Tenebrae
The mute lamb /
Bleeds-gives-gives /
For each breathing body
-
-
The Necessary Mess of Community Building
It was gorgeous, warm Spring weather here last Saturday and my restless body was ready to soak in the sun, to explore the woods and search for opening buds. Yet, I sat inside a stuffy dining room at a community meeting most of the day to prepare for our upcoming assembly (a significant meeting for…
-
Feeling my way into fasting
Fasting is a pillar of Lent whose challenge I’ve long avoided. It is mid-January and I’m crossing through a busy, crowded airport. With my duffle bag hanging on my shoulder, I sweep my white cane side to side and walk with a wheelchair attendant who pulls my suitcase. As we cross through the terminals, he…
-
Sent by ash
we join Love in the desert,
disoriented, dizzy. we thirst
as we wander rending -
The power of love in the face of evil
Since the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents on the streets of Minneapolis, I have found myself in some grim conversations with people I care deeply about. Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny themself, take up their cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save their…
-
2 Prayers for this season
Emmanuel,The choirs sing peace on earth while the festive crowds feast and dump waste into bins. Meanwhile migrants are offeredthe opposite of welcome, The planet needs healing, Violence and conflict rage and Many people are without the basics:Food, shelter, water, warmth, love.Forgive us for how we have wandered Far from the meaning of your glorious Incarnation, from the simplicity and purityof your love…
-
The waiting soul gives: hope-filled resistance to tyranny
Note from the editor: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Messy Jesus Business podcast and blog schedule have been switched around this month. Check back the next two weeks for our final podcast episodes, with many more blog posts to follow! Modern Christians often fail to discuss that the Christian Church was established during a time…
-
The holy urgency of hospitality
Recently I spent several weeks out of town, as a guest in the home of some of my friends. A family member had a major surgery and it was a privilege to be present during the recovery. I decided to walk to the local Catholic Church and attend daily mass – nothing too unordinary for…
-
Courageous countercultural choices inspired by St. Francis
This weekend, throughout the world, Franciscans will gather to celebrate the feast of our founder, St. Francis of Assisi. On Friday evening we’ll pray in holy spaces and remember his Transitus, his holy death. On Saturday we’ll gather for Holy Mass and celebrate his whole life, and the influence that he has had and continues…
-
Resources for Resistance
In this part of the world it’s back to school season, a time to take inventory of supplies, arrange schedules, and restart routines. Although I’m not a teacher nor student right now, my work in vocation ministry has also put me in planning mode and I feel the crunch of time ticking away, eating up…
-
The signs of these times
You know how to judge the appearance of the sky,but you cannot judge the signs of the times.–Matthew 16:3 The smog is thick, the water murkyEach day moods are shifty Now we wonder if clarity is mythIs consistency a scam Strategic plans fell out of fashion Chaos creeps like cancer Maybe the era of fairnessAged out…
-
When fear grips the wealthy and the poor are brave
Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.Sell your belongings and give alms.Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,an inexhaustible treasure in heaventhat no thief can reach nor moth destroy.For where your treasure is, there also will your heart…
