Pathos and Responsibility

Posted on February 19, 2019 by - Brother John's Reflections

Both the Lord in Genesis and Jesus in Mark’s gospel are presented in today’s readings as apparently frustrated. In the very anthropomorphic presentation of God in Genesis, the Creator is presented as experiencing regret for having created free human beings. In Mark’s description of Jesus’ attempting to teach his disciples to avoid the hypocrisy and self-alienation of the Pharisees and Herod, we hear of the pain that the disciples’ obduracy evokes in him. It is striking to ponder the fact that Jesus and God might experience the pathos that is so painful an aspect of our own experience. It is…[read more]

Seeking Our Home

Posted on July 2, 2018 by - Brother John's Reflections

For three crimes of Israel, and for four, / I will not revoke my word: / Because they sell the just man for silver, / and the poor man for a pair of sandals. / They trample the heads of the weak / into the dust of the earth, / and force the lowly out…[read more]

Responsibility and Judgment

Posted on October 25, 2017 by - Brother John's Reflections

But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of  teaching to which you were entrusted. Romans 6: 27 And the servant who has known the desire of the master yet has not prepared or done anything in accordance with his…[read more]

Overcoming Estrangement

Posted on October 11, 2017 by - Brother John's Reflections

He was in a certain spot praying. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to. him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”. He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say, “Father, may your name be holy!  May your kingdom come!”  Luke 11: 1-2 In the Xaverian Fundamental Principles we…[read more]