Posts

Posted on

The Servant of the Lord

Fifth Sunday of Easter (A): John 14:1-12

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”

Posted on

The Calling

My Journey to the Hermit Life

“You and I ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other.” – John Adams, to Thomas Jefferson, 1813

“I never explain anything!” – Mary Poppins

I don’t remember a voice
On a dark, lonesome road
When I started this journey so long ago
I was only just trying to outrun the noise
There was never a question of having a choice

– Mary-Chapin Carpenter, The Calling

Those first two quotes, even though they seem to be saying opposing things about explanation, both express something true about our experience of faith in general, and about being called by God in particular. On the one hand, we feel a desire to express our experience of faith whenever God blesses us in some way. Recall how the two disciples at Emmaus immediately return to Jerusalem after recognizing the Risen Lord in their midst, so that they can tell the others what they just encountered, and hear from the others their experiences of the Risen Lord as well. Faith seeks to be shared, and yes, explained in some fashion.

Mary Poppins has a point, however. There is something about faith that eludes explanation. Whatever we may say about it – as true as it may be – seems so inadequate compared to what we have been given in Christ. Moreover, not everyone will understand our explanation, no matter how carefully we word it. God always goes beyond our words. To those who understand, no explanation is necessary. To those who do not, no explanation is adequate. Continue reading “The Calling”

Posted on

The Gate

Fourth Sunday of Easter (A): John 10:1-10

As very young children, our first encounter with the world was mediated by our parents. For a time, our parents were our world, for all intents and purposes. We assumed that their way – whether it was how they cooked steak, cut grass or made beds – was the natural way, the only way to do those things. If we encountered other children from other families who had different ways, our first impulse was to assume that our family’s way was the right one.

This principle also applies to our first encounter with faith or religion. As children, we began by assuming that our parents’ faith – or their attitude to faith or religion – was the correct one. Our parents’ faith was right because it was our parents’ one.  Continue reading “The Gate”

Posted on

From Shame To Joy: The Road to Emmaus

Third Sunday of Easter (A): Luke 24:13-35

You find the sparrow that falls
When boughs break, to you she calls
With broken wing, still she sings
You find the sparrow that falls

– from The Language of Flowers, by Connie Dover

In my last episode, I spoke of how Thomas and the other disciples were able to meet the Risen Lord through his wounds. They had learned that they were far more vulnerable and wounded than they knew. The wounds of the Risen Lord gave them hope.  Continue reading “From Shame To Joy: The Road to Emmaus”

Posted on

Joining Mercy’s Team

Divine Mercy Sunday (A)

Looking back on my life as a child, it’s interesting to note how much of my interaction with other children took place in the context of games. That may be true for many of you as well. Card games, board games, ping pong, the early video games – and those were just the indoor games. There was baseball, basketball, dodgeball, “It”, marbles, and other outdoor games. There were a few games we made up or adapted with a few rules of our own.  Continue reading “Joining Mercy’s Team”