Since no one actually witnessed the resurrection, these stories — each of them — point to and make the claims, especially the appearance stories themselves, that Jesus Christ had indeed been raised from the dead.
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We are broken, but Jesus leads us back to God
And further, this will be done divinely by Jesus on the cross as he loves and forgives, and gives us the model of what and how to do that in total pain and rejection, and human failure, but Divine Redemption.
Continue readingJesus reveals a Father who always loves
Or does he withhold his love?
Continue readingLike Mary, we are called
+ We are moving through narrative sections of the scriptures, and they do not present us with a lot of teaching through parables and other storytelling devices.
However, today is a most interesting passage from the very first verses of Matthew’s Gospel — the famous Genealogy of Jesus.
Also interestingly, for whatever reason, those who put together the scriptures that would be used in liturgy chose to leave out Verse 17 which actually is said to be largely artificial composition, arranging three sets of 14 generations — 42 in all.
It begins with Abraham and interestingly includes good and not so good peeps.
It also includes five women, which was a rarity.
And even rarer was that among those five women were prostitutes and gentiles.
Of course, Mary is also noted. All of this makes up the line of ancestors — the Davidic line — from which Jesus was born.
He, Emmanuel (God is with us), entered into humanity through the Virgin Mary.
The feast day is a big one in both the Eastern and Western churches, but more so in the East where it is a solemnity.
It falls on Sept. 8 (also artificially rather than historically) because Sept. 8 comes exactly nine months after the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, just as the Annunciation precedes the birth of Jesus by nine months (celebrated on March 25).
The thorough artificial listing of names is to root Jesus historically in time and to really show his human nature attached to people both good and not so good — family.
That’s the way it was, and that’s the way it is.
There is a choice for the first reading.
The Micah passage sets us up for the Davidic line that would be traced back to a tiny and insignificant place, and from this clan of insignificance would come a mighty ruler — the prediction of the messiah realized in our Gospel passage.
The other choice of readings from Paul’s letter to the Romans speaks of how we are called by God just as Mary herself was called: “and those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Really, like Mary, we are CALLED.
And when we realize that deep within we are also invited to be “conformed to the image of his Son.”
Continue readingJesus Christ sends us forth to respond to this world with compassion
Anyone can judge it, but a true disciple sees it with compassion and loves as Christ loves.
Continue readingGod wants to form us into Christian warriors
Do you form warriors with easy, peaky, weaky words; or do you shout out commands to toughen and roughen them up?
Continue readingBiblical storytelling at its very best
What’s more, the murderous plot to destroy Jesus would come, but not just yet. It would be incubated for 33 years, and then it would be a communal tantrum of, yes, the jealous leaders — not just one king but many tantrum-filled adults.
Continue readingWe are being drawn to, into the story of all stories
A simple genealogical story opens the door for our coming to learn about where we came from and where we are going, because of this little baby sprung from the Davidic line that would open the doors of eternal life for all who believe.
Continue readingHeaven is glad and the earth rejoices
To experience healing forgiveness — to receive it and/or to offer it to another — brings “soulfulness” into our lives; we are “made new.”
Continue readingLent means going into the desert and letting go
It is precisely in our nakedness and emptiness, weariness and loneliness that we most find our God.
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