The Arrow's Path

            "* Are biblical accounts of the resurrection of Jesus accurate? Did this happen? "* Is salvation found through Jesus, alone? Was Jesus being literal when he said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." "* Is sex outside of marriage a sin?"         -Original source article can be found here .  Yesterday, I began the first in a short series on reporter Terry Mattingly's "tMatt Trio" of questions that he often used when reporting on religious stories when he was trying to uncover and accurately report on denominational conflict or general religion stories involving Christian bodies. You can read my first reflection here .   Looking today at his second question is also an interesting interrogative: Is salvation through Jesus, alone? In most talks I have heard of him discussing this, he simply leaves it at that. The second part of the question tha...

 "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was, and never will be." -Thomas Jefferson

A few years ago, the religion columnist and reporter Terry Mattingly shared three questions that he has used over the years to help him get the scoop on and then report on any Christian tradition or denomination in a fair and objective way. When I first heard him talking about these questions, which he jokingly always refers to as the "tMatt trio" or "tMatt 3", I thought that surely that was too simplistic. I have found, however, over the years of watching the American press lose the ability to even attempt any semblance of objective reporting particularly on religious issues, the more I have come to understand the sheer brilliant simplicity of these questions to ask to help you get your mind around what is going on in other denominations or Christian ecclesial bodies. To quote Terry Mattingly directly, the questions are (source link below):   "* Are biblical accounts of the resurrection of Jesus accurate? Did this happen? "* Is salvation found through Je...

    The image of crossing over to the other side is a powerful and symbolic concept that is reflected in today’s readings from the Bible. These passages from this coming Sunday (12th Sunday of Ordinary Time) invite us to reflect on the journey of faith, the challenges we face along the way, and the transformative power of encountering God in the midst of the storms of life.     In the Book of Job (38:1, 8-11), we witness God's response to Job's questioning and suffering. God speaks to Job out of the storm, reminding him of His power and sovereignty over creation. The imagery of the sea and the boundaries set for it highlight God's control over the forces of nature. This passage reminds us that God is the one who guides us as we cross over to the other side, navigating the uncertainties and challenges of life. It calls us to trust in His wisdom and providence, even when we cannot see the way forward.      In his Second Letter to the Corinthians...

      In lieu of the regular readings for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time, today our parish celebrates the anniversary of the dedication of St. M---- Church. Today’s readings provide a meaningful foundation for reflection on the anniversary of our parish    community. These passages invite us to consider the significance of our community, our role as living stones in God's spiritual house, and the transformative power of encountering Christ.      Isaiah (56:1, 6-7) speaks of the welcoming nature of God's house. The passage emphasizes that God's salvation is not limited to a specific group but is extended to all who seek Him. This passage reminds us that St. M----'s parish is a place where all are invited to encounter God's love and grace and calls us to foster a spirit of hospitality within our community, recognizing that our unity lies in our shared faith in Christ.      In the second reading from 1st Peter (2:4-9), ...

 

 This is precisely why the original US Constitution only had one Federal body/office that was directly elected by the masses:

                 On Sunday, we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, empowering them to proclaim boldly the Gospel and establish the Church. The readings from Acts, Corinthians, and John invite us to reflect on the       transformative power of the Holy Spirit, the unity and diversity within the body of Christ, and the gift of forgiveness and reconciliation.                 In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11, we witness the dramatic scene of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples gathered in the upper room. The Holy Spirit comes upon them like a mighty wind and appears as tongues of fire, filling them with the gifts of the Spirit. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit enables the disciples to speak in different languages, allo...

 

I heard today that Fr. John Hunwicke, a priest from Oxford, UK, died after a battle with cancer. I had the privilege of hearing him preach once when I was living in England. He was a marvelous story teller. This is footage from a homily of his some 10 years ago.

"You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it." -Charles Buxton I have not the foggiest idea what Charles Buxton this quote is referring to. I found the quote in a poorly referenced book. There were several of that name in history. One of a beer brewer and entrepreneur. Another, whom I am inclined to believe is the Buxton quoted above, was a radical off-again, on-again Member of British Parliament in the early 20th century from World War I to the late 1930s. He would win his seat for a while then lose his seat and win it back again several times. This Charles Buxton was a bit of a radical. For a while, member of the Liberal Party and later the Labour Party. He opposed both World Wars. In fact, he was one of the few voices in Parliament with the moral courage to advocate for a negotiated settlement with Germany that allowed everyone to save a little face while stopping the mass killings and not continue fighting to the bitter end so as to get an un...

 "Who can grasp the Lord’s meaning in his creation and beyond it? Who can tie up with a short string the unbounded bouquet of wisdom? Who can tame the jungle of his incomprehensibility? See how man’s spirit and whole being lies, like the bowl of an impetuous fountain, under the downpour of so many mysteries. Let it gush! By letting it gush you will grasp what you can, and what you can is to be a bowl for the flood. Open up heart and brain and do not attempt to clutch tightly. By being washed out you will become purified. The strange thing that flows through you is precisely the meaning you seek. … Everything must enter this current, like icefloes that crack open under the sun with a roar and lose their own shape and roll out to the sea in a mighty tumble. But this movement is produced by the heartbeat at the Center, and what appeared to be a chaotic impulse is the blood circulating in the Body of the cosmic Christ. This is the body in which you are to flow, letting y...

Someone on a Facebook group I admin for passed this along for discussion in the group. My response follows:  "Protestant Friend: We are all born sinners but baptism does not cleanse sin, it’s the next step of obedience from repentance and belief. The age of accountability differs between each child, there’s no set age, it’s just when they can say they believe in the gospel (Mark 16:16) The Baptist church is not Protestant because we never protested the Catholic Church, everything we believe comes out of the Bible which is why scripture needs to back up everything. Being saved is by grace through faith and not of works, it’s not something we have to earn or work for, it’s a gift given by God. There’s no Limbo There’s no purgatory And of course we worship the saints and Mary." My general response: Firstly, just a general reminder that we need to operate in charity. Even with what seems to be very close-minded people who are saying things that are factually untrue, we still h...

 

 An assistant priest at my parish wrote this very amazing piece about the death of his nephew that he got to baptize before he died. It is worth a read. It was basically the homily he preached for Good Friday this year.

 

 Father, look with love upon your people, the love which our Lord Jesus Christ showed us when he delivered himself to evil men and suffered the agony of the cross, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. -Closing prayer from the Office of Morning Prayer, Catholic Breviary. 

I have discovered in the last year that I love board games. I had to largely give up video games because I have been getting occasional migraines, and sometimes starting at flashing computers screens can trigger them. When I say board games, I do not the moldy oldies that everyone has played (and probably hates) like Monopoly or Clue , but a lot of the new wave of games that have been published in the last 10 years that are amazing. Many even come with Solo player modes now where you can play by yourself. There are some really amazing ones out there like Terraforming Mars and Spirit Island . I discovered a really fun one last week. It's cheap and small called Beaver Creek . It is a bit hard to find, but you can find it as of this writing on gaming sites like boardgamebliss.com or the Jungle River (I don't advocate buying from the 'Zon, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do to find some items.) This game is sort of a combination of Jenga and Pick Up Sticks . Y...

    The significance of the palms in the reading from Mark’s Gospel (11:1-10) that we heard at the beginning of Mass is not merely symbolic. The palms carry profound spiritual meaning for us as followers of Christ. Palms were a symbol of victory and triumph in ancient times, often waved to honor heroes and conquerors. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah, the crowds recognized Him as their victorious King, the one who would deliver them from oppression and usher in the Kingdom of God.     The palms, however, not only represent victory but also humility. Jesus, the Son of God, chose to enter Jerusalem not on a    magnificent steed befitting a worldly king, but on a humble donkey, embodying the humility and meekness that characterize His kingdom. His choice of transportation was a deliberate proclamation of His mission: to bring salvation not through earthly power and might, but through sacrificial love and hu...