King Saul is a character from the Bible who evokes pity. He didn’t ask to be made king but had it thrust upon him. Apparently the reason he got the job was because he looked the part. Once placed into leadership he did the best he could but kept tripping over his own two feet.… Read More »

In the South there is something known as a tent revival. Pretty simple concept: tent, folding chairs, microphone, heat and humidity, mosquitos, preacher. (Optional: fried chicken and sweet tea.) Of course the key to the revival is having a preacher who can draw a crowd. Brother’ Love’s Traveling Salvation Show, according to the song. John… Read More »

Saul, son of Kish, was seeking asses. Levi, son of Alphaeus, (the same person as Matthew in the other gospels?), was seeking wealth. Samuel called Saul to become king of Israel. Jesus called Levi to become one of his followers. Saul and Levi left their old lives behind in response to the call from God.… Read More »

For more than 100 years the tribes of the Hebrews lived independently from one another in the land of Canaan after the Exodus. If they had any trouble with their pagan neighbors they would call upon another of the tribes of Israel and they would go and beat up the one causing trouble. This system… Read More »

Frequently after working a miracle Jesus will say something like: “See that you tell no one anything.” (Of course, he is seldom heeded.) At least part of the reason Jesus says that was so that people would not confuse his healings with magic. Religion is about changing oneself to get closer to God. Magic seeks… Read More »

The story of the call of the young boy Samuel serves as a reminder of how God operates in our life. According to the Biblical account Samuel heard the voice of the Lord but at that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD. He had to learn how to recognize what God was saying… Read More »

Hannah felt herself judged on all sides. What other people thought about her, what they said about her, bothered her a great deal. Even when she was at prayer she was judged by the priest. She replied to him, Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow… Read More »

Ordinary time! For the next six weeks we will doing a chapter by chapter reading (lectio continuo) of First Samuel and the Gospel of Mark. St. Mark starts the story of Jesus off with a bang — no preliminaries, no background, no origin story. Jesus is portrayed right in Chapter 1 as preaching: “This is… Read More »

Do you ever wonder where things come from? Say the flag. Who decided that the stars and stripes were the right emblem for our country? The stop sign. Why eight sided and red? Why not six sides and purple? What does a thumb being stuck out have to do with wanting a ride? Numbers and… Read More »

When children are born they, like Jesus, “grow in wisdom, age and grace.” The growth is not meant as an end in itself but to equip us to give back what we have received. We eventually reach what me might call a “John the Baptist” moment when we realize it’s not about me. “He must… Read More »