The Arrow's Path

 

     I had the privilege this last week to visit the Holy Land for the second time on pilgrimage. It included Israel/Palestine and Jordan. I include Jordan as part of the "Holy Land" because there are several places like Mount Nebo that are mentioned in the Bible. The capital, Amman, is named after the Amonites in the Bible. So, Jordan self identifies as part of the Holy Land, and rightly so.     I had been once before about 12 years ago. I was with a group of other Protestant pastors in that group back in my Anglican days. My pastor got talked into being a chaplain for a tour with a travel company in Omaha that is primarily Palestinian Christian. We have been planning it for over three years. We were supposed to go last January, but it got kicked off for a year at the last might in due to the break out of the Gaza War. So, we ended up going in January 2025 and not January 2024.     It was mostly people from my parish, though a few people who...

This is the mountain where Moses got to see the Promised Land but struck the rock twice and was not allowed to go into the Promised Land. It is in current day Jordan.

       The Presentation of the Lord, celebrated on February 2nd, commemorates the event described in Luke 2:22-40, where Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, in accordance with Jewish law. This event holds deep theological significance and is rich with historical context, as illuminated by today’s Mass readings.         Malachi 3:1-4 serves as a prophetic backdrop for the Presentation of the Lord. The passage speaks of the coming of the Lord to His Temple: “The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His Temple” (Malachi 3:1, NRSV). This anticipation of the Lord’s arrival is fulfilled in the person of Jesus, who is presented in the Temple as a child. Malachi’s prophecy emphasizes the dual role of Jesus as both the messenger and the one who purifies. The imagery of the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s soap suggests a transformative presence that cleanses and renews. In the context ...

 

 I had a question posed about the Eucharist as follows: Question: if the Catholic teaching is that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ - the transfiguration into true flesh and blood - then what happened with the bread and wine that he broke with his apostles BEFORE his death? Was it also true flesh and blood? Seems strange that it would be, since he hadn’t been sacrificed yet, but if it wasn’t, then it would mean that the quintessential last supper that set the standard in every other way regarding the Eucharist didn’t share the one most important aspect of it. Just curious, thanks! My response: Hmmm, I am not quite following your logic here. It would seem, and correct me if I am wrong, that you are saying it can't be a sacrifice if He has not yet been sacrificed? I am understanding you correctly? Because there is the side issue, which you seem to posit as the primary issue, of whether it is the body and blood of Christ. It would seem to me...

     During these two weeks this bulletin is covering, several people from this parish are embarking on a religious pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While not a requirement for Christians, the process of going on a some sort of journey that invites individuals to seek a deeper connection with God, community, and self has been a mainstay in Christian theology for centuries. Several of the readings for the 2nd and 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time speak to the theme of the renewal found in going spiritual journeys.      For the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary time, Isaiah 62:1-5 speaks to those about to return from a painful exile back to a land of promise. This fervent declaration reflects God’s unwavering commitment to His people and the hope of restoration. Pilgrimage, in this context, becomes a journey toward renewal and healing. As pilgrims, we embark on a quest not only to visit sacred sites but to engage in a transformative process that leads us closer to God. The imager...

 Congratulations to Mike Keith, the new radio voice of Tennessee football . I remember fondly listening to him broadcast Tennessee baseball games back in the 1990s on News Talk Radio 990 before he went to the Titans' broadcast booth, where I lost track of him because...it was literally the Titans, a team I never cared for.  

A while back, the Pope was poping again, which precipitated much ballyhooing by his detractors. While I find the Pope's penchant for "shooting from the hip" ill advised, particularly in the age of sound bytes, there is a method to his theology that a lot of people overlook. I did track down the Meme source, and it appears to be somewhat accurate in recounting what the Pope said. (The translation from Italian was a bit suspect, but for sake of argument, I will pretend he did say exactly this.) As such, I had the following question posed to me with the included meme: So I am very catholic curious, I would not say I am catholic as I still have a few hang ups, but I find a lot of Catholic teaching to resonate and be intriguing. That said, this has been a hangup for me for a while now. If I understand correctly, the Pope is divinely inspired when making Papal ordinances correct? So is this simply a greater demonstration as to the divine nature of ordinances and ecumenic...

       Why would Jesus have needed to be baptized? The Baptism of Jesus is a pivotal moment in the Gospel narrative, marking the beginning of His public ministry and the revelation of His identity as the Messiah. Todays readings give us insight into the significance of this event, highlighting Jesus’ divine mission, anointing, and the affirmation of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.            Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 presents the prophetic vision of the Servant of the Lord, who is chosen and upheld by God. “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him” (Isaiah 42:1, NRSV). This passage emphasizes the mission of the Servant to bring justice to the nations and to be a light to the Gentiles. The Baptism of Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy, as it marks the moment when the Spirit descends upon Him, affirming His role as the anointed one. In this light, the importance of Jesus...

 I am going to the Holy Land in a few weeks. If anyone has any prayer requests they would like me to stick into the Wailing Wall or have prayed over at various holy sites in Israel/Palestine, please let me know.

 This is a rather long but interesting article . 

This is the month, and this the happy morn, Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal King, Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born, Our great redemption from above did bring; For so the holy sages once did sing, That he our deadly forfeit should release, And with his Father work us a perpetual peace. That glorious Form, that Light unsufferable, And that far-beaming blaze of Majesty, Wherewith he wont at Heav'n's high council-table, To sit the midst of Trinal Unity, He laid aside, and here with us to be, Forsook the courts of everlasting day, And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. Say Heav'nly Muse, shall not thy sacred vein Afford a present to the Infant God? Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain, To welcome him to this his new abode, Now while the heav'n, by the Sun's team untrod, Hath took no print of the approaching light, ...

Happy Christmas to everyone who reads this blog. May you be blessed and thankful on this most blessed day of the year.  -The Archer

 Every year, I like to make a list of things to listen to on Christmas Eve (and beyond). Here are some of my favorites: 1938 Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with Orson Welles and Lionel Barrymore Radio version of Dragnet " The Big Little Jesus " (which is better than the later TV version) The Great Gildersleeve Christmas Special 1953 Sgt Preston and the Challenge of the Yukon " Man in the Red Coat " Lux Radio Theater " It's a Wonderful Life " and " Miracle on 34th Street " The Shadow " Joey's Christmas Story " And for those who want something spooky on Christmas Eve: Suspense! " Out for Christmas " with Peter Lorre

 

 Dr. Malcolm Guite has an excellent reflection on the first of the Advent "O" Antiphons.

  I received a question in a Facebook group I administrate that was a very heartfelt question. It was a very personal matter, so we as the Admins thought it best to respond. To protect this person’s anonymity (the group has several 1000 members), I am going to slighty redact the question and post it with this person’s pictures of her Day by Day Scripture Calendar. My answer will be in the comments: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The question that was posted: Help. I need some guidance as I am a child of adultery. I feel like I will never be accepted by God. Bible in a Year Day 304 The Wisdom of Solomon Chapter Three and Four says This: _______________________________________________________________ My response is this: First of all, let’s put this passage into perspective in a couple of ways. The Wisdom of Solomon was written in Greek by someone who had for various reasons left the Holy Land and was living in Alexandria, Egypt. Ther...

 

I was listening to a podcast the other day on HistoryHit about Christmas at the court of Henry VIII. It was jolly interesting, as most of Dan Snow's history presentations are. Henry VIII was such a larger than life king who had a profound impact on the history of the world. His dissolution of the monasteries was truly a great crime against Christianity in England, but regardless of what one thinks of him and his policies, one cannot argue his fingerprints that are still in evidence on the world (particularly England) to this very day. While I did not quite agree with all the points this historian made, particularly about the so called pagan origins of Christmas (which I think is a bunch of ahistorical tommy rot that has virtually no primary evidence to back it up), the historian did know her stuff about what went on in the Christmas court of Henry VIII. He would spend millions of British pounds on Christmas court celebrations every year. One year in particular the historian noted ...