tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87825972024-03-13T13:41:41.123-05:00The Arrow's PathThe Official Blog of the Archer of the ForestThe Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.comBlogger2856125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-47578153865686322432024-03-13T13:40:00.005-05:002024-03-13T13:40:50.026-05:00The thing you learned in RCIA...<p> I moderate a Facebook group for Catholic Converts. Someone posed a question today for the ground that I thought was very good. "<span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">What
was the one thing you learned in RCIA that made such an impact on you,
that you knew you had made the right decision in becoming Catholic?" <br /><br />The following was my answer...<br /></span></p><div class="x1lliihq xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I
don't know if it was so much actually in RCIA but in my personal
conversion process as I was doing serious research on what the Catholic
Church actually taught. My spiritual director at the time had given me a
copy of the Catechism and told me to read it through and see if there
were any "deal breakers" and go from there. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">There
was one series of sections about Catholic social justice in the middle
that honestly scared me. Coming from the Episcopal church as clergy
where terms like "social justice" were code words for extreme political
agenda that were used to bludgeon opponents, I very much feared that
that would be the deal breaker. Basically all I knew about Catholic
social teaching were fragments from the news about Nuns on a Bus or
other really radical religious orders who were constantly getting
arrested outside the School for the Americas or Oak Ridge nuclear
laboratory. So, I intentionally avoided those sections until I had read
everything else in the catechism in detail. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Seeing
no major issues there, I finally sat down in the chair in my office and
started reading those sections. I remember sitting in my chair in my
Anglican vicar office and taking a deep breathe and quoting from Star
Wars: "This is how democracy ends...in thunderous applause." I fully
expected to find in it the radical stuff I was beat over the head with
in the Anglican world. If that was how it was going to be, I would just
stay in the Episcopal Church where I would certainly make more money. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">To
my utter amazement, I discovered an entirely new world of moral
theology and political theory that I had somehow never really
encountered before. This was quite a buried treasure, as I had bachelors
in history and political science, an advanced degree in theology, and a
year in law school. Somehow other than Augustine's City of God and some
Natural Law theory of Aquinas (and to an extent some of that which had
leaked into High Church Anglicanism via the Oxford Movement-I had never
really encountered real Catholic social teaching or understanding about
subsidiarity and solidarity and all that. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Looking
at the footnotes, I went and read <i>Rerum Novarum</i> from the late 1800s,
the first modern Papal encyclical that took Catholic Social teaching to a
whole other level of philosophy and moral ethics in its critiques of
laissez faire capitalism and communism. I was utterly astounded at how
deep and rich that field of Catholicism was. Compared to Anglicanism
which had been founded for political reasons, many of which were of
dubious moral character. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">That
was the point where I finding stepped out of my snug little hobbit hole
and followed Gandalf's words, "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going
out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet,
there's no knowing where you might be swept off to..."</div></div></span></div>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-59639793345694010462024-03-11T15:43:00.010-05:002024-03-11T15:52:08.534-05:00Dune 2: I have opinions<p>So, finally got around to seeing <i>Dune 2</i>, which is a designation I don't care for. It's really not a sequel. It's just the continuation of the first movie, which stopped right after the Harkonnen attack House Atreides on Arrakis. Really, the first film only got to the very start of the good part of the novel when Paul Atreides first encountered the Fremen on Dune. So, really "Dune 2" is just the good part of the first novel. <br /><br /> SPOILER ALERTS: I AM GOING TO NOW DISCUSS THE FILM. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. </p><p>I had mixed feelings about going to see this movie. I did not particularly care for the first one, but <i>Dune </i>is one of my all time favorite Science Fiction novels. I have read the entire series, as well as the expanded prequel universe his son wrote, the <i>Butlerian Jihad</i> trilogy being by far the best of his son's work. They got progressively worse as they went along after that. <br /></p><p>Really, the first 4 original Frank Herbert novels are all amazing in their own right. The 4th: <i>God Emperor of Dune </i>is truly one of the most mind blowing science fiction novels I have ever read. He was at the peak of his imaginative powers for that one. The later two Herbert novels are, frankly, trash. After <i>God Emperor</i>, he started cranking them out for the money. He should have stopped at the 4th. He was never going to top that one. <br /><br />So, that brings me back to Dune 2. It's worth seeing for the cinematography. They filmed it on location in African deserts, and so it is a sight to behold in terms of eye candy. That's about all I have to say about it that I particularly liked. </p><p>There were three major issues I had with these two films. One was that I thought a lot of the major characters were horribly miscast. I did not like the guy they have playing Paul Atreides for all of the first film and a majority of the second. He looked like a small desert wind would blow him over. I have to admit I also had trouble readjusting to seeing him in Dune after his weird foray as young Willy Wonka. Granted, that was not entirely that actor's fault because Dune 2 got delayed because of the writer's strike and it would otherwise have been in theaters before <i>Wonka</i> came out, but that was just a twist of bad luck and timing. So, I won't hold that against him. <br /><br />To be fair, he finally came into his own as a believable Mu'addib late in the second film. He finally showed some guts and real cult leader acting skill and not like a sissy French boarding school girly man, which I thought he appeared to be for 3/4's of the film. I wish he had shown more of that charisma earlier on in the films. He finally got there, but it was a bit too little too late. I still think he was largely miscast. <br /><br />The other general casting, particularly in the 2nd film were strange picks. Christopher Walken as Emperior Corrino was very strange. I kept expecting him to mutter, "I got a fever, and the only solution is more <strike>cow</strike>worm bell!" He just seemed largely lifeless and a dottering old koot. In the books, he was still at the top of his conniving political game. <br /><br />I did generally like the portrayal of the Bene-Gesserit. They got the creepy factor down pretty well with those. Paul's mother was generally believable, but her ongoing discussions with her unborn daughter was really something from the 2nd novel that I don't think anyone who was not well versed in the Dune novels would have gotten. That was sort of a weird post facto addition to the original novel. <br /><br />This leads me to another criticism I have of this batch of <i>Dune</i> depictions. The director really did not explain a lot of the political intrigue in any way. He just assumed people had read the books. While I don't like being preached at as a moron neophyte in films based on books, I have to think a lot of people who have not read the books would have had real trouble understanding a lot of what was going on in the film. There's no reference to the Space Guild, to the IXians, and virtually no discussion of why the spice was so important to the economy and ultimately to power other than as a weird drug. You had to have spice for space transport (hence the Guild). All that was glossed over, which I thought was a bit of a mistake to not even mention any of those factions or other houses. <br /><br />They did discuss House Harkonnen to a greater extent, even should flashbacks from Giedi Prime, the Harkonnen homeworld. Though, why those scenes suddenly become black and white I still find a bizarre choice. I liked the black and white, but no explanation was ever given why they shifted to black and white around the Harkonnens. It seemed a weird cinematic gimmick for no reason. </p><p>The casting choice for Baron Harkonnen was very strange. I found he came off more as Marlon Brando in Island of Dr Moreau creepy weirdo than Marlon Brando, the scary Godfather architect of a crime family. He was better than the guy who played Baron Harkonnen in the 1984 version, but not nearly as conniving or amusing as Ian McNeice's portrayal in the 2000 mini series, which I still think is a better portrayal than either big screen rendition. That one actually captures the political intrigue in the background the best of the three in my opinion. <br /><br />I am still digesting the portrayal of Feyd-Rautha. It was an excellent portrayal, but not how I would have envisioned casting him. I think he almost stole the show in the second movie. He was almost too powerful and brutal. And maybe that was the point. I need to think on that element of the movie more. <br /></p><p>So, finally, I get to my major beef with the film: the butchering of the Chani character. I really disliked how they turned her into this feminist harpy character. The film even ended focusing on her and her dumping of Paul Atreides-something that was completely made up for this film. That is not how the novel ends. <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Leave
it to Hollywood to rewrite the ending to one of the greatest science
fiction novels ever written to have an in your face feminist screed
ending. That was not the point of the character, and Fremen females were not soldiers. In a Jihadist honor/shame society, Chani would not have had the option to basically give the Mahdi the proverbial finger and bring shame on the tribe. I almost physically gagged when I realized that was how the movie was going to end. That was truly a travesty, and I think one that really gums up the plotline if they want to film <i>Dune: Messiah</i>, the second novel. </span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">The fact that the genetically engineered Messiah can see the future but not the death of his beloved Chani is really what fuels him to become the Preacher in the second novel and repudiate the violence and power he created by becoming the Jihadist Mahdi in the original novel. That's truly a great second novel, but I think that ending with the Chani re-write in this current film is going to undermine the tragedy that becomes Paul Atreides in the second. <br /><br />So, if you are a <i>Dune</i> fan, it's worth seeing for the cinematography. If you are a purist like me, be prepared to be somewhat disappointed on the substance and nuance. <br /><br /></span></p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-17654393422207032762024-03-07T09:00:00.002-06:002024-03-07T09:00:00.173-06:00The Hound of Heaven<p> <span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">In 1890, a poem was published in England by a homeless man named Francis Thompson. He had submitted the poem to a magazine at the urging of a Catholic priest who had been counseling him for his chronic opium addiction and recognized the beauty of the man’s writings. The editor of the Catholic magazine was also so impressed with the poem that he went into the streets and searched out this homeless poet and found him lodging at a halfway house. The poem, entitled “The Hound of Heaven,” quickly became one of the most famous religious poems in the English language and had a profound impact on later writers like JRR Tolkien, GK Chesterton, and Robert Frost because the poem tells the story of a human soul who tries to flee from God. The soul thinks that it will lose its freedom in the company of God, but ultimately finds that only true freedom can be found in God’s loving embrace. This theme is at the center of today’s Mass readings. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span dir="ltr"></span>2nd Chronicles</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> (36:14-16, 19-23), the consequences of the people of Judah turning away from God are evident. Despite God's repeated warnings through the prophets, the people persist in their disobedience and rebellion. Yet, even in their waywardness, God's faithfulness shines through. He allows the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem and take His people into exile, not out of wrath, but out of His loving desire to call them back to Himself. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The psalmist echoes the sentiments of the exiled Israelites in </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Psalm 137</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">, expressing their deep longing for their homeland and their beloved Jerusalem. Yet, amidst their sorrow, they hold fast to the hope of God's faithfulness, trusting in His promise to restore them. This unwavering trust in God's steadfast love is a testament to His faithfulness in drawing His people closer to Himself. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Letter to the Ephesians </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">(2: 4-10), St. Paul reminds us of the incomprehensible richness of God's grace. It is by grace alone that we are saved, not through our own merits or works outside of God’s grace. This underscores the reality of God's faithfulness in drawing us near to Him. Despite our unworthiness, God showers His love upon us, offering us the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the Gospel reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">John </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">(3:13-21), Jesus speaks of God's ultimate act of faithfulness in sending His Son into the world to save us. Through His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus becomes the ultimate manifestation of God's love and mercy, drawing all people to Himself. Just as Francis Thompson portrays in his poem, "The Hound of Heaven," God pursues us with relentless love, longing for us to return to His embrace. Todays readings remind us, as did the poet Francis Thompson as he was writing his now famous poem, that God, in His Infinite love for us, will pursue our souls to the ends of the earth and beyond. Only then will we be able to trust Him enough to try to return to that Love, allowing the Hound of Heaven to “catch” us. Today’s readings tell us about the breadth and depth and height of the Divine love of the Hound of Heaven for each one of us. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sadly, Francis Thompson never completely broke free from his addiction to opium and died from Tuberculosis at the age of 47. He is buried in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in London with the single epitaph to the Christian hope on his grave stone from a poem he had written shortly before his death, “Look for me in the nurseries of Heaven.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-4797374059415451342024-03-06T11:35:00.002-06:002024-03-06T11:35:21.033-06:00Food for Thought...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6bE1U8msr1Hh6QeL5xqx3jQ_GEm7ZgeDrmQxZT8Ywk0B1zLRH3xwGq4ye1_WyTdDHIacfANM6sV20uAucj8NMNcp_1wbQHruYPsWcOszdLbzAaJzpUX8RkepEZ7a2d7Z5S1ysquy4K7maXGpoUIpQiN1ISBKoHoAhKKSdTVkD2y1Ksjgpdh5bQ/s843/430816716_10232057545692050_7255277058343072956_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="843" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6bE1U8msr1Hh6QeL5xqx3jQ_GEm7ZgeDrmQxZT8Ywk0B1zLRH3xwGq4ye1_WyTdDHIacfANM6sV20uAucj8NMNcp_1wbQHruYPsWcOszdLbzAaJzpUX8RkepEZ7a2d7Z5S1ysquy4K7maXGpoUIpQiN1ISBKoHoAhKKSdTVkD2y1Ksjgpdh5bQ/s320/430816716_10232057545692050_7255277058343072956_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-15137747697848703512024-03-06T08:44:00.004-06:002024-03-06T08:44:49.090-06:00An interesting interview of Malcolm Guite<p>The podcast Journey to the Stage did a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI-iOBuW14Y">great interview</a> with poet Malcolm Guite. Here is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKHcuLC7NFU">part two</a>. He talks about poetry and Tolkien, etc. I had the great pleasure of meeting Guite when I was in Cambridge. He's a lovely chap and a true English National Treasure. <br /></p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-79481349560268373082024-02-29T13:41:00.002-06:002024-02-29T13:41:29.647-06:00Thoughts on the 3rd Sunday of Lent<p><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Today, the Gospel reading confronts the hearers today with a profound image of Jesus performing an act that seems out of character for Jesus. The act might seem excessive, or even violent. Did Jesus, in fact, act out of violence in today’s reading? This is a depiction of Jesus that would seem to be at odds with the more peaceful images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd or of the loving Son of the Father who dies for the world for the forgiveness of sins. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">To give a little background to the Gospel passage, the first reading is from the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Book of Exodus (20: 1-17)</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">. The story tells of the giving of the Ten Commandments, which form the foundation of God's covenant with His people. Among these commandments is the injunction, "You shall not kill." This commandment reminds us of the sacredness of human life and the inherent dignity of every person. It calls us to reject violence in all its forms and to strive for peace and reconciliation in our relationships.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>The Psalmist (</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Psalm 19</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">), speaks of the beauty and perfection of God's law. "The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul," we are reminded. The Word of God is a source of life and light, guiding us on the path of righteousness. As followers of Christ, we are called to embody the principles of love, mercy, and forgiveness that are at the heart of God's law.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the passage from Paul's </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Letter to the Corinthians (1: 22-25)</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">, we are presented with the paradox of the cross. Paul speaks of Christ crucified as the power and wisdom of God, which stands in stark contrast to the wisdom of the world. The cross reveals to us the true nature of God's love—a love that is self-sacrificial and unconditional. It is a love that triumphs over sin and death, bringing redemption and reconciliation to all who believe.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally, in the Gospel reading to </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">John (2: 12-25)</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">, we hear the story of Jesus cleansing the temple. Some may view this as an act of violence, but upon closer examination, we see that Jesus' actions are motivated by a deep reverence for the house of God and a righteous indignation at the desecration of the temple. Jesus' actions are not driven by anger or aggression, but rather by a desire to restore the holiness of God's dwelling place. Jesus' actions were always guided by love and compassion. While he may have overturned tables and driven out merchants, his ultimate goal was to call people to repentance and to draw them closer to God. May we follow in the footsteps of our Lord, seeking to build a world where violence is replaced by peace, where hatred is replaced by love, and where all people are treated with dignity and respect. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-56177361128679542662024-02-26T11:07:00.003-06:002024-02-26T11:07:54.865-06:00Upcoming Election Thoughts<p>As I posted a few weeks ago, I follow politics and I vote (or at least try to). Being a leftover Jeffersonian agrarian, there is not much left on the Federal level that much enthuses me any more. We have a sham Federal election every 2 years, but the two headed uni-party has been in control of the American system for so long that they have rigged the entire system to virtually ensure one or the other of the so-called political parties always has power. <br /><br />These so called parties try really hard to spin the tale of the idea that we really have a choice as the American voters, but it is not really a choice. They try to spin is as Liberal versus Conservative, but there really are not any true Jeffersonian Conservatives any more on the Federal level. Republicans try to pretend to be Conservative, but they are really still the party of Lincoln. Lincoln was by far the farthest to the Left of all the candidates who ran for President in 1860. Most modern Republicans, despite howls to the contrary, are really the Leftist party of Lincoln. They still believe in all the Radical nonsense Lincoln made up out of the ether like Divine mandate indivisible union and incorporation of the Bill of Rights to the States and, frankly, centralized Federal welfare state-ism. They really just have a slightly different welfare state pit into which to throw all the money. <br /><br />Federal Republicans are really content to be big staters as long as their guy is in the White House and Congress. Deficits don't go down. FDR New Deal social spending programs are never curtailed. They give lip service to such ideas on rare occasions in an election year, but once they get elected, all that goes out the window. They had opportunity after opportunity to roll back Obamacare or balance a budget or any of those things, and they never achieve any of it. On rare occasions they might get a Federal spending sequester, which was really no actual cut to anything. It was simply a cut to baseline budgeting. In other words, instead of the usual 5% across the board increase in spending, it got "cut" to 2% to 3%. It's still on increase, not an actual cut. That's the game they play though, saying, "Look! We cut spending..." when in fact is was just a smaller increase and not an actual cut of anything. </p><p>Democrats are the same. They just are perfectly fine with even bigger spending, particularly on social, particularly Leftist, programs. The sad thing is that at one time they were actually concerned, if misguided, about the poor. They don't care now mostly. They just want to get re-elected. There isn't a single member of the Senate that isn't a millionaire, and only a small minority of the House members are not in that same financial orbit. Limousine liberals are a thing. </p><p>So, that brings me to my thoughts on Trump. I am unenthused about Trump running a 3rd time. He still has never won a popular vote election. I will admit I voted for Trump one of the two times he ran for election for President, but it was a "hold your nose and vote for the lesser of the stinkers" mentality. While I don't blame Trump specifically for the January 6th riot flap, his sour grapes sore loser attitude thereafter really put me off. I think the breaking point for me was not January 6th so much as the fact that he intentionally did not attend the Biden inauguration. I thought that was in really bad taste. I admit there was some voting shenanigans and things in the election that have never been explained to my satisfaction, but having one final narcissistic hissy fit never sat well with me. <br /><br />I may just give up on Federal elections altogether. Think locally, act locally. That's all that we can do. <br /></p><p> <br /></p><p> </p><p> <br /></p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-75581980143263197142024-02-21T10:41:00.002-06:002024-02-21T10:41:23.788-06:00This makes the world a better place...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k2RPKMJmSp0" width="320" youtube-src-id="k2RPKMJmSp0"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-65151996391155297652024-02-20T12:00:00.001-06:002024-02-20T12:00:18.092-06:00Eustace and the Dragon<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/983nCOzL8_c" width="320" youtube-src-id="983nCOzL8_c"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-33814996144887263822024-02-20T11:58:00.006-06:002024-02-20T11:58:34.559-06:00Why We Fast for Lent<p> <span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The season of Lent is often described as a journey. All of us are required to repent of our sins. Some of the ways we are asked to join in the journey of Lent includes various penitential acts like fasting and abstaining from certain foods as a visible way we manifest repentance and a change of mind and heart in our Lenten journeys. The Mass readings today tell us of various ways some of the people in the Bible went on various journeys because of their faith. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span> </span>The 22nd chapter from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Genesis</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> tells the poignant story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a test of his faith and obedience to God. This narrative challenges those of us on our Lenten journey to consider the depth of our own trust in God's providence, even in the face of daunting trials. Like Abraham, we are called to surrender our will to God's and to trust that He will provide for us, even when the path ahead seems uncertain.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>In the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Letter to the </span><span lang="en-US" style="color: black; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">Romans </span><span lang="en-US" style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">(</span><a href="https://bible.usccb.org/bible/Romans/8?31"><span lang="en-US" style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-type: solid; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span dir="ltr"></span>8:31b-34</span></a><span lang="en-US" style="color: black; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">), Saint </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Paul reminds us of the incredible love that God has for us on our journey. He assures us that nothing can separate us from this love, neither hardship nor persecution, for God is always with us, guiding and sustaining us through every challenge. As we journey through the season of Lent, we are reminded to take comfort in the knowledge that we are never alone, for God's love surrounds us always.<span> </span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span> </span></span>Finally, in the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Gospel of Mark </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">(9: 2-10), we are presented with the account of the Transfiguration, where Jesus reveals His glory to Peter, James, and John. This extraordinary event serves as a foreshadowing of Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross and His glorious resurrection. It reminds us that through our own trials and tribulations, God is working to transform us, shaping us into the image of His Son.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are always questions that are asked every Lent as to why the Church asks us to focus on fasting and abstinence during this season. Is it really necessary? Fast and abstinence for the journey of Lent was part of the preparatory demonstration of repentance for those preparing for Baptism at Easter. The early Church would join in this discipline in solidarity with the catechumens who were to be baptized at the end of their first Lenten journey. As the Church expanded in the 4th and 5th century and many former pagans came into Christianity, the Church, using the power to bind and loose given in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, began to impose an obligation with a penalty of sin on the Lenten and Friday fast and abstinence to emphasize the seriousness of it. This practice basically draws a line as to what the bare minimum of penitential practice is. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>Today’s readings point us to put our trust in God's plan for our lives this Lent, even when it requires sacrifice and surrender. Are we open to allowing God to transfigure us, to mold us into the people He created us to be? During this season of Lent, may we embrace the journey of faith with open hearts and minds, trusting in God's unfailing love and allowing Him to transform us more fully into disciples of Christ. Let us draw strength from the examples of Abraham, Saint Paul, and the disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration, knowing that God is always faithful to those who trust in Him.</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt; language: en-US; mso-arabic-font-family: Arial; mso-armenian-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-currency-font-family: Arial; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Arial; mso-default-font-family: Arial; mso-greek-font-family: Arial; mso-hebrew-font-family: Arial; mso-latin-font-family: Arial; mso-latinext-font-family: Arial; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p>
The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-36374555002119523852024-02-14T11:02:00.003-06:002024-02-14T11:02:44.484-06:00A glorious Jeffersonian State Supreme Court Opinion<p>People ask me what my political leanings are, usually trying to pigeon hole me on whether I am a Republican or a Democrat. I have, at various times, been registered as a Democrat, Republican, Independent, and Libertarian. I am really do not fit cleaning into any of those 21st Century political categories. I will say I am currently registered as a member of one of the major parties, but only so as I can vote in the primary in my state. My state has such a late primary (not the very last, but close to it), there really is not much point to it on the Federal level as Federal candidates have usually pretty much already coalesced by the time my state's primary comes around, but I can at least have a say in state and local election primaries, which is really about the only thing I care about anyway.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p>So, to the original topic of "what am I?" I am a leftover Jeffersonian agrarian. I believe in Jefferson's idea of republican democracy. I believe in Federalism in the true sense of the original meaning. The Federal government serves at the pleasure of the States, not vice versa. The States, at least the original former colonies, existed before the Federal Government. According to the Constitution, the States can theoretically alter or even dissolve the Federal Government, but the Federal Government cannot unilaterally dissolve a state. </p><p>Basic American civics classes usually (and incorrectly) teach students that there are three levels of the Federal government listed in the US Constitution: the Legislative (Congress, the Executive (The President and his cabinet), and the Courts. While there are those three branches, there is a 4th that the Constitution talks about at some length as well: the States. This is a very crucial and often overlooked branch of the American government system. <br /><br />The US Constitution only the central Government roughly 30 powers (a few can be subdivided up, depending on how you want to rhetorically classify certain powers and split definitional hairs) directly to the Federal government. All other powers are reserved to the States and to the people. The Constitution says this both implicitly and explicitly, namely in the 10th Amendment, the last of the so called Bill of Rights. <br /><br />The ultimate down fall of true Federalism was woven into the wording of that 10th Amendment, which reads:<br /><br />"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively,
or to the people."<br /><br />While that seems as clear as crystal, the downfall came in the fact that the 10th Amendment lacked any specific enforcement power language. Virtually all the founding generation of legislators and "Founding Fathers" believed in State sovereignty. Some wanted to expand the 30 powers given the central government in the Constitution, but virtually everyone feared a centralized controlling national government. Thomas Jefferson, himself, had to dicker with Congress for over two years, to allocate funding for a single warship to fight off the Tripoli pirates who were harassing American ships and taking American hostages in the Mediterranean in the early 1800s. No one, North or South, wanted to fund a single warship that would be under the control of a centralized Government without an actual Congressional declaration of war. <br /><br />In an American Federal government landscape nowadays that is behooven to the military industrial complex, the US will drop a billion dollars (That's $1,000,000,000,000 in actual zeroes) on a single F-22 fighter plane without batting an eye, the fact that you had a Congress that could not agree on virtually anything other than not funding a Navy ship beggars belief. But, such was the fear of the founding generation of Americans who had fought and won a long, hard war against the British. Keep in mind, this is only a few short years after Alexander Hamilton ran the entire US Department of the Treasury with two other employees for almost 8 years, one of whom was only a part time employee. Imagine a major Federal department that had only 3 employees for 8 years! <br /><br />So, imagine to my surprise, <a href="https://www.courts.state.hi.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SCAP-22-0000561.pdf">reading the opinion</a> of the Hawaii State Supreme Court that was issued February 7th, 2024. It created wailing and gnashing of teeth of so-called modern Conservatives in the US because it basically told the US Supreme Court to take its creeping doctrine of the incorporation of the Bill of Rights (in this case the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms) to the States and take a hike. <br /><br />What exactly is the incorporation of the Bill of Rights to the States and why is this case noteworthy? Over the last 130 years or so, really beginning with the aftermath of the Civil War amendments, the Courts have gradually, when given the chance, incorporated the Bill of Rights amendments to the States. In other words, expanding both the language and intent of the first 8 amendments to individual States. But this is an unconstitutional application. The Bill of Rights begins with "Congress shall make no law..." The Bill of Rights limits the power of the central Federal Government. Indeed, the entire US Constitution is a limit on Federal power, giving it only 30 powers with everything else reserved to the States and their own respective Constitutions.<br /><br /> The Bill of Rights applies only to the Federal government. Nowhere in the Constitution does it give the central Federal government to power to apply those limits on individual states. The right to freedom of speech extends only to the Federal government. The same is true with any other Amendment in the Bill of Rights. Local State Constitutions and laws are designed to protect individual liberties on the State level. Federalism and local control by States is designed to make the Union of States feasible and cut down on the culture war issues. That's the point. If Alabama wants to ban abortion, they can do so. If California wants to allow abortion up to the 3rd trimester, it can do so. States were to be the locus of sovereign and rights, not the Federal government. The Federal government served at the pleasure of the States, not vice versa.<br /><br />This ruling by the Hawaii Supreme Court is a marvelous legal analysis telling the Federal Government Supreme Court to take it's 2nd Amendment "everyone has a right to carry arms anywhere" Federal dictatorial control and stuff it. The 2nd Amendment only applies as a limit to the Federal government, as does any other amendment. If Hawaii wants to ban guns by its own Constitution, by all means, let them do so. If Tennessee wants to let people drive down the street with their own tanks, let them do so. That is the essence of the true right of States. That was how the Federal system was designed to work to keep the peace between the States. If you don't like what Hawaii is doing, move to some state that shares your values and ideals. That was the whole point. <br /><br /> <br /> <br /><br /></p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-25023686082604235612024-02-13T09:45:00.000-06:002024-02-13T09:45:00.937-06:00American chocolate<p>Why is American chocolate always such garbage? You get used to it, but then have some real European chocolate, and it's like you have a religious experience. I blame the soy lecithin that American chocolate makers use as a preservative, but I have no idea really. Asking for a friend... 😂<br /></p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-78355839579057803542024-02-07T12:00:00.005-06:002024-02-07T12:00:58.386-06:00Thoughts on Lepers<p>First off, an update on myself. I am still chuffing along. I am in discernment about the permanent diaconate in the Catholic church, so that is where I am at currently. After a long hiatus of 10 years, I am finally back in formation, and I want to get back to writing blogs on occasion. I know I have promised that in the past, but I do want to make a discipline of blogging, though blogging is dreadfully out of fashion anymore, but I still enjoy it. <br /></p><p>This coming Sunday is the last Sunday of Ordinary time before Lent. There is an interesting <a href="https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021124.cfm">set of readings on leprosy</a>, of all things. I have been writing reflections in my parish bulletin weekly for a while now, and wrote one that I would pass along: <br /><!--[if !mso]>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">If asked to imagine what life was like in Medieval Europe, many people today might well picture in their minds the image of the people in those times afflicted with leprosy. Most modern movies set in the Middle Ages with likely at some point have a scene in the film of a leper in rags begging for food or alms. Lepers are always depicted as the epitome of social outcasts in Medieval cinema.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Certainly, today’s first reading from the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Book of Leviticus </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">(13:1-2, 44-46) would seem to reinforce this notion of lepers being outcasts from the community. In our Old Testament reading, we encounter a passage that speaks of the laws regarding leprosy in the time of Moses. Leprosy was not only a physical ailment but also a symbol of impurity and separation from the community. Those afflicted with leprosy were considered unclean, and they had to live outside the camp, away from their families and friends. In this reading, we see how<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to deal with those who had leprosy. The afflicted person was to dwell alone, and whenever anyone approached, they were to cry out, "Unclean, unclean!" This segregation was a way to protect the community from the physical and ritual impurity associated with leprosy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>However, in today’s Gospel from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> (1: 40-45), we witness a powerful moment where Jesus encounters a leper. In stark contrast to the societal norms of the time, Jesus does not turn away in fear or judgment. Instead, He is moved with compassion. The leper, in a gesture of deep humility and faith, approaches Jesus and says, "If you will, you can make me clean." Jesus, stretching out His hand, touches the leper and utters the words that echo throughout eternity, "I will; be clean." In that instant, the leper is not only healed physically but is also cleansed from the impurity that isolated him from the community. Christ, in His infinite mercy, breaks down the barriers of uncleanness and restores the outcast to the fullness of life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Recent archaeological excavations in England of the ruins of Medieval hospitals founded by Christian hospitaler religious orders<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have actually uncovered some shocking truths about how lepers were viewed in the Middle Ages. Despite what you see in the movies, these religious orders actually treated those with leprosy with extreme deference. Lepers were given the highest level medical care of the time and treated with the highest religious deference. In these Christian hospitals, lepers were almost treated like celebrities, because they suffered from a malady so severe that it was believed that God must be giving these privileged few purgatory here on Earth. This made those with leprosy, some believed, closer to God, and hence worthy subjects of benevolence, even reverence, because it was believed that surely God was making these people holy through the affliction of leprosy. To serve them in some way to serve Jesus himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This Gospel passage challenges us to reflect on our own lives. How often do we build walls of judgment and separation? Are there people in our lives whom we consider untouchable or unclean? Jesus' example calls us to emulate His compassion and extend a healing touch to those in need, both physically and spiritually, for in doing so, we might also encounter the face of Christ in those suffering. Let us imitate His compassion and strive to make all things clean through acts of kindness, forgiveness, and reconciliation. May our lives be a living testimony to the transformative power of Christ, who makes all things new, and cleanses us from the impurities that separate us from God and one another.</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.0pt; language: en-US; mso-arabic-font-family: Arial; mso-armenian-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-currency-font-family: Arial; mso-cyrillic-font-family: Arial; mso-default-font-family: Arial; mso-greek-font-family: Arial; mso-hebrew-font-family: Arial; mso-latin-font-family: Arial; mso-latinext-font-family: Arial; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-68804714010408209232023-11-15T05:16:00.002-06:002023-11-15T05:16:24.566-06:00Greetings, world<p> It's been long time since I have blogged, and I was thinking about getting back into it. Any thoughts? </p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-81981740746520640922021-11-07T11:40:00.001-06:002021-11-10T11:42:00.953-06:00Homily Notes for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"> <!--[if !mso]>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Mass readings today are picked in part to reinforce that theme of the importance of giving to God’s work through the church out of the bounty God has given to us. The question in the back of some people’s minds as they listen to stewardship appeals often is not touched upon in depth by the preacher or speaker discussing the importance of stewardship, however. That question is best summed up as, “If God is all powerful, why does He need my money?” The readings today beautifully answer that question. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the strictest sense, God does not need material things as He has no physical needs. God created all the resources that humans have turned into valuable commodities like gold, silver, and precious gems. If God does not need wealth, why then does God ask us to give to the poor, the Church, and to charity so often in Scripture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer is found in the poor widows in both the Old Testament and Gospel readings. In both the reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span dir="ltr"></span>1st Kings </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">and the reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">, the widows offer to God what they have. The widow of Zarephath offers Elijah the food she has left. In the Gospel story, Jesus witnesses and later remarks upon a widow putting in her last small coin into the collection basket.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In both instances, these small gifts are all the givers have, and yet they trust God enough that their gift is truly given out of selfless love. In much the same way that a young child picks dandelions as a bouquet for their mothers, these widows offer God all they have. And like a mother who has no material need for a handful of dandelions, God accepts those gifts because they came from the very heart of those widows. The gift itself, while not worth much in the grand scheme of human economics, is given with such great affection as to make it all the more precious in God’s sight than a treasure chest full of gold because as the old saying goes, “money can’t buy you love.” Let us give thanks this season that we serve a God who understands and appreciates the meaning of selfless love because He modeled it for us on the cross. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-64738041623268938862021-10-31T11:39:00.001-05:002021-11-10T11:40:03.288-06:00Homily Notes for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"> <!--[if !mso]>
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</xml><![endif]--><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Today’s readings all center around the great command that God gives to the Israelites through Moses, which is recounted today in the reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Deuteronomy</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">. This final book of the Torah is a collection of Moses’ great sermons near the end of his life where he recounts the great deeds God has done for His people and reiterates the Law and the 10 Commandments that came to them on Mount Sinai. The command that is given today is known in Judaism as the Great </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Shema</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">, which is the word in Hebrew meaning “to hear.” The </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Shema</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> has a very central place in theology and daily prayer practice of Jews to this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The actual words of the command are notoriously hard to translate into English because written Hebrew omits the verbs. The actual words in the command in the original text in Hebrew is only four words. This can be translated any number of ways. The traditional Jewish translation is “The Lord your God, the Lord is one.” The command can also be translated in various ways ranging from “The Lord your God is the only Lord” to “The Lord God is Lord alone.” Regardless of how one parses the words, there does seem to be a central emphasis on the unique oneness of God as well as the fact that God is Lord. This idea was so central that the Bible commanded Jews to recite this command at least twice a day in their morning and evening prayers and are also the last words that Jews are suppose to say as a prayer litany as they are physically dying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the gospel passage from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">today, Jesus is being tested by a scribe. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> uses a very unusual title in Greek for this Scribe that other Gospel writers never use with the Scribes. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">refers to him as a </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">grammateus, </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">which was a specific Roman governmental job of keeper of public documents. While this Scribe was also apparently a devout Jewish man, he also worked for the Romans as what we would now call a registrar of deeds. Jesus boldly proclaims that the greatest of all commandments that God ever gave to His people is the Great </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Shema</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> where you proclaim that God is your Lord and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Jesus goes on to say that if you are doing that and truly mean it, then it should be second nature that you love your neighbor as yourself because your neighbor is someone made in the likeness and image of that God you are professing to love with all your being. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Scribe is very taken with this answer because this is precisely the legal language that was incorporated into legal documents like wills, written oaths, and marriage contracts that would satisfy devout Jews who did not wish to invoke pagan deities in their legal transactions as was common Roman practice but also satisfied Roman law insofar as things sworn on oath like covenants had to invoke the help of the divine in keeping the contract. This is why Jesus responds that the Scribe is “not far from the Kingdom of God” because the Scribe is doing the will of God and helping his fellow men as a secular clerk in the Roman courts. Jesus is implying that you don’t have to be a rabbi or super holy person to do the will of God. You simply do the vocation God calls you to by loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. As Christians, we believe we accomplish this Great Commandment by hearing the words of Jesus and following Him as Lord and loving others as He chose to love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-43430464747508374172021-10-24T11:36:00.001-05:002021-11-10T11:38:29.160-06:0030th Sunday of Ordinary Time homily notes<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"> <!--[if !mso]>
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</xml><![endif]--><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An enigma is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as a mysterious person, event, or thing that </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">is difficult to understand or explain. The Bible readings today are full of themes and images that at first glance appear to be enigmatic. These readings, however, ultimately point to a greater theological truth about God. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the Old Testament reading, the Prophet Jeremiah was often an enigma that the people around him rarely understood. He often came off as gloomy and usually had messages that few people wanted to hear. God was constantly having Jeremiah preach repentance or face the dire consequences of Divine judgment. This was a message that made Jeremiah extremely unpopular. Jeremiah’s words today were preached in the immediate aftermath of God’s judgment that came in the form of military destruction at the hands of a hostile foreign army. Instead of gloating, however, Jeremiah almost inexplicably changes tones and offers beautifully pastoral words of comfort to captives in the form of a reminder that God is in control and will eventually restore the faithful remnant of His People to their rightful place of honor as His holy people. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Letter to the Hebrews</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> makes reference to one of the most unusual characters in the whole Bible. Melchizedek appears only briefly in </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Genesis </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">as Abraham is out wandering. Melchizedek appears to be some sort of king and priest who worships the same God. The Bible even specifically refers to him as “a priest of God Most High.” He offers hospitality to Abraham and gives him a blessing but then completely disappears from the Biblical narrative. Whom Melchizedek was and how God was working through him is a complete enigma. The writer of </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Hebrews</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> clearly says that Jesus was a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and as such was able to offer Himself as the living sacrifice on the cross to the glory of God the Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Gospel reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> offers yet another mysterious character in the person of Bartimaeus. The literal name itself is a combination of both an Aramaic and a Greek word. “Bar” in Aramaic means “son of” while Timaeus is a Greek word meaning “honorable person.” Timaeus was also a well known character in one of the Greek philosopher Plato’s dialogues. In that writing of Plato, that Timaeus character is discussing with Plato how the universe came into being and suggests that the first cause of creation must have been set into motion by a “father god.” So, it is not without literary irony that a Blind Bartimaeus, whose name means “Son of Honorable Person,” appears in </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">and points out what everyone with physical sight is missing: that Jesus has the power to bring light to his eyes because that is something only a creator god can do. Timaeus was a faceless, no-name person yet in spite of his blindness, he knows exactly who Jesus is: the Son of David, the promised one. By calling out and being healed by Jesus, Bartimaeus becomes an actual son of an honorable person as a child of the Most High God through His Son, Jesus. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All these readings today point to the mystery that Christ opens our eyes. By Christ’s sacrifice, we can put aside the distracting voices and sins that try to take us away from God’s message. Christ helps us put aside the selfish ideas that keep us from the Gospel. Christ makes us what we are created to be, gives us what we need, and makes us lights for the world for the glory of God the Father. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-4602471602286941172021-10-13T15:51:00.000-05:002021-10-13T15:51:03.892-05:0029th Sunday of Ordinary Time homily notes<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"> <!--[if !mso]>
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<![endif]--><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span>Servant Leadership became a popular business model in the corporate world some years ago. There are even renowned business schools that offer advanced degrees in the philosophy supposedly grounded in the concept that the goal of the leader is to serve. The modern concept seems to have originated with a secular essay by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970, but government officials and even some monarchs have fancied themselves as public servants for centuries. Christians going back to the 1st Century have long understood this idea because Jesus introduced the very concept of servant leadership to everyday human endeavor by His very words and actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>The problem with the secular philosophy of servant leadership is the fact that servants are often treated very poorly. While the idea sounds very good and selfless on the surface and might even make for great public relations slogans, very few people respond well when they actually get treated like servants. This idea is at the heart of what the Mass readings are speaking about today. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>All three readings today easily fit as readings for Lent because the image of Christ as the suffering servant who freely offers himself as a ransom for many is one of the central images of Christ’s passion that we hear during Holy Week. This image of Christ has roots in passages like today’s reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Isaiah, </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">which specifically has several chapters that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>speak directly about a suffering servant. This unnamed servant “gives his life as an offering for sin” so that “the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.” Christians from the very earliest centuries have always looked to these passages and immediately seen them as a direct foreshadowing of Jesus on the Cross. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>Christian ideals of a servant leader are grounded in the idea that Christ freely and willingly offered Himself. He was not forced to endure the cross nor did He passively accept it. The </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Letter to the Hebrews</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> today makes clear that Jesus actively offered Himself to perfectly fulfill both the role of high priest but also of sacrifice, as a perfect offering to God the Father, freely given on our behalf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>In today’s gospel from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">, Jesus has just finished giving a prophecy of this upcoming sacrifice of Himself on the cross. James and John blithely offer to share in the same power that Jesus has and become servant leaders without the vaguest idea of what true servant leadership and sacrifice truly means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus clearly lays out what true servant leadership in the Kingdom of God entails and grants James and John their wish, to the indignation of the other disciples there present. All the disciples will eventually learn that true Christian leadership is, in fact, not about gaining power but fully and freely embracing the same self sacrificial love that Jesus personified with His Passion on the Cross.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-49873666386054019092021-10-06T15:51:00.001-05:002021-10-13T15:52:08.637-05:0028th Sunday of Ordinary Time homily notes<p><!--[if !mso]>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span> </span></span>Presumption can often lead people into very dangerous or sticky situations. Humans have a capacity to convince ourselves that as long as we can do the bare minimums and master the basics, we have accumulated a sufficient amount of knowledge to be in control of all situations that can arise in a given context. Sadly, this sense of control is quite often illusory when serious problems arise. The Bible readings for Mass today remind us that this presumption of mastering the bare minimums is especially ineffective with it comes to love because love simply cannot operate effectively in that way. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>The Old Testament reading from the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Book of Wisdom </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">is speaking metaphorically about the love of Divine wisdom. The wisdom that God gives is something so precious that this book personifies it, much in the same way as Time is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>personified as an old man at New Year’s Eve parties or the statue of a blindfolded Lady Justice is found on a courthouse lawn. Divine Wisdom must be loved and accepted in its entirety because simply choosing the parts of God’s Wisdom that we like while rejecting all the parts we dislike is a recipe for folly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>The Reading from the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Letter to the Hebrews </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">likewise personifies the word of God as a two edged sword. Many people take this verse to mean solely the written Bible as the word of God. While the written Old Testament had certainly been compiled by this point, what would become the canon of the New Testament had not been fully written yet and was not fully agreed to by the whole Church for another few centuries. What this passage is referring to is not just the written word of God, but the living word of God made manifest in the person of Jesus. Christ was the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">logos</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">, the Word, that was made flesh and dwelt among us. We encounter Jesus’ love both in the Eucharist and in the written word, the Bible. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span> </span></span>In the Gospel reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark, </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">a young man runs up to Jesus, kneels before him, and truly wants to embrace the Divine wisdom that Jesus is offering. Jesus is so filled with compassion for the young man, the text says that Jesus looked at him and immediately loved him. The young man enthusiastically longs for eternal life and presumes that he has mastered all the basics of God’s commandments and so therefore is worthy to be given all of Christ’s Divine wisdom. Unfortunately, Christ quickly shows the young man that simply doing the bare minimum is not a path that leads to true love and wisdom because Christ tells him he lacks one thing: to give his wealth to the poor and come follow Jesus. The boy cannot at this point embrace this aspect of what God asks of him and goes away sad. The Gospel never tells us what becomes of the boy, but one early Church tradition says much later in life, the boy as an old man had a change of heart and finally did what Jesus asked in his youth and embraced the true meaning of embracing all of God’s wisdom, not just the parts he liked in his youth. Let us give thanks that God’s wisdom is always there for us to encounter in the person of Jesus, the Word made flesh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p> </p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-49570951915704598172021-09-29T15:52:00.002-05:002021-10-13T15:53:38.010-05:0027th Sunday of Ordinary Time homily notes<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"> <!--[if !mso]>
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span> </span></span>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. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In the reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Genesis</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">, 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. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;">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 also the name of all of humanity. The word Adam derives from the Hebrew word which means “earth” or “dirt” but is also related to another word which means “similar.” From this we get understandings that Adam was both similar to the earth from which he was created but was also made in the likeness and image of his Creator. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>These same creation themes play through the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Epistle to the Hebrews </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">because the unknown author is discussing the uniqueness of the person of Jesus. Because Jesus was both fully human and fully divine, He was both priest and victim. Only Jesus could have bridged the separation from the Divine that was created by the sin of Adam by virtue of being the perfect sacrifice of both a son of Adam and the Son of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>Likewise, Jesus in today’s Gospel reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Mark</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> is being questioned on what constitutes a lawful divorce. Instead of being dragged into legal maneuverings, Jesus clearly restates the Divine plan for marriage as it was intended to be in the Garden of Eden: that marriage creates new life. The new life is not just in the form of future children, but marriage is itself a new life of sorts for the married couple as well. They are no longer two individual people but an entirely new and living family unit that is unique and blessed by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 11pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>All of the readings today point in some way to the necessity of respecting human life because God created human life in His own image and gave humanity dignity from the beginning of time as part of His divine plan. Let us give thanks this Respect Life Sunday that God instilled humanity with such dignity that He allowed His only Son to become human for our sake. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-30155888360347485732021-09-22T15:54:00.001-05:002021-10-13T15:55:13.039-05:0026th Sunday of Ordinary Time homily notes<p><!--[if !mso]>
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span> </span></span>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>In the Old Testament reading from </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single;">Numbers</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">, 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 to act generously in ways we do not think are fair. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span> </span>In a similar but different vein, the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single;">Letter of James</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> was presumably written by the James who presided over the Church in Jerusalem that was chronically short on money to the extent that Saint Paul in the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single;">Book of the Acts of the Apostles</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> has to take up a special collection from other areas to help the Christians in Jerusalem with their financial difficulties. James is fairly direct in saying that those with means in the Church who fail to help their poorer brothers and sisters in Christ might find that their wealth is ultimately meaningless to the God who might take issue with their failure of generosity. <br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><span> </span>In the same way, Jesus is confronted by John in the </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single;">Gospel of Mark</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-armenian-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> about someone who was clearly not a disciple but was still casting out demons in Jesus’ name. John is clearly upset that such a person would do this without Jesus’ permission and blessing and wants Jesus to put a stop to such unsanctioned behavior. Jesus, however, responds in much the same way Moses does in the first reading by reminding John that God is at work in all cultures and peoples across time and space. We may not like it when someone does not fit our definition of a “good Catholic” but is doing things that benefit God’s mission on Earth. We always have to acknowledge that God may very much be at work in and through that outside person or community, even when we fail to comprehend that God might very well be working in ways we cannot yet understand. </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p>
<p> </p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-68397319760674307852021-09-02T10:54:00.001-05:002021-09-02T10:54:26.503-05:00I may return<p> 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. <br /><br />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. </p><p>I am no longer an Episcopal priest. I am not longer Anglican for that matter. I am no longer single. I feel I am no longer the ideological young man I once was. I look in the mirror and see a few white hairs in my beard (I have one of those now too.) This is not to say I am an old man or a crotchety geezer. I am likely at the half way point in my life, give or take. <br /><br />I finally came to accept the fact that I am now a middle aged man last Monday night. I am in a martial arts class that has had an influx of a lot of young students lately. The instructor, who is much older than I, made the comment during class that his black belt was starting to unravel and he might finally have to get a new one. He made the offhand comment that, "This belt is older than everyone else in here...other than Ryan over there." <br /><br />For the first time, I realized I was indeed the oldest student in the room. None of those kids were even alive when 9/11 happened. With the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle fresh on my mind, as it was happening in real time, I won't say I felt old. As my joints popped during warm up exercises, I certainly felt <i>older</i> after that comment. <br /><br />That's not a bad thing. I feel more secure now in who I am than ever I did when I started this blog. I read back to some of the earliest posts on this blog and I laugh. Things that seemed important then do not so much seem important now. Things I think important now would not have even occurred to me to consider then. </p><p>Perhaps I am wiser and bit more seasoned. Perhaps, I am as off the wall as I ever was. Whatever the case may be, I think it may be time to return. I am still undecided, but I think I am ready. </p><p>Cheers...</p><p>The Archer<br /></p>The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-44248688042606089982019-09-19T19:40:00.001-05:002019-09-19T19:40:33.095-05:00From the Office of Readings today<p dir="ltr">Second Reading <br>
St Augustine's sermon On Pastors <br>
Be a model for the faithful <br>
<br>
When the Lord had explained what these bad shepherds seek, he also said what they neglect. The defects of the sheep are widespread. There are a very few healthy, fat sheep – that is, those that are made strong by feeding on the truth, by God’s gift making good use of the pastures – but they are not safe from the bad shepherds. Those shepherds not only do not look after the sick, the weak, the wandering and the lost, but they do as much harm as they can to the strong and sleek among the flock. Those sheep survive – by the mercy of God they survive – but the bad shepherds do what they can to kill them. <br>
You may ask how they do this. By living badly, by setting a bad example. There was a reason why the servants of God, eminent among shepherds, were told In everything you do make yourself an example to them of working for good, and Be a model for the faithful. Often even a strong sheep, seeing its leader living a wicked life, will turn from contemplation of the laws of the Lord to the behaviour of the man and say to itself, “if my leader lives thus, who am I that I should do things differently?” In that way the shepherd is killing the strong sheep: and if the strong, then what of the rest? Even if their strength did not come from his care – even if they were strong and healthy before he saw them – still he is killing him by his evil life. <br>
I say this to your loving kindness, I say it again: even if the sheep are living strong in the word of the Lord, even if they follow what their Lord has told them: Do what they say; but what they do, do not do yourselves, whoever lives wickedly in the sight of the people is a murderer in so far as he is able. Let him not flatter himself that his victim is not dead. The victim is not dead but the man is still a murderer. When a man lusts after a woman then even if she remains chaste he is still an adulterer. The Lord’s judgement is clear and true: If a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. He has not come to her in his bedroom but in the interior bedroom of his heart he is already in the throes of passion with her. <br>
And so it is that anyone who lives wickedly in the sight of those over whom he has authority is killing them, even the strong ones, as far as he is able. Whoever imitates him dies and whoever does not imitate him lives, but as far as he himself is concerned he is killing them all. As the Lord says, You are killing the fattest sheep but you do not feed my flock. <br>
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The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-44937052645811605712019-08-18T08:53:00.001-05:002019-08-18T08:53:32.560-05:00Why are we salt?<p dir="ltr"> From the Office of Readings today. Why are we salt? <br>
________ <br>
<br>
Second Reading <br>
From a homily on Matthew by St John Chrysostom, bishop <br>
Salt of the earth and light of the world <br>
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You are the salt of the earth. It is not for your own sake, he says, but for the world’s sake that the word is entrusted to you. I am not sending you only into two cities only or ten to twenty, not to a single nation, as I sent the prophets of old, but across land and sea, to the whole world. And that world is in a miserable state. For when he says: You are the salt of the earth, he is indicating that all mankind had lost its savour and had been corrupted by sin. Therefore, he requires of these men those virtues which are especially useful and even necessary if they are to bear the burdens of many. For the man who is kindly, modest, merciful and just will not keep his good works to himself but will see to it that these admirable fountains send out their streams for the good of others. Again, the man who is clean of heart, a peacemaker and ardent for truth will order his life so as to contribute to the common good. <br>
Do not think, he says, that you are destined for easy struggles or unimportant tasks. You are the salt of the earth. What do these words imply? Did the disciples restore what had already turned rotten? Not at all. Salt cannot help what is already corrupted. That is not what they did. But what had first been renewed and freed from corruption and then turned over to them, they salted and preserved in the newness the Lord had bestowed. It took the power of Christ to free men from the corruption caused by sin; it was the task of the apostles through strenuous labour to keep that corruption from returning. <br>
Have you noticed how, bit by bit, Christ shows them to be superior to the prophets? He says they are to be teachers not simply for Palestine but for the whole world. Do not be surprised, then, he says, that I address you apart from the others and involve you in such a dangerous enterprise. Consider the numerous and extensive cities, peoples and nations I will be sending you to govern. For this reason I would have you make others prudent, as well as being prudent yourselves. For unless you can do that, you will not be able to sustain even yourselves. <br>
If others lose their savour, then your ministry will help them regain it. But if you yourselves suffer that loss, you will drag others down with you. Therefore, the greater the undertakings put into your hands, the more zealous you must be. For this reason he says: But if the salt becomes tasteless, how can its flavour be restored? It is good for nothing now, but to be thrown out and trampled by men’s feet. <br>
When they hear the words: When they curse you and persecute you and accuse you of every evil, They may be afraid to come forward. Therefore he says: “Unless you are prepared for that sort of thing, it is in vain that I have chosen you. Curses shall necessarily be your lot but they shall not harm you and will simply be a testimony to your constancy. If through fear, however, you fail to show the forcefulness your mission demands, your lot will be much worse, for all will speak evil of you and despise you. That is what being trampled by men’s feet means.” <br>
Then he passes on to a more exalted comparison: You are the light of the world. Once again, “of the world”: not of one nation or twenty cities, but of the whole world. The light he means is an intelligible light, far superior to the rays of the sun we see, just as the salt is a spiritual salt. First salt, then light, so that you may learn how profitable sharp words may be and how useful serious doctrine. Such teaching holds in check and prevents dissipation; it leads to virtue and sharpens the mind’s eye. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do men light a lamp and put it under a basket. Here again he is urging them to a careful manner of life and teaching them to be watchful, for they live under the eyes of all and have the whole world for the arena of their struggles. <br>
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The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8782597.post-1787130620270827772019-08-17T15:28:00.001-05:002019-08-17T15:28:41.122-05:00That moment when...<p dir="ltr">You get called out on social media by a Peer of the Realm over buffoonery in a Cathedral. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yeah, don't talk to me. I am bad and must go sit in a corner of the internet without my tea. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Oh, Lord Bishop, one more thing: Thomas Jefferson was right.</p>
The Archer of the Foresthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03075768526819990250noreply@blogger.com0