Blog (Page 43)
Remember
Wednesday March 18 Readings: Dt 4:1, 5-9; Mt 5:17-19 The great Jewish teacher Abraham Joshua Heschel once said “Much of what the Bible demands can be comprised in one imperative: Remember!” This is clear today. In Deuteronomy we hear God saying through Moses, “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live…take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor…
True Names
Tuesday March 17 Readings: Dn 3:25, 34-43; Mt 18:21-35 Today’s first reading from Daniel is one that is likely familiar to most of us. The reading speaks of Shadrach, Meshak and Abednego in the fiery furnace who are protected by God and come out unscathed. While in the furnace, they give great testimony to God’s mercy and love. An amazing story, for sure, and maybe one that requires some further investigation. The Book of Daniel (chapter 1) begins by telling…
slow Brain
Monday March 16 2 KGS 5:1-15AB; LK 4:24-30 Note: Let me start by saying that while I will continue to post every day about the scriptures of the day, I am aware that we are all trying to address the impacts of the coronavirus on our lives. There is an inherent tension between trying to just do ‘business as usual’ and focus on the everchanging state of things resulting from the pandemic. Many of us have been and will continue…
Water
Sunday March 15 Readings: Ex 17:3-7; Rom 5:1-2, 5-8; Jn 4:5-42 The first reading locates us with Moses and the Israelites in the desert. They are thirsty and in need of water. In the gospel, Jesus engages a woman at a well. And while it has traditionally been read from a theological viewpoint, at a very basic level this story is about water. We need water to survive. My friend Jim Perkinson, a theologian and activist from Detroit, notes that …
Over the Top
Saturday March 14 Readings: Mi 7:14-15, 18-20; Lk 15:1-3, 11-32 In the reading from Micah, we hear of a God who “does not persist in anger,” “has compassion for us” and “will cast into the depths of the sea all of our sins.” Then Jesus tells perhaps his most famous story about the “Prodigal Son” (which is actually a misnomer as we will see). And remember, he tells it in response to the Pharisees and others commenting that Jesus “welcomes…
Lost by Rejection
Friday March 13 Readings: Gn 37:3-4, 12-13A, 17B-28A; Mt 21:33-43, 45-46 Genesis tell us the famous story of Joseph (yes, the Joseph with the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) – whose brothers are jealous of his favor and talents – so they beat him (originally planning to kill him) and sell him to travelling merchants. Little do they know that he will ultimately become a key player in their fate (and all of Israel) years later in Egypt. Stories like this remind…
Merits of our Deeds
Thursday March 12 Readings: Jer 17:5-10; Lk 16:19-31 In the reading from Jeremiah, we hear God say that God alone probes the minds and hearts of people and that we will all be rewarded according to the merits of our deeds. And we might say, “Well, that’s not so bad….I’m a good person.” Then we read the gospel. Things start getting a little dicey here… Jesus tells the Pharisees the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus, a sore-covered…
Power and Privilege
Wednesday March 11 Readings: Jer 18:18-20; Mt 20:17-28 For today, I am going to focus on the gospel reading from Matthew. Power and privilege are the words of the day. Most of us when we are young are not officially taught about power. But we learn the lessons very quickly. And, in general, the more privilege you have in the world, the less you have studied or notice how it works. In the gospel, the mother of the sons of…
Set it right
Tuesday, March 10 Readings: Is 1:10, 16-20; Mt 23:1-12 There’s a line from the first reading from Isaiah that really catches my attention. God encourages the people to say, “Come now, let us set things right!” And we’re warned that what is not set right will come back to us somehow. Maybe you have had this experience before. Something that you failed to attend to (and were aware that you weren’t attending to it) grew into a much bigger problem…
Judging
Monday March 9 Readings: Dn 9:4B-10; Lk 6:36-38 Our readings today focus on mercy. Deuteronomy tells us how merciful God is. Time after time as we fall short and fail, God is willing to take up back and keep working with us. And Jesus in the gospel gives us a series of instructions which are all interrelated: Be merciful, Stop judging, Stop condemning, Forgive, Give. These are simple instructions. Simple, but not easy. So many great teachers throughout history have…
leaving the familiar
Sunday, March 8 – International Women’s Day Readings: Gn 12:1-4A; 2 Tm 1:8B-10; Mt 17:1-9 The Sunday readings offer so much to choose from in terms of reflection. I really encourage you to read through all of them (even if you hear them in church). What struck me today in the first reading from Genesis is that Abram (who we have come to know as Abraham) is made a promise by God. But notice the sequence: Abram gets the call…
True vows
Saturday March 7 Readings: Dt 26:16-19; Mt 5:43-48 In Deuteronomy we witness God saying to Israel, “Are we good? You understand what we’re agreeing to, right?” God says, “Here are my laws. Obey them with your whole heart and soul and you will be my people.” It gets me thinking a lot about our Lenten journey and the personal commitments that we have made in this world – commitments that maybe only you and God know, commitments that are written…