slave to the Handmaiden of the Lord
JMJ Far be it for me to comment on this particular text when so many great scholars, past and present have undertaken this task. The homily given at our church today by our deacon, who is a most devout man, "frankensteined" many of these commentaries, along with his own pious commentary and ruminations and was … Continue reading I Do. The Wedding at Cana.
JMJ To simply say: Yes. Coming to God, seeking holiness is not an act of will beyond surrendering our own will pinned under our fallen nature to God. We cannot by our own strength lift the boulder that presses us into the mud. We can only cry out from the miry clay: Help! Rescue me, … Continue reading Let It Be
JMJ To have read the Gospel of Jesus and to ask: How can I live the life Jesus taught in the modern world? It is a question asked by cowards. It is a question asked by me. The first problem is the "I". Is not this the essence of the question? Here is another question: … Continue reading The Unbearable Violence of Me-ing
JMJ When did man lose his heart? When did we forget how to cry out from our hearts? When did we fail in our courage? --a quick definitive aside: From the online entomology dictionary courage (n.) c. 1300, corage, "heart (as the seat of emotions)," hence "spirit, temperament, state or frame of mind," from Old … Continue reading Take Heart! Getting to the Heart of the Matter
JMJ Pluck Out Thine Own Eye is a Meaningless Statement to the Blind Perhaps the greatest obstacle to becoming a saint is complete honesty. What is honesty? It is more than telling the truth and being equitable in one's personal and business dealings. Honesty is not something one does, rather is something one is. In … Continue reading A Voice Calling Out in the Parking Lot
JMJ Thanksgiving: A Day of Gratitude Thanksgiving is traditionally a day of counting one's blessings. It is a day set aside to thank God for his generosity. It is not a day of football, feasting, and family. Thanksgiving is a day of thanking God. Thanking God. Thanking God. We do this with feasting, family, tradition, … Continue reading Black Friday: The Devil’s Thanksgiving
JMJ This is a letter I wrote recently to a younger me who thought he knew everything. I write to you who thinks himself wiser than the ancients. I write to you who believes his understanding greater and deeper than the fathers of a thousand generations. I write to you who are wiser than the … Continue reading Science and the Enlightenment
JMJ Before I am misunderstood let me say this: Do Not Sin. To sin is never the objective of any Christian, yet, if you would be closer to God become a sinner. In other words, begin by realizing what is the condition of each and every person. Once we realize ourselves as sinners, we can … Continue reading If You Want to get Closer to God Become A Sinner
JMJ Jesus said: If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better to enter the Kingdom blind than to be cast into the everlasting flame where there is much weeping and gnashing of teeth. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and … Continue reading Hyperbole? Methinks Not
JMJ Do we believe in eternal life with God? Do we believe in Hell? We can narrow this question down to: do we believe in God? Yes? or No? Not "yes, but with caveats", or "no" as a sort of maybe. The Cosmic Battle If … Continue reading Taking a Bite of the Big Apple
For Lourdes Sake 