The Ten Commandments have become a political football. Certain public officials want to feature them in government buildings. Others object that doing so violates the separation of church and state. What would really be controversial would be to display publicly some of the commandments of Jesus. “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate… Read More »
JULY272017
The fancy word that Biblical scholars use for an encounter with God is “theophany.” In the book of Exodus 19 there is a dramatic theophany at Mt. Sinai involving the whole Israelite community accompanied by earthquakes, smoke and fire, thunder and trumpet blast. In contrast, in the First Kings 19 Elijah has a theophany which… Read More »
JULY262017
There is an ad on TV where some celebrity is acting cranky until they are given a candy bar. They calm down and become a “normal” person. The message — you’re not yourself when you are hungry. That seems to be the case with the Hebrew children in the desert. After all that God had… Read More »
JULY252017
If you remember the story, after Judas was dead the eleven remaining apostles felt the need to replace him so that their symbolic number of twelve would remain. After a discernment process, Matthias was chosen. St. James was the next of the twelve to die — martyred ten or so years after the death of… Read More »
JULY242017
The escaping Hebrew slaves trapped between the Red Sea and the advancing Egyptian army was vividly portrayed by Cecil B. DeMille in The Ten Commandments. Who can forget Edward G. Robinson giving Charleton Heston a hard time! What is striking about the scene in the Bible is the astonishment of God at the lack of faith… Read More »
JULY232017
There’s a scene in the play/movie Jesus Christ, Superstar, where the disciples including our honoree for today, James, are hanging around while they sing: “Always hoped that I’d be an apostle./ Knew that I would make it if I tried./ Then when we retire, we can write the Gospels,/ So they’ll still talk about us… Read More »
JULY222017
Mary Magdalene is known as the “apostle to the apostles.” She was the witness to the Risen Jesus who announced to the Eleven the good news of the Resurrection. For this reason, Pope Francis elevated her saint day from a memorial (the usual designation for a saint) to a feast day like the rest of… Read More »
JULY212017
If you find yourself criticized realize you are in good company — they even criticized Jesus who was the Son of God! We should not let any criticism convince us that we are beloved children of God. What about when we are the criticizers? We all make critical judgments. One helpful guideline is given by… Read More »
JULY202017
During the encounter at the burning bush Moses learns the sacred name. “I am who am,” (YHWH) says the Lord. This name is treated as so sacred by subsequent generations that no pious Jew would ever pronounce it. The power of this revelation perhaps obscures a second pronouncement from God. “The LORD, the God of… Read More »
JULY192017
Moses is told to take off his shoes because he is walking on holy ground. Each of us has a place which became holy ground for us — the place where we connected with God. It might be some shrine or a mountain top or a forest glade. Each person meets God in their own… Read More »
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