Farmworker Camp Immokalee, FL

In 2 Chronicles (36:14-16, 19-23) we have an account of the destruction of the Temple, the captivity in Babylon, and Cyrus allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple. The view that God directly punishes people for their sins comes from a less developed view of God.  This tribal God has compassion but it only goes so far. Then, the people will pay the consequences of their infidelity. This view will evolve with Jesus who shows us the infinite, unlimited compassion of God.

The nonviolent God of Jesus is with all people not just a chosen few. The God of Jesus is present to each of us in our daily lives, in season and out of season, in the good and the bad. In faith, we learn to trust in God. We learn to hope in God. We learn to love God and one another. Continue reading →

Hungry Children in Nicaragua

STS_119 Launch March 15

We have figured how to send people to the space station. Why can’t we figure out how to:

Feed the hungry?  Clothe the naked?  Shelter the homeless? Educate the children?  Provide health care for those who need it?

Whatsoever you do for the least of these, you do for me.

Jesus of Nazareth

Children
(Sir 2:1-11)Trust in God. Wait for God. Receive the word of understanding. Be patient. Be humble. Accept whatever comes. Hope for good things.
Continue reading →

Patriarchy is behind this story of creation of the animals and woman Gn 2:18-25. Man named the animals, that is, man had power over the animals. Woman comes from the rib of man. Man was preeminent and woman thus assigned a secondary origin and role. Anyhow, Adam finally had a companion and they roamed around the Garden naked. Continue reading →

Synagogue at Capernaum s8000840.jpg
Job’s lament in the first reading might well be the Chicken Little prayer being repeated across America today. The economic downturn has brought woe—foreclosures, job losses, portfolio shrinkage, bailouts for the rich and famous, misery for the masses. Mammon rules. America needs to exorcise the demon of mammon. Life is short. God wants quality life for everyone. Quality life demands adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, and education. The first TARP bailout flew through Congress. The new economic stimulus is toading its way through and education and health care are the first victims.
Job, you would really be unhappy today! Continue reading →

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

The apostles return from their mission. They are tired after this inaugural mission to preach the good news and cast out demons. Jesus and the apostles try to get away to a deserted place to rest. The crowds have such great need that they seek Jesus and arrive before he does. In this prelude to feeding the masses—meeting their needs—Jesus is moved with pity. According to Ched Myers, the word for pity—splagchnizomai means “having one’s guts torn apart.”Jesus had a pity and compassion that was unsurpassed. Jesus shows us the face of the God who “has pity on us.” Continue reading →

Ched Myers commentray on Mark, Binding the Strong Man, is really helping me understand the socio-political significnace of Mark’s Gospel.

Herod, who had used intermarriage to consolidate and protect his fragile dynasty, was threatened by the preaching of John the Baptist. Perhaps John’s preaching of repentance could cause people loyal to his former wife to rise up in rebellion. Josephus contends that Herod had John killed for political reasons. As we unpeal Mark’s account, we see the political implications. With John dead, Jesus will inherit John’s mission. Jesus will also inherit Johns’ fate for preaching truth to power. Thus, at this point in the narrative, Mark is highlighting the road to Jerusalem and the cross. Continue reading →

Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk! (Isaiah 55:1-2)
As I reread these beautiful words before our Eucharistic celebration yesterday, I was overwhelmed with the truth and simplicity of the words. These words summarize the essence of our relationship with the beneficent Creator. All is gift. Our gracious loving God gifts us with what we need. Continue reading →

Jesus is the eternal Word who was in the beginning and through whom all things came into being and through whom all life is sustained. The eternal Word, the Only Begotten, came among us and lived a human life with his parents, Joseph and Mary. “The Word of God was made flesh and dwelled among us.” Jesus dwells among us now. He is the source of our life and he sustains us. Through his nonviolent victory over evil he shows us the way back to the Creator. He has restored us in our relationship with the Creator because he absorbed evil rather than inflicting it. Yet we resist his truth.

On the night of the election, Andrew Young, colleague of Dr. King and civil rights activist, analyzed what was happening. His words have a prophetic ring:
Faith has overcome fear.
Grace has overcome greed.
Vision has overcome violence. Continue reading →

This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:
whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked. ( 1 Jn. 2:3)

To me, John sometimes seems to be esoteric and obscure. He often talks about love. Here in this citation, he puts feet on his vision of Christian love. Obviously, even though it can be very challenging and difficult at times, we cannot walk in the light of Christ and hate our brothers and sisters at the same time. Continue reading →