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Breath of the Spirit

Pastoral, Liturgical, Teaching, and Social Justice Moments brought to you by www.DignityUSA.org.

Breath of the Spirit is DignityUSA’s electronic spiritual and liturgical resource for our members and potential members. Nothing can replace your chapter or other faith community, but we hope you will find further support here for integrating your spirituality with your sexuality and all the strands of your life.

We welcome relevant homilies, inspirational writings, social justice opportunities, or theological articles from other sources also — particularly from wise women and men who can help us grow as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) and allied Catholic/Christians. You may volunteer to help with this program or send your comments by e-mailing info@DignityUSA.org ATTN: Breath of the Spirit.

MARCH 4, 2012: SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
Romans 8:31b-34
Mark 9:2-10

I had a lousy seminary course in mythology. Our teacher actually began his first lecture by telling us a myth was a fictional story made up by people who didn't know the truth. He assured us that we had to learn these myths only because next year we were to study the classic British poets like Milton and Shakespeare, and if we didn't know the myths they employed, we wouldn't understand their works.

No wonder we have problems when scholars talk about biblical myths.

FEBRUARY 26, 2012: FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Genesis 9:8-15
I Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:12-15

I can't emphasize enough the importance of today's gospel pericope. It not only sets the theme for Mark's entire gospel, it also gives us an insight into the historical Jesus' ministry.

Though I, like most of you, was taught the reason Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, came to earth was to show us the way to heaven, this passage points us in a somewhat different direction.

FEBRUARY 19, 2012: SEVENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
II Corinthians 1:18-22
Mark 2:1-12

Today's gospel passage presents us with the first of five consecutive conflict stories: narratives in which Jesus or his disciples say or do something. The "good folk" immediately object. Then Jesus says or does something to resolve the conflict.

In this particular pericope, Jesus creates a conflict by assuring the paralytic, "... Your sins are forgiven." The scribes quickly demand to know, "Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?"

FEBRUARY 12, 2012: SIXTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
I Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Mark 1:40-45

During a recent Krista Tippett NPR "On Being" show, Walter Brueggemann made an insightful observation. "I've given up using theological arguments to show that Scripture doesn't condemn homosexuality as we know it today. The problem is psychological, not biblical." The well-known Scripture scholar is convinced people simply don't know how to integrate chaos into their lives. He believes all of us have an image of a perfect world in the back of our minds. For many straights, it's a world in which everyone is straight. Gays bring chaos into such a world.

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