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Sand Writing

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no
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Fly Like Eagles

Homily based on John 12:20-33 A great deal is packaged into this long section of the Gospel according to John.  What jumps off the page for me is Jesus telling us: Now the ruler of this world will be driven out.   Really? Who is this ruler? John tells us it’s Satan – our image of darkness and evil. Satan does very well in the darkness of our hearts and minds.   Many of us fight the darkness competing against the light within us. We have to work very hard to drive out this ruler – to strip evil of its power over us because our opponent the devil prowls around in the darkness like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. And we are on the menu. Satan and his minions – mythical, legendary, and real-life – can take control of us when we give in to temptation. That’s why our Gospel reading from John that left out the rest of Chapter 12 shortchanges us. It brings us up short of a very important conversation between Jesus and the crowd. It reads: Jesus said to them, “Walk while you have

Homo Stupidus

I knew their plot because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings. Yet I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me: "Let us destroy the tree in its vigor; let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will be spoken no more." But, you, O LORD of hosts, O just Judge, searcher of mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause! (Jeremiah 11:18-20) We all should watch out for those who would speak against us out in the open or behind closed doors.  We should not be naive trusting lambs led to slaughter by lies and innuendo and social media rumors and direct assaults on our integrity and moral character.  There are those who take pot shots at us hoping to nail us to some cross of their making.  Such is human nature and our species’ collective failing, or fall. Now, here is an unreasonable and foolish request some of us might

Choose Wisely

The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright: "Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD. To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways.  He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father. Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience.  Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words,

Stiff Necks

The LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once to your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, 'This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!' The LORD said to Moses, "I see how stiff-necked this people is. Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation." But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, "Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent he brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains and exterminate them from the face of the earth'? Let your blazing wrath die down; relent in punishing your people

IVF Morality

What follows is an interesting and useful conversation/interview about in-vitro fertilization (IVF). (begin) ABC News medical expert clashes with 'View' host about miscarriages: 'Definitely not a baby' at two months: Sunny Hostin challenged guest: 'Some women feel' they're already carrying a baby when pregnant – by Gabriel Hays Fox News March 1, 2024 "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin sparred with ABC News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton over whether women miscarry babies or mere clumps of cells. Disputing the court’s ruling during the episode of the daytime talk show, Ashton described the embryo transferred to the mother’s uterus during IVF as a "ball of about 200 cells," adamant that it’s not yet a baby.

God's Location

What follows was a reflection for the Third Sunday of Lent by Terrance Klein.  The Rev. Terrance W. Klein is a priest of the Diocese of Dodge City and author of Vanity Faith. When my grandchildren ask me to tell them where God is located, I will find this perspective useful.  You might feel the same way. (begin) A group of kindergarten and first-grade students came running toward me and my two chihuahuas, Coco and Lilly. The other children wanted to see the dogs, who were quite grateful to be separated from the kids by a fence. Blair, however, wanted to speak with me.