On Embracing the Other
Isaiah 55 has one of the most expansive invitations to the people of the earth to serve the one God. The prophet who proclaimed so firmly the oneness of the One God, also realized that the One God had to Continue reading
Imaginary Visions of True Peace
The Stories and Spiritual Teachings of a Benedictine Monk
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When Feeding is a Miracle
Jesus’ feedings of the five thousand and the four thousand in the wilderness rank among the most powerful stories of Jesus’ ministry. How did he do it? It seem fairly comprehensible that Jesus healed the sick and the lame, even Continue reading
On Giving All we’ve Got
The trick to preaching about the man who asks to follow Jesus but goes away when asked to give what he owns and give the money to the poor and then follow him, is to explain it without explaining it Continue reading
On Preparing the Way
There is something intriguing, if frightening, yet hopeful, about transitions. When change is in the air, we can hope it will be good. Dawn and dusk are poignant times of the day as we see a new beginning with the Continue reading
Meals as Gifts of God
Is there such a thing as an ordinary meal with little or no sacramental value? When one thinks of the many people who routinely pick up something at a fast food place on the way to work, the answer seems Continue reading
Ascending in a Cloud
The Ascension is often thought of as a matter of Jesus going away from us. After rising from the dead, he spends fifty days with the disciples before going off in the setting sun, leaving us on our own to Continue reading
How to Be a True Shepherd
How does one know a good shepherd from a bad one? In the opening verses of John 10, Jesus says a good shepherd enters by the gate and no other way. The gatekeeper recognizes the good shepherd and opens the Continue reading
On Looking Forward to Easter
In Matthew’s Gospel, the Resurrection starts off with a bang in the form of an earthquake. It’s the sort of thing that grabs our attention and makes us take notice that something of great significance has happened. After this bang, Continue reading
Jesus’ Legacy
It is normal and laudable to think ahead to the legacy one might leave for posterity, hopefully a legacy to the good for others. In the case of Jesus, his sights for an enduring legacy must have been very high, Continue reading
Annunciation
Few words of Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, are recorded in scripture. Among these few words, the most momentous are: “Let it be to me according to your word.” With these words, Mary accepted the conception of the Christ Continue reading