Moved by Compassion

By e March 25, 2023 Homilies, Jesus Stuff No Comments

Fifth Sunday of Lent (A) – Lectionary: 34

I want to preach about hope today.

Karen and I have been re-watching the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, paying close attention to the theme of hope, and how Tolkien aligns events of his story with the life of the Church. This Saturday, we celebrated the Annunciation of the Lord. In the Lord of the Rings, March 25th is the day Frodo destroys the One Ring. The day upon which Christ is conceived marks the beginning of the final destruction of sin and death. When things seem darkest, hope shines brightest.

Our reading from Ezekiel comes from the story of the dry bones being raised to life again. In the account of our Lord raising Lazarus from the dead, we hear that Lazarus has already been in the grave for four days. In Jewish tradition, the soul stays near the body for three days, then departs on the fourth day. As in The Princess Bride, Lazarus is not just ‘mostly dead” – he is very dead. There is no hope remaining.

But the bones are raised to life, Lazarus comes forth from his grave. It is when all other lights go out that the hope of Christ is most precious.

So, I wanted to preach on hope today. But… “Jesus wept.”

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Share and Rest

By e February 4, 2023 Jesus Stuff No Comments

In meditating upon these readings for Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time (A) (328), I was struck by two things in particular.

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have…”

and…

“In verdant pastures he give me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.” and “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”

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Finding your way again

By e December 4, 2022 Homilies, Jesus Stuff No Comments

The readings for this Second Sunday of Advent (A) are so very full, and I don’t just mean long – they are dense. 

There’s a whole bunch here about sprouts and buds coming out of stumps, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, judging rightly, justice, punishment and peace. The wicked are slain, but children play safely with snakes and carnivores eat grass. John appears preaching repentance and penance and the kingdom of heaven, and promising judgment.

As I prepared for this weekend, I reminded myself of the people to whom God says through Ezekiel (38:17-18): “As for you, my flock… was it not enough for you to graze on the best pasture, that you had to trample the rest?” I was a bit like a dumb steer trampling good feed into the mud as I looked for grass.

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la Humildad

By e August 28, 2022 Homilies, Jesus Stuff No Comments

Siempre es mejor ser promovido que ser degradado. Jesús da buenos consejos sobre cómo comportarse en situaciones sociales. En el lugar de trabajo, donde más a menudo lo encuentro, hay pocas cosas que encuentro más desagradables que alguien que siempre está tratando de parecer importante. Es bastante patético, ¿no? La persona que trata de hacerse importante es de alguna manera… ridícula, ¿verdad?

Jesus gives good advice about how to behave in social situations. It is always better to be promoted than to be demoted. I know that there are few things I find more distasteful in the workplace than someone who is always trying to seem important. It is rather pathetic, isn’t it, when someone tries too hard to be important? 

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