Hello! Welcome to my page where you can find my thoughts on theology, politics, and incoherent musings on monetary policy. Enjoy and God bless you!
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The Eucharist is something we as Catholics often take for granted. The Eucharist is something that is difficult to accept. How can ordinary bread and wine really be transformed into the body and blood of a man who lived 2,000 years ago? Why do we do this week after week? What’s the point?
The Wedding at Canamay be an unlikely place to begin our meditation on the Eucharist, but the story is important in showing us the nature of Jesus’ mission on earth. The story speaks of there being six ceremonial water jugs so that the people could perform their ceremonial washings. In Scripture, the number six is always a number of imperfection, or in this case, being incomplete (7 is the number of perfection, and 6 is short of 7). As a whole, the Gospel writer is saying that the Old Law is incomplete and lacking. Jesus orders the jugs filled and they are miraculously changed into wine. The wine is referring to the abundance of life we have in God. The important thing here is that Jesus is fulfilling the Old Law (filling the ceremonial wash jugs) and is going to give us a New Covenant (represented by the wine), replacing one reality with a greater reality.
"This new Alabama law makes it illegal for a Catholic priest to baptize, hear the confession of, celebrate the anointing of the sick with, or preach the word of God to, an undocumented immigrant. Nor can we encourage them to attend Mass or give them a ride to Mass. It is illegal to allow them to attend adult scripture study groups, or attend CCD or Sunday school classes. It is illegal for the clergy to counsel them in times of difficulty or in preparation for marriage. It is illegal for them to come to Alcoholic Anonymous meetings or other recovery groups at our churches. The law prohibits almost every activity of our St. Vincent de Paul chapters or Catholic Social Services. If it involves an undocumented immigrant, it is illegal to give the disabled person a ride to the doctor; give food or clothing or financial assistance in an emergency; allow them to shop at our thrift stores or to learn English; it is illegal to counsel a mother who has a problem pregnancy, or to help her with baby food or diapers, thus making it far more likely that she will choose abortion. This law attacks our very understanding of what it means to be a Christian."
I’d like to go to a Mass in Africa in my lifetime. Our parish has a monthly African Mass (mainly Nigerians) and I can hear them singing from a long way haha, it always sounds like a blast.
Great interview with the author of a new book that looks at the Jewish influences of the Eucharist. How Jesus fulfilled the writings of the Old Testament by being the new manna and new creation of the world.
Christians formed human chains to protect Muslims performing their prayers last Friday. Muslims have returned the favor. Isn’t this just beautiful? When the people are united in righteousness only love and beauty breaks forth.
All life is sustained by communion with a higher life. If the plants could speak they would say to the moisture and sunlight, “Unless you enter into communion with me, become possessed of my higher laws and powers, you shall not have life in you.”
If the animals could speak, they would say to the plants: “Unless you enter into communion with me, you shall not have my higher life in you.” We say to all lower creation: “Unless you enter into communion with me, you shall not share in my human life.”
Why then should not our Lord say to us: “Unless you enter into communion with Me, you shall not have life in you”? The lower is transformed into the higher, plants into animals, animals into man, and man, in a more exalted way, becomes “divinized,” if I may use that expression, through and through by the life of Christ.
