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The Shepherds of Israel

Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (B)

2002 was an extraordinarily painful year for anyone involved in pastoral ministry in the Catholic Church in the United States. Early that year, the Boston Globe ran a series of articles describing a number of priests in that archdiocese who were accused of sexual abuse of children and teenagers – and describing how archdiocesan officials responded, or failed to respond, to the accusations.  Even though stories of priests accused of sexual abuse of minors had been appearing here and there since the 1980’s, the Globe’s reports seemed like a bursting of a dam. Finally, it seemed, someone was listening to these stories of betrayal and violation and believing them. Soon, nearly every diocese was dealing with people who were accusing some of their priests of sexually abusing them when they were younger, and accusing bishops of knowing about this abuse but trying to conceal it or to simply move the accused priest to a different parish.  It was difficult to know what hurt more: the realization that such abuse had actually happened (along with the tremendous pain it caused to the abused and their families), or the ways in which bishops tried to deny or cover up these situations.   Continue reading “The Shepherds of Israel”

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Prophets

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

When will they ever learn?         When will they ever learn?                           – Pete Seeger

Have you ever been in a boat or canoe that you needed to move  through the water by your own power alone?

If so, you may know that you can power a boat in two ways. One is by paddling – the usual way if you’re in a canoe. You sit facing the direction in which you are going. You paddle, first on one side, then on the other, and move forward in that way. You steer yourself based on what is ahead of you. Continue reading “Prophets”

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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”