Authority in humility
4 We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, * and the wonderful works he has done. (Psalm 78) Today we hear readings that open ideas around authority and humility. Jesus has been welcomed joyfully into Jerusalem. But now he has entered the temple turning out the moneychangers […]
Journey to Forgiveness
4 The mountains skipped like rams, * and the little hills like young sheep. 7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, * at the presence of the God of Jacob. (Psalm 114) In her new biography of her famous grandmother Dorothy Day, founder with Peter Maurin of the Catholic Workers Movement, Kate […]
Love One Another
1 Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song; * sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful. 2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; * let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 3 Let them praise his Name in the dance; * let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. 4 […]
Overcome evil with good
4 Search for the Lord and his strength; *continually seek his face. 5 Remember the marvels he has done, *his wonders and the judgments of his mouth Last week in our reading from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus and his followers have traveled to Caesarea Phillipi, a town approximately 25 miles north of Galilee where Jesus asks his disciples […]
Remember
Our help is in the Name of the Lord, * the maker of heaven and earth. Sey and I had finished our first week away on vacation. Our children had left behind many wonderful memories shared together, Sey and I had celebrated our anniversary with a beautiful dinner overlooking a beach and the setting sun. I […]
The kingdom of heaven is insidious
1 Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; * make known his deeds among the peoples. 2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, * and speak of all his marvelous works. As a chaplain at St. Patrick’s Day School in Washington DC, I worshipped with, taught, and had fun with about 525 young people […]
Surely the Lord was in this place and I did not know it
1Lord, you have searched me out and known me; * you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 4 You press upon me behind and before * and lay your hand upon me. 5 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; * it is so high that I […]
God Provides
5 But I put my trust in your mercy; * my heart is joyful because of your saving help. 6 I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly; * I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High. Many times I have visited with people in the hospital or at […]
When Jesus saw them, he had compassion
4 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; * and his faithfulness endures from age to age. When I was in seminary, I took a class from an amazing teacher and prophet, The Rev. Dr. Michael Battle. He taught a class called “Teaching Grace and Bearing Burdens: Reconciliation as God’s Love in Action.” This was […]
Invited to Wonder
O Lord our Governor, * how exalted is your Name in all the world! Like many of you, I studied poetry in school. I memorized lines of poetry verses, studied the different forms– the imagery, the rhymes and patterns, and tried to glean some meaning. But for much of my childhood and youth, poetry remained just that, […]