The lectionary continues to introduce us to the Old Testament prophets. Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah — God sent prophets to confront the coming crisis which would impact both the northern and southern kingdom. Like Isaiah he warned about coming destruction. And, like Amos in the north, he saw that the idolatry which lead… Read More »

Several years ago (=many) a priest friend had a stroke while celebrating mass. He was immediately rushed to the hospital and it was touch and go for awhile. After a few days the crisis passed and he was on the road to recovery. When I visited him he said he had an experience like Hezekiah.… Read More »

I used to have a poster in college: “The truth will set you free …. but first it will make you miserable.” Or, do you remember the old exercise routine with the tag line: “No pain, no gain.” Or the song: “I never promised you a rose garden.” These are different ways of expressing the… Read More »

No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son. My scripture professor called this passage “a Johannine thunderbold in a Matthean sky.” When you read Matthew (and Mark and Luke) you have a clear narrative of what Jesus said and did leading up to the time of… Read More »

“But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Billy Graham witnessing the moral decline of the nation observed that if God didn’t intervene soon God would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. The notion that actions have consequences is verified… Read More »

This last few weeks the lectionary is taking us through the Old Testament prophets. Today we read from Isaiah who was so prominent that the Fathers of the Church referred to him as THE Prophet. He lived in the southern kingdom of Judah and had seen the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by… Read More »

A Hasidic tale: whenever troubles would threaten Israel, the great Rabbi, Baal Shem Tov, would find the sacred place, light the holy fire, say the special prayer and the trouble would be averted. His son was not the man his father was so when troubles would threaten Israel he would find the sacred place and… Read More »

Pope Francis and now Pope Leo have stressed the missionary nature of the Church. All Christians are, in their term, missionary disciples. The founder of my congregation, Father Judge, would say that every Catholic is called to be an apostle. For many of us this call sounds a bit daunting. We don’t know enough, we… Read More »

We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion. The prophet Hosea is part of a tradition that warns against idolatry, against those who would worship any god but the God of Israel. He is also part of a tradition that called Israel to… Read More »

 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks. The prophet Hosea has been fussing with the Northern Kingdom of Israel to change their ways in order to… Read More »