events and people in places like the book of Revelation. This, for them, ‘proves’ that the End is in sight. In fact, for some, the End can be given a specific year or date.  Continue reading “The End Of The World?”