There is a story told in the Lakota tribe of the Man who Spoke Softly.  (Taken from The Lakota Way by Joseph ..read more

Christ the Saviour by El Greco. Image may be subject to copyright The Gospel passage for this Sunday (Mk. 6:30-34) has the apostles returning to the Lord after having been sent out on mission to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, to heal the sick and to aid the weak and the poor.  The evangelist makes note of a “power” being conferred on the apostles in order to accomplish these tasks.  The power mentioned here is not a worldly power because those first disciples had no such power.  They had neither wealth nor influence.  The “power” that the disciples went forth wi ..read more

“Christ Asleep During Tempest” by Eugene Delacroix In today’s gospel (Mk 4:35-41) we have the episode of the storm calmed by Jesus. The boat on which the disciples are crossing the lake is beaten by the wind and waves and they are afraid they will sink. Jesus is with them on the boat, yet he is in the stern asleep on the cushion. The disciples, filled with fear, cry out to him: “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” Often we too, beaten by the struggles of life have cried out to the Lord: “Why do you remain silent and do nothing for me?”. Especially when it seems we are sinking, because of t ..read more

“Soldiers for Christ” is a term used in our Christian life of faith but it is an ambiguous term in that it lends itself to different meanings for different people and it is an image that can be depicted and has been depicted in a variety of ways.  There are references to being “soldiers for Christ” (2 Tim 2:3) and putting on “the armor of God” (Eph. 6:11-17) in scripture and these passages highlight the resolve and determination that the life of faith demands.  Jesus never denounced military service; at one point he commends the faith of the Roman centurion (Mt. 8:5-13) and he made ..read more

View from a hike on Hogback Trail in Lathrop State Park, CO. The Holy Spirit opens vistas both before us and within us.  Vistas, those wide expansive views, are part of what has been drawing me increasingly out west on vacation.  My home of East Tennessee is, I believe, one of the most beautiful places on God’s green earth but one thing it lacks are the vistas found in the western United States.  In a vista one can see for miles and miles and the sky opens before you!  Vistas and their sweeping views help to put all things and even ourselves in perspective.  When I gaz ..read more

Icon of the Resurrection of Christ. Image may be subject to copyright What images does homecoming call to mind?  A student coming home for the first time since leaving for studies.  A soldier coming home after a long and dangerous deployment.  A family, after a while apart, being able to come together for a holiday celebration.  Young parents bringing their newborn son to meet his grandparents for the first time.  Dear friends meeting up for some time together.  A child who had been lost in addiction but now sober being welcomed back home.  A tired spouse mak ..read more

Image may be subject to copyright Good Friday invites us to stand in that place where Jesus stood.  In Isaiah 50:5-6 we hear of this place from the very mouth of the suffering servant.  And I have not rebelled, have not turned back.  I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. In the Garden of Eden, through pride, we rebelled, and we turned back from God’s will for us, but Jesus does neither.  In his passion and in the fullness of his humanity, Jesus stands in that place where we failed.&n ..read more

This image may be subject to copyright. In his recent homily (found on Word on Fire) for the third Sunday of Lent, Bishop Robert Barron offers succinct reflections on each of the Ten Commandments.  He rightly (I believe) connects the breaking of the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” with the sin of calumny.  Calumny, the willful spreading of false statements about another person in order to damage their reputation, is rife within our society and given safe haven, it seems, especially on social media.  Bishop Barron, both in his insight ..read more

Image may be subject to copyright. In their presentation of the temptation of Jesus, Luke and Matthew lean on the imagery of Israel’s experience of the forty years in the desert.  Luke and Matthew present Jesus as the new Israel, the Israel who remains faithful to God’s covenant.  Mark – on the other hand – in his two short verses (Mk. 1:12-14) draws on a different source.  Mark goes to the very beginning of creation and draws on the imagery of Jesus as the new Adam.  Jesus, we are told, is “among wild beasts” not in fear and trepidation but rather walking freely in their m ..read more

Image may be subject to copyright. At one point in his book, “Jesus, Present Before Me,” Fr. Peter John Cameron shares the story of a young priest who served as a chaplain to Ground Zero immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11th.  One of the duties the priest had was serving in the makeshift morgue that was set up in a tent to receive the remains of the victims.  It is easy to imagine the frenzied activity and the number of busy rescue workers intent on their mission but what the priest found amazing was that whenever a new body would arrive at the tent all the work ..read more