Entries for February 2018

  How are your Lenten resolutions? By the time week two rolls around, plenty of well-meaning people have skipped, neglected, or outright forgotten their Lenten resolutions at least once. It can be easy to start excusing our Lenten commitments altogether. Last week we saw Jesus driven into the desert. This Sunday, we see Jesus leading his disciples to an equally barren place: he "led them up a high moun-tain apart by themselves." But what happens there? "And he was transfigured before them and his clothes became dazzling white." Today's Gospel re-minds us of the goal. We don't enter into ...

Read More >

Why do we always go to the desert? We see this example in Scripture time and time again. The Israelites wandered in the desert. King David and prophets were driven into the wilderness. And now Jesus is in the same place. Lent after Lent, we too are invited into a barren, desolate place. Why do we always go to the desert? Throughout Scripture, the desert is a place of testing. It's also a place of hiding and withdrawal. In the Old Testament, David fled into the wilderness to hide from Saul, Elijah from Jezebel, and Jonah from God! In other words, the desert is a place of "retreat." In Christian circles, we use...

Read More >

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time For most of us, the dynamic between prayer and action is imperfect. Breakfast needs to be made and the kids dressed. Work demands our energy and additional responsibilities fill our evenings and weekends. Then there's the football game or a new TV series to stream. After all, don't we need to relax? We're all busy. But just imagine Jesus' situation in today's Gospel. He heals Peter's mother-in-law, drives out demons, and cures diseases late into the night. With very little sleep, he arises before dawn to capture some peace and quiet, only to find "those who were with...

Read More >