In the Gospel for the 32nd Sunday in ordinary time, Jesus once again confronts the religious leaders of his day. This time the debate seems to be over the resurrection of the body. But it is really about much more. Remember that Luke’s gospel was written after the early Christian communities had formed. What we have here is a community’s reflection on a new way of life—eternal life given by Jesus through the power of the Spirit. Continue reading →

What follows is a response to an editorial in the 11/6 WSJ.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119430812489583231.html?mod=hps_us_inside_today
Dear Mr. Stephens,
Paul Tibbets also said there is no morality to war. That is why I am a peacemaker. With all out war or total war there is no morality because the principles of the just war theory are not followed before, during or after the war. That is reason enough that we must all work to eliminate war. Total war, including the use of nuclear weapons, is immoral. As recent Popes have said loud and clear, “No more war. Never again war!” Continue reading →

October 23, 2007 was a wonderful day. I finally had the long-awaited opportunity to see the launch of the space shuttle on yet another mission to the space station. Two weeks earlier, we had toured the Kennedy Space Center while our motor home was being repaired. The launch was awesome! I really cannot describe it. Continue reading →

In the readings for the 28th Sunday in ordinary Time, the prophet Elisha and the prophet Jesus perform their roles as prophets—they comfort the afflicted and they afflict the comfortable. Naaman and the ten lepers will be comforted but they will have to do it the prophets’ way and not their way. Naaman, powerful military commander scourged with leprosy, is told to go wash in the Jordan. Why the Jordan? He protests that the rivers in his country are just as good if not better. Jesus will heal the ten lepers including one Samaritan. But he does not say, “You are healed.” He tells them to go show themselves to the priests. They apparently are then healed but only one—the hated, despised Samaritan—comes back to express gratitude for his healing.
There are so many themes we could deal with in these readings. Naaman is sent to the Elisha by a slave girl—distinctions between classes do not matter. Lepers were social outcasts but Jesus goes beyond the rigid Pharisaical purity codes to reach out and heal them. The gratitude expressed by the Samaritan leper is a core biblical value. Continue reading →

This morning I did what I often do. I read the daily scripture readings without due diligence. [I must discipline myself to do lectio divina right!] Then, I was hit over the head as I was reading James Douglass’ The Nonviolent Coming of God later in the day.
Douglass lists the people Jesus associated with—tax collectors, soldiers, prostitutes, and Samaritans. Jesus hung around with the outcasts of his society. In particular, the Jews hated and despised the Samaritans. Continue reading →

The readings for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday offer us some thoughts for consideration. Habakkuk must have been a peacemaker. He definitely wanted to restore justice and right order in a world run amok. He looked around and all he saw was violence. He cried out to God. God did not offer him immediate consolation—a quick fix. Rather, God referred him to the vision. In the accompanying Gospel reading, Jesus urged his followers to have faith and to be faithful. Paul encourages Timothy not to be bashful about proclaiming what he has learned—the good news of nonviolence. Continue reading →

Amos has some stern words for us in chapter 6 of his book. It is a dire warning to the rich who anoint themselves with the finest of oils and drink the choosiest of wines while “Joseph” [their country] goes to ruin. They are complacent. They lie on ivory beds. The eat lamb and beef and make music on the harp. They are complacent! Continue reading →

Today’s Gospel dealt with the sower and the grain. Much of the seed that was sown did not come to full maturity. The rocks, the shallow soil, or the snares of daily cares and anxieties kept the seed from taking root. Jesus wants the seed to fall on rich soil. He wants us to accept his word fully and without qualification. How often we fall short individually and collectively. Continue reading →

This is the letter I emailed to President Bush and my representatives in Congress. Do you have a letter you would like to share?

Dear President Bush and Members of Congress,
As a citizen and Christian, I am writing to all of you. You will soon be receiving a report from General Petraeus on “progress” in Iraq. Will he paint a rosier picture of progress than the GAO painted a few days ago? Will you, Mr. President, go into denial mode because your unilateral invasion of Iraq has been a miserable failure—a quagmire shall we say? Will you, members of Congress, go along with this continued refusal to face the facts? Continue reading →

On Sunday, I was deprived of the spiritual goods of the Church. It was no fault of our pastor who was on vacation and had arranged for a substitute priest. It was no fault of the substitute priest who became ill. It was no fault of the deacon who did the best he could under these circumstances.
I went to church expecting a Mass and instead got a Eucharistic service. Continue reading →