The Arrow's Path

       While not an official feast or solemnity on the regular liturgical calendar, the first Sunday in October has been recognized by the American Catholic Bishops as “Respect Life Sunday” since 1972. Since that time, many Catholic groups across the country have found ways to cultivate a culture of life in our families and communities. Today’s Mass readings complement that theme by giving us some core Bible passages that undergird why respecting life and the family is so critical to our Christian witness.        In the reading from Genesis , we hear the later part of the creation story where the first man and woman are created and joined together. While most people are familiar with the basic Adam and Eve story, the original meanings behind the names are often lost. The name for Eve derives from the Hebrew word that means “life,” for she was the mother of all living people. The name Adam is, likewise, not just the name of the first human but is...

     Today’s Bible readings will no doubt make some people uncomfortable because they may take the hearer outside of his or her preferred comfort zone. There is always great comfort found in believing that we have all the answers and completely understand exactly how God operates. What the Mass readings today remind us is that we should never become too complacent in how we understand God’s work in the world because God may very well be at work in ways we do not see or even understand.        In the Old Testament reading from Numbers , God’s glory descends upon the seventy elders at Mount Sinai, but for reasons unclear, two of the elders were absent from the incident but receive the gift of prophesy anyway. Many of the elders and Joshua grumble that the two should not have received such a magnificent gift because of their tardiness. Moses reminds them all that God can bless whom He choses to bless, and they should never be jealous when God chooses t...

 I have not blogged here in quite some time. I have several personal reasons for why I have been absent, from a minor health problem to an unexpected death in the family. At one point, I was very close to closing this blog permanently. I tried a different blog for a while last year over on Wordpress, but I just didn't like it. I keep coming back in my mind to this blog, even though written blogging has become a bit passe. Everyone has moved on to Youtube channels and vlogs and all that jazz. I am thinking I may resurrect this blog for editorials and theological musings. I am not sure if anyone would be interested in reading it, but I may come back to some semblance of blogging again. I have not officially committed to it in my mind, but I feel I still have things to say. I am at a very different point in my life now from when I started this blog way back in my seminary days. I am no longer an Episcopal priest. I am not longer Anglican for that matter. I am no longer single. I feel ...