Monthly Archives: September 2012

The Holy Gospel: September 30, 2012 (Year B)

Posted on September 29, 2012 by

Read:  Mark 9:38-50 Meditation: “The Paradox of Generosity” Today’s lesson seems to go from one extreme to another—from leniency with those who are not “inside the circle” of apostolic fellowship, to severity with respect to self-discipline.  The first part of … Continue reading →

Posted in The Holy Gospel

Benedict’s Rule: Transforming Dispositions (3)

Posted on September 28, 2012 by

The third transforming disposition is obedience.  As de Waal points out, it is related to the disposition of listening.  But it is an active listening—that is, listening with the intention of enacting what is heard. If you’ve followed Oboedire for … Continue reading →

Posted in Benedict's Rule

Ministry Musings: Micro Discernment

Posted on September 27, 2012 by

Last week we explored macro discernment—that is, the discovery of our life’s purpose and our dedication to it.  But even when we have a sense of our calling, there are innumerable little discernments (decisions) which we must make.  I call … Continue reading →

Posted in Ministry Musings | 1 Comment

Shepherd’s Care: The Call and Humanity

Posted on September 26, 2012 by

Our exploration of personal and congregational values is one way of showing that God uses our humanity to communicate His call upon our lives.  As Parker Palmer has put it, God takes our lives seriously; so must we. Every aspect … Continue reading →

Posted in Shepherd's Care

Gleanings: The Grand Reversal

Posted on September 25, 2012 by

Richard Rohr’s daily e-letter has a powerful writing on mystical love, showing how it is a grand reversal of our tendency to think about the God-human relationship… Ordinary Christianity has emphasized that we should love God. This makes sense, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Gleanings

Desert Wisdom: Weariness

Posted on September 25, 2012 by

I am so glad that Bunge included this section in his book.  He rightly shows that even the most-devoted people of prayer undergo periods of profound weariness.  He writes, “Nevertheless, as with any art, from time to time there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Desert Wisdom | 1 Comment

In-Sight: A Call to Prayer

Posted on September 24, 2012 by

Within the last 24 hours, I have found myself “sacked” (football term) between two huge facts: the superficiality and sensuality of the Emmy Awards on one side, and on the other the National Catholic Reporter’s article indicating that deaths from … Continue reading →

Posted in In-Sight | 2 Comments