tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509Wed, 07 May 2008 15:35:45 +0000http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/spirit.htmlDignityUSABlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-4809170185955372033Wed, 07 May 2008 15:30:00 +00002008-05-07T08:35:45.338-07:00Readings: Acts 2:1-11 I Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23 Those who believe the true church never changes know nothing about first century Christianity. The late Karl Rahner often reminded us that there have been only four basic changes in our Christian faith, and that two of them happened within fifty years of Jesus' death and resurrection. The first was a switch from a short term faithhttp://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_05_01_archive.html#4809170185955372033DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-4085973059906220127Sun, 04 May 2008 17:10:00 +00002008-04-30T10:11:16.135-07:00Readings: Acts 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:17-23 Matthew 28:16-20 One of the most fascinating aspects of today's celebration of Jesus’ ascension is that the gospel we employ for our liturgical reading mentions nothing about Jesus' ascension. Though most of us presume the next thing Jesus does after he assures his disciples, "I am with you always, until the end of the age," is to start rising into heaven,http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_05_01_archive.html#4085973059906220127DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-900886310166560082Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:00:00 +00002008-04-23T10:01:43.498-07:00Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 I Peter 3:15-18 John 14:15-21 The authors of today's first and third readings believe the role of the Holy Spirit in our everyday life of faith is more significant than some of us modern Christians acknowledge. Our I Peter author mentions something that applies to all of us. "It is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil." Thehttp://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_04_01_archive.html#900886310166560082DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-3022720692000623882Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:41:00 +00002008-04-16T09:42:32.189-07:00Acts 6:1-7 I Peter 2:4-9 John 14:1-12 If our only contact with organized Christianity has been limited to a hierarchical structured church, we'll find it difficult to appreciate the message our three sacred authors are trying to convey today. They're not interested in encouraging us to look to a higher rung on the authority ladder in order to discover God's will in our lives. They're concerned http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_04_01_archive.html#3022720692000623882DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-6859439383713074646Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:09:00 +00002008-04-09T06:10:36.742-07:00Readings: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 I Peter 2:20b-25 John 10:1-10 I recently was honored (and humbled) to participate in a McAllen, Texas lay congress. Among other things, I quickly discovered my fellow-participants shared a belief about our country's plan to build a wall on its Mexican border which differed from the opinion many of us "Northerners" have on the subject I returned home not only with a http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_04_01_archive.html#6859439383713074646DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-4396262701266701501Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:28:00 +00002008-04-02T06:29:50.575-07:00Readings: Acts 2:1-4,22-23 I Peter 1:17-21 Luke 24:13-35 One of the perks of being a sacred author is that you get to write people's speeches for them. In today's first and third readings, for instance, Luke composes everything Peter and Jesus say. Peter's Pentecost and Jesus' Easter discourses are well-known for their explanation of the events which occur on the days they're delivered. At thesehttp://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_04_01_archive.html#4396262701266701501DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-8800125901427739445Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:41:00 +00002008-03-26T05:43:30.262-07:00Readings: Acts 2:42-47 I Peter 1:3-9 John 20:1931 Today's first reading provides us with the first of Luke's "summaries:" an idealistic, brief rundown of what's going on in the earliest Jerusalem Christian community. Obviously, every thing's going well. "All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all accordinghttp://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_03_01_archive.html#8800125901427739445DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-7437142243577250384Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:53:00 +00002008-03-19T07:54:37.169-07:00Readings: Exodus 14:15-15:1 Isaiah 55:1-11 Romans 6:3-11 Matthew 28:1-10 (All nine readings should be proclaimed tonight. But because of space limitations, I can only comment on four.) Bob McClory begins his latest book As It Was in the Beginning, by quoting from the Grand Inquisitor chapter of Dostoevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov. The Spanish church's 16th century judge of orthodoxy and http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_03_01_archive.html#7437142243577250384DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-4064690960294090325Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:52:00 +00002008-03-19T07:53:20.794-07:00Readings Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 I Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15 There's a good reason the early church chose this day to officially forgive those sinners who had completed their public penance. Everything about tonight's celebration stresses unity. There's no better occasion to again unite those separated from the church with their communities. We old timers who grew up simply "going to Mass,http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_03_01_archive.html#4064690960294090325DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-8570628797308606981Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:57:00 +00002008-03-14T05:59:15.650-07:00Readings: Isaiah 50:4-7 Philippians 2:6-11 Matthew 26:14-27:66 Many of us have been raised in such a way that after we hear today's Passion Narrative we believe our proper response is simply to say, "Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for dying for me!" Our four evangelists (and all other Christian sacred authors who describe Jesus' suffering and death) are looking for a different response. They http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_03_01_archive.html#8570628797308606981DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-4212636673741611707Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:39:00 +00002008-03-05T08:41:18.134-08:00Readings: Ezekiel 37:12-14 Romans 8:8-11 John 11:1-45 No concept is more restricted by the limits of our human nature than the life Jesus offers his followers. What exactly is that life? In the 1960s epic movie Barabbas, the title character asks Lazarus, years after the event narrated in today's gospel passage, "What's it like being dead?" Jesus' resuscitated friend responds, "How do you http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_03_01_archive.html#4212636673741611707DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-8498407886348381742Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:58:00 +00002008-02-28T20:02:17.580-08:00Readings: I Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, and 10-13a Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 To appreciate Scripture correctly, it's always necessary to know what's happening in the community for which the sacred author writes. No part of the Bible was composed in a vacuum. If one doesn't know the history of the community, one can't write for the community. According to scholars like Walter Bruggemann, only the http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_02_01_archive.html#8498407886348381742DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-5301304245200112279Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:14:00 +00002008-02-20T06:15:15.074-08:00Readings: Exodus 17:3-7 Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 John 4:5-42 Even without reading the Exodus text in Hebrew, students of Scripture can distinguish the Yahwistic author from the book's other two sources when they hear the narrative of Israel's 40 year trek through the wilderness. Almost always when the Chosen People gripe, complain, or argue with God and Moses during this most important event in Jewishhttp://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_02_01_archive.html#5301304245200112279DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-1258903094708810404Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:31:00 +00002008-02-13T05:32:34.724-08:00Readings: Genesis 12:1-4a II Timothy 1:8b-10 Matthew 17:1-9 Some priests of my era insightfully employed a quote from Dag Hammarskjold on their ordination memorial cards. "I don't know who - or what - put the question. I don't know when it was put. I don't ever remember answering. But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone - or Something - and from that hour I was certain that existence is http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_02_01_archive.html#1258903094708810404DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-6849273374809470719Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:23:00 +00002008-02-06T06:24:00.114-08:00Readings: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 As with so many essentials of faith, Scripture gives more than one response to questions about temptation and evil. The Yahwistic author of Genesis (thought by many scholars to have been a woman) provides us the best known myth of how sin and evil entered our world. According to this 10th century BCE theologian, Yahweh created humanshttp://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_02_01_archive.html#6849273374809470719DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-5836429690066660474Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:42:00 +00002008-01-31T07:43:48.591-08:00Readings: Zephania 2:3, 3:12-13 I Corinthians 1:26-31 Matthew 5:1-12a One of the most disturbing dimensions of taking Robert North's courses in biblical archeology was his stated conviction that the historical Jesus never intended his followers to number more than a small minority in any community. The Jesuit scholar contends that very few people actually have the courage to carry out Jesus' http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_02_01_archive.html#5836429690066660474DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-408065121098665041Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:54:00 +00002008-01-23T09:55:52.182-08:00Readings: Isaiah 8:23-9:3 I Corinthians 1:1-13, 17 Matthew 4:12-23 Before I began to study Scripture, I presumed today's gospel pericope narrated Jesus calling his first four priests. That's how most of my seminary spiritual directors interpreted the event and I often heard bishops homilize on this passage during ordination ceremonies. Today I realize the "gospel Jesus" called no one to thehttp://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_01_01_archive.html#408065121098665041DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-365765501237288785Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:54:00 +00002008-01-16T17:55:45.712-08:00Readings: Isaiah 49:3-6 I Corinthians 1:1-3 John 1:29-34 No way can verse 4 be left out of today's Deutero-Isaiah reading. It's the reason the prophet composed this Second Song of the Suffering Servant of Yahweh. In the first three songs (42:1-4, 49:1-6, 40:4-9), Deutero-Isaiah reflects on experiencing Yahweh in his life and ministry. In the fourth and last song (52:13-53:12), the prophet's http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_01_01_archive.html#365765501237288785DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-2720387593573452614Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:38:00 +00002008-01-09T17:40:31.920-08:00Readings: Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7 Acts 10:34-38 Matthew 3:13-17 One of the most rewarding aspects of critically studying the Christian Scriptures is to discover how one evangelist changes the words or the theology of a prior evangelist. This is especially easy to do when you're reading Matthew or Luke and also have a copy of Mark at hand. Each had Mark's manuscript unrolled on his desk when he http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_01_01_archive.html#2720387593573452614DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-6426576611683544509Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:18:00 +00002008-01-02T09:19:44.044-08:00Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12 The renowned 20th century scholar of the Christian Scriptures, Rudolf Bultmann, always reminded his students that every Scripture passage originally had a "sitz im leben" in the community for which it was written. In our language, something was going on in that community which prompted the sacred author to compose this particular http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2008_01_01_archive.html#6426576611683544509DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-3915527674359919918Mon, 31 Dec 2007 02:45:00 +00002007-12-22T18:46:11.372-08:00Readings: Sirach 3:2-7, 12-14 Colossians 3:12-21 Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 A friend recently told me that at one point during a parish council meeting she referred to Jesus being Jewish. Her remark caused another member of the council to blurt out, "He wasn't a Jew, was he?" In this age of widespread religious education, it's hard to imagine the historical Jesus' "Jewishness" being off any http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2007_12_01_archive.html#3915527674359919918DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-1701656462057530829Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:08:00 +00002007-12-19T16:09:11.188-08:00Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-24 Someone once mentioned that a real music connoisseur is a person who can listen to the William Tell Overture and not think of the Lone Ranger. In a parallel way, a real Scripture student is someone who can listen to today's Isaiah 7 passage and not think of Jesus of Nazareth. During this part of the liturgical year, Isaiah's words to Ahazhttp://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2007_12_01_archive.html#1701656462057530829DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-4827004796113980857Sun, 16 Dec 2007 16:48:00 +00002007-12-12T08:49:15.540-08:00Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11 Years ago some of my high school students presented me with a banner sporting a large image of Santa Claus against a green background and John's question from today's gospel printed in red letters under the picture. "Are you 'the one who is to come' or should we look for another?" In his Jerome Biblical Commentary article on http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2007_12_01_archive.html#4827004796113980857DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-343413589097452626Sun, 09 Dec 2007 18:48:00 +00002007-12-07T10:49:46.574-08:00Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10 Romans 15:4-9 Matthew 3:1-12 Isaiah sets the theme for today's celebration by passing on Yahweh's promise, "There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of Yahweh as water covers the sea." To biblically know something or someone means much more than just having an intellectual familiarity with the person or object. http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2007_12_01_archive.html#343413589097452626DignityUSAtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15416509.post-1076150421994428061Sun, 02 Dec 2007 16:51:00 +00002007-11-28T08:52:21.316-08:00Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:37-44 Anticipation is an essential part of biblical faith. But it goes far deeper than just our liturgical anticipation of Christmas. None of today's readings originally had anything to do with Jesus' birth. They simply reflect a basic belief that Yahweh or the risen Jesus will enter our everyday lives at unexpected times and in http://www.dignityusa.org/breath/2007_12_01_archive.html#1076150421994428061DignityUSA