The disciples accept Jesus as the Messiah, but they still don’t have a clue about what that really means. Jesus wants to take them up to the next level, to have them fully understand what it means to follow him. He tells them that to be a Christian means to serve, not to lord it over people.
We take time to be in relationship with one another. We also need time to be in relation with all of creation, so that we
How do you stay engaged when troubles come, when the answer isn’t the one you wanted? It may be that it’s that beautiful liturgy. But, it might also be a nagging question that you’d like to bring out into the open. It might be joy, or creativity, or weeping, or anger, or sadness. These are all ways that we stay engaged. And whatever it may be for you, it’s a step up from walking away.
We Christians claim to be followers of Christ. We’d put him on our FB friends list in a heartbeat, but what would our words and likes tell him about us? What would it tell our other Facebook friends?
There are many different ways to be blind even when you can officially “see.” We can be blind to that which we do not know. We can be blinded by pride, and not see things about ourselves. We can be blinded by fear, and close our eyes to truths that are too painful to confront. In each case, this blindness can cause us keep stumbling over the same issue over and over again.
The most controversial proposal floated so far at the high-level, high-stakes Vatican summit on church teachings on the family had nothing to do with gays or divorce, but instead ordaining women — not as priests, but as deacons.
Canon Johnson would also like to set up seed banks, to ensure that poor smallholder farmers will have seed to plant when the rains come in December. Farmers harvested so little last year that they have no seed left to sow and no income to buy seed, let alone improved (drought resistant)
We were front row — just being that close and hearing him would have been enough. Being able to shake his hand and tell him about a ministry we do for the poor and to share that small pin with him was a great gift to me.
In our loneliest, most defeated and most drained unworthiness, if we stretch out our finger and touch the fringes of the Holy, we will find our place again. We will find the life-giving bond with God that belongs to no one else but us.
A part of me mourns the loss of my childhood intimacy with both libraries and churches. It was wonderful being surrounded by people who believed in my potential and who actively encouraged me to become who I am today.