Authority and Accompaniment

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt.  But it shall not be so among you.  Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.  Just so[read more]

The Measure With Which You Measure

Give and gifts will be given to you, a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.  For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. Luke 6: 38 What is the greatest impediment to joy?  How is it that far too often[read more]

Responsibility and Community

The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “Not so!  There must be a king over us. We too must be like other nations, with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare and fight our battles.” 1 Samuel 8:19-20 It is not easy to be responsible for one’s[read more]

Contemplation and Abandonment

“Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines?” 1 Samuel 4:3 A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “if you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it.[read more]

Treasure in Heaven

In her bitterness, Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping copiously, and she made a vow, promising: “O Lord of hosts, if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord[read more]

Change and Transformation

On coming out of the water Jesus saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:10-11 O God, whose Only Begotten Son has appeared in our very flesh, grant,[read more]

The Vision of Beauty

But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:46 At a central dramatic moment in both yesterday’s and today’s gospel readings from John 1, we hear the injunction “Come and see.” Yesterday it was Jesus telling the two disciples of John to “come and[read more]

What We Shall Be Has Not Yet Been Revealed

The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3: 1-2[read more]