The King's Corner

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him . (Matthew 4:18-22) I’ve always liked our Gospel reading from Matthew about casting nets into the sea and Jesus saying to Simon and Andrew: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Living on Cape Cod we all appreciate fishing nets and fishermen catching seafood on which we love to dine.  Theirs is a difficult life made even more complicated by often difficult-to-understand rules and regulations affecting their livelihoods.

Jesus said to the crowd: "They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony.  Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives." (Luke 21:12-19) The authorities didn’t like Jesus.  They feared his attack on Jewish purity rules and his opposition to Roman rule and oppression.  Jewish leaders and lackeys to their Roman overlords knew he was trouble and threatened their positions of power.  He and his growing number of followers had to be stopped. They we

  The biblical story of Adam and Eve is intriguing.  It always has fascinated me and has made me cringe when I’m told to believe in the talking snake and the forbidden fruit hanging in the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Our Church has accepted this story as real and as an essential truth of our faith.   Most of us don’t give Adam much critical thought meaning how was it that he suddenly appeared in the garden as a full-gown man with a belly button indicating he had an umbilical cord attaching him to his mother.  But he had no mother; perhaps he lacked the button?  Now that’s religious fiction as well as Eve originating from one of his ribs.  Now that’s a reproductive role reversal! The garden of Eden and all associated with it is a beautiful religious myth with great spiritual meaning, but find that acknowledgement in our Catechism. We won’t.  Therein lies a problem for well-informed children who won’t swallow fiction as fact.  Children and young adults tend to walk away from Chu

  Food for thought for those of us who believe being Catholic is the only way for salvation.  Now that's a tricky subject. Deacon David Pierce

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep and doesn’t know where to find them. Leave them alone and they’ll come home, bringing their tails behind them. Little Bo Peep fell fast asleep and dreamt she heard them bleating. But when she awoke, she found it a joke, for they were all still fleeting. Then up she took her little crook determined for to find them. She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed, for they left their tails behind them. It happened one day, as Bo peep did stray into a meadow hard by. There she espied their tails side by side all hung on a tree to dry. She heaved a sigh, and wiped her eye, and over the hillocks went rambling. And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should. (end) Seems a bit gruesome, those cut off tails hung on a tree to dry.  In contrast, Jesus, our shepherd, was hung on a tree to “dry” in the sun.  His heart bled for us. Bo Peep’s sheep strayed and suffered the loss of their tails because she fell asleep.  Today’s reading reminds us we are surrou

As King Antiochus was traversing the inland provinces, he heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais, famous for its wealth in silver and gold, and that its temple was very rich, containing gold helmets, breastplates, and weapons left there by Alexander, son of Philip, king of Macedon, the first king of the Greeks. He went therefore and tried to capture and pillage the city. But he could not do so, because his plan became known to the people of the city who rose up in battle against him. So he retreated and in great dismay withdrew from there to return to Babylon. While he was in Persia, a messenger brought him news that the armies sent into the land of Judah had been put to flight; that Lysias had gone at first with a strong army and been driven back by the children of Israel; that they had grown strong by reason of the arms, men, and abundant possessions taken from the armies they had destroyed; that they had pulled down the Abomination which he had built upon the altar in

  Another AI blog.  Why again?  "Monsters of war" is not far from the truth.  Now drones are commonly used to kill and destroy from afar and distant from those who suffer the consequences.  War becomes easier and more acceptable.  AI weapons are not some future dream, or nightmare.  They are here now and increasing in complexity and effectiveness. Our Church's definition of a "just war" shall come into question, again. Of note, Pope Francis said in 2022, “We can no longer think of war as a solution, because its risks will probably always be greater than its supposed benefits. In view of this, it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a 'just war. ' Never again war!” 

As a follow-up to yesterday's blog, I provide the complete Boston Globe article about fake nudes and the damage they cause, especially to young girls.  AI not at its best to be sure.  We should never underestimate the depths to which scoundrels and demons will stoop.  This shameful and destructive behavior is the tip of the iceberg for those who prefer evil to good.  This Pope-In-A-Coat is benign. (begin) AI fake nudes are booming. It’s ruining real teens’ lives. by Pranshu Verma of The Washington Post, November 5, 2023 When Gabi Belle learned there was a naked photo of her circulating on the internet, her body turned cold. The YouTube influencer had never posed for the image, which showed her standing in a field without clothes. She knew it must be fake.

 

Artificial intelligence leads to lowered intelligence.  Really?  Isn’t it just the opposite?  I argue it is not for the human species.  For the general population (you and me) AI leads to laziness and dependence on extremely sophisticated algorithms and computers.  Here is how it is defined:  (begin) Artificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligence of machines or software, as opposed to the intelligence of humans or animals. It is also the field of study in computer science that develops and studies intelligent machines. "AI" may also refer to the machines themselves. AI technology is widely used throughout industry, government and science. Some high-profile applications are: advanced web search engines (e.g., Google Search), recommendation systems (used by YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix), understanding human speech (such as Siri and Alexa), self-driving cars (e.g., Waymo), generative or creative tools (ChatGPT and AI art), and competing at the highest level in strategy games (

We are entitled to our opinions but when those opinions are shopped by Church leaders to the so-called faithful and those opinions are laced with disrespect and even loathing of Pope Francis, I say the proverbial line-in-the-sand has been crossed.  I applaud Pope Francis’s decision about Bishop Strickland.  Better late than never.   I’m in line with Francis who “blasted the ‘backwardness’ of these bishops, saying they had replaced faith with ideology and that a correct understanding of Catholic doctrine allows for change over time.”  Likely many CTK parishioners disagree with me.  I’m fine with that because I’ve not always agreed with Pope John Paul II and especially not with Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger).  But, I’ve never disrespected or slandered them. (begin) ROME (AP) November 11 — Pope Francis on Saturday forcibly removed the bishop of Tyler, Texas, a conservative prelate active on social media who has been a fierce critic of the pontiff and has come to symbolize the polari

As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!"  Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He replied, "Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God. (Luke 18:35-43) We blind must see.  Does our faith save us, as Jesus claimed?  Well, it all depends.  Do we really follow him!?  Do we open our eyes and see his path on which we must walk?  

5:30 Homily: What’s most important to us: acquiring money, wealth and all the comfort it can bring to us at any cost or is it about finding and keeping the real treasures of moral character, integrity, honesty, truth, and love? That’s the theme and meaning of today’s readings. Let’s dig a little deeper into these readings starting with the gospel. Our gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke are not the same in every respect. They differ in many important ways such as Jesus’ ancestry. In Matthew he comes from Abraham.  In Luke, from Adam. There is a very useful publication called “Gospel Parallels: A Comparison of the Synoptic Gospels.” It’s a side-by-side comparison of events recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. There are many differences and similarities between and among the three.

  Are we disturbed?!  I can almost hear Maximus in the arena (Russell Crowe in “Gladiator”) twirling around and shouting after his blood-spilled battle, to ask all of us: “Are you not entertained?”  Rather, “Are you not disturbed?!” Are we? Do we have to conform in thought and speech?  Isn’t it okay if we disturb someone or some groups? Or, do we insist we should act as judges at Salem witch trials?  We know what happened to those “witches:” condemnation, abuse, torture, and agonizing death. Banning books or words because they disturb us does the following: “Opponents of bans argue that by restricting information and discouraging freedom of thought, censors undermine one of the primary functions of education: teaching students how to think for themselves. Such actions, assert free speech proponents, endanger tolerance, free expression, and democracy.”  On the other hand, proponents of banning do have some valid points.  This is a very controversial and politically-divisive topic.

  Most of us will want a lawyer to argue for our own exemption clause to apply for us when it comes to our need to obey the commandments.   Which one or ones should not apply? As a reminder the 10 are: (1) I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me; (2) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; (3) Remember to keep holy the LORD'S Day; (4) Honor your father and your mother; (5) You shall not kill; (6) You shall not commit adultery; (7) You shall not steal; (8) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor; (9) You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and (10) You shall not covet your neighbor's goods. Most of us don’t need to apply for an exemption because these commandments are easily flaunted with no obvious accountability – at least not in this world, commandments to which we give little thought unless we sense the nearness of the hour of our death.  Then there is a sense of urgency and repentance.    Most of us sincerely

In Wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, not baneful, loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficent, kindly, firm, secure, tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, and pervading all spirits, though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle. For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion, and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity. For she is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nought that is sullied enters into her. For she is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of God, the image of his goodness. And she, who is one, can do all things, and renews everything while herself perduring; and passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets. For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom. For she is fairer than the sun and surpasses every constellation of the stars. Compared to light, she

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you." (Luke 17:11-19) Giving thanks to God should be a habit.  Many of us make giving thanks a once-a-week thing.  We have the gift of life, and for that alone we should be thankful even when life can be hard due to health problems, marriage troubles, or

This Pearls Before Swine comic reminds me that humor is important, although not everyone likes puns.  We need humor to help us crack a smile and deal with the bad news of every day. We need to focus on the good news that tends not to get media coverage.  We also need the Good News of Jesus to brighten each day. Three things Christ promises he will never do: Won’t leave you broken-hearted (Psalm 147:3), won’t reject you (John 6:37), and won’t leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). So in essence, Jesus is…never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. Do you know why the gates of heaven are always left open? Cause Jesus was born in a barn. If Mary gave birth to Jesus and Jesus is the lamb of God…Did Mary have a little lamb?

What follows is from Christianity.com about the topic of hope.  We all need hope.  Perhaps our lives should be like the life o' Pig. (begin) The Bible gives us the word “hope” to hold onto all throughout Scripture. A quick online search will show you that “hope” appears nearly 100 times in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. But because we know God’s word is alive, not just letters on a page, what does the Bible say about hope? Is hope something we can trust, believe, and build upon? Let’s look at some examples in Scripture that reveal 6 characteristics of the biblical meaning of hope. 1. Hope Is Expectant In the Old Testament, two Hebrew words, qawa and batah are used to indicate trust in God to not disappoint us. You can find qawa within biblical prayers that express belief that God will transform hopes into reality. This hope isn’t casual or laced with wondering. It’s anticipation for what God will do.

The Great Doorman sounds like Peter.  Consider this description: (begin) This view is based primarily on Matthew 16:18–19, in which Jesus says: And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  (begin) When this concept of "keys" belonging to Peter is combined with the teaching from Revelation 21:12, that the New Jerusalem has walls and gates, it's not a huge leap to see Peter as being the gatekeeper of heaven, who allows entrance to some but not others. However, this is as explicit as the Bible itself gets on this question. There are a few other sources for Petrine authority, like Matthew 18:18, but the popular image of Peter standing at the pearly gates is a later interpretation or extrapolation of the scriptures.  Leading church hi

What follows is an article by Brian McLaren, one of my favorite authors and theologians.  I agree with him.  I am not the top of anything; I'm simply at the tip, the tip of one small branch of a very huge, verdant tree, and all created things are my grandparents, cousins, and sibling. (begin) Loving God through Creation: A Song of Praise  If we’d like to bring our God-concepts into better sync with a Creator who makes sense in this particular universe, we’d better face up to this sobering fact: God loves tortoises. And really, God loves reptiles in general. (Not to mention insects, if we judge based on how many species exist: three hundred thousand beetles, seventeen thousand butterflies, and five thousand dragonflies, for example, out of over two million insects in total.)

Thanks be to God and to all those men and women who served and sacrificed so much, especially their mental and physical health and their lives. Deacon David Pierce

Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’  The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’  He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’  He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ 

Brothers and sisters: You are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. (1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17)  At our baptism a foundation is laid, a platform on which we stand – Jesus Christ. We are to build on it.  Unfortunately, as babies totally dependent on our parents, the buildup is not up to us.  Therefore, if our parents are not careful about how they build on the Christ-created foundation, we have a house of cards that can be blown down.  

As a follow-up to yesterday’s blog that included discussion about women as permeant deacons, I provide this December 18, 2019 article from America Magazine: “The scriptural case for women deacons” by Micah D. Kiel (begin) The synod on the Pan-Amazonian region re-opened the question of whether women can be deacons in the church. But we can return to the beginning as we contemplate the future. The New Testament not only gives us women deacons, but we know one of their names: Phoebe. This is her hour. Because Jesus never refers to priests, deacons or ordination in any direct way, our discussion should take us to the earliest literature in the New Testament: the letters and ministerial practice of the Apostle Paul. In Romans 16:1-2, Paul states: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as

What follows is an article from the USCCB website: Synod synthesis shows agreement, divergences, including on 'synodality.'  According to Catholic News Service reporter Cindy Wooden (October 28): “The first session of the synod on synodality has concluded with a report synthesizing discussions and reflections over the past month. This report will go back to local churches around the world for further consideration and input for the next phase of the synodal process and the next session in Rome in Oct. 2024.” (begin) VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A report summarizing discussions at the assembly of the Synod of Bishops said the church may need more welcoming pastoral approaches, especially to people who feel excluded, but also acknowledged fears of betraying traditional church teachings and practices (my emphasis). Among the topics addressed in the report were clerical sexual abuse, women's roles in the church, outreach to poor and the concept of "synodality" itself. The as

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Luke 14:12-14) Once upon a time, there lived an ant and a grasshopper in a grassy meadow by the river. It was during the hot summer season when the ant was toiling hard by collecting wheat grains from the farmer’s field. The ant would work hard all day long from dawn to dusk collecting the heavy grain well balanced on her back. She would then put the wheat grain in her larder carefully and rush back to the field to collect another grain. She would scurry back an

What follows is coverage of another major sexual abuse investigation.  It’s an article (AP News) written by Ciaran Giles (October 27).  It is startling, alarming, and further evidence of reasons for continued, dramatic undermining and loss of faith in the Church – a loss caused by those unforgivable, abominable members of the clergy “configured” to Christ by their ordination and by other people connected to the Church.  They have sinned against the Holy Spirit and against those who trusted them, especially children. MADRID (AP) — Spain’s first official probe of sex abuse by clergy members or other people connected to the Catholic Church in the country included a survey that indicated that the number of victims could run into hundreds of thousands  (my emphasis). The survey was part of a damning report by the office of Spain’s ombudsman, or “defensor del pueblo,” following an 18-month independent investigation of 487 cases involving alleged victims who spoke with the ombudsman’s team. O

Brothers and sisters: I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Of course not! For I too am a child of Israel, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world, and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles, how much more their full number. I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not become wise in your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written:  The deliverer will come out of Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob; and this is my covenant with them wh

I found this communication on the USCCB website.   (begin) October 27, 2023, WASHINGTON – In response to the escalating Israel-Hamas war, Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace, renewed his call for peace. “The war in the Holy Land is playing out in real time before us with its mounting casualties, the growing humanitarian disaster, and the potential for violent regional and international escalation. The October 7 terrorist attacks of Hamas which initiated this war must be condemned. We renew the call for the release of hostages and protection of civilian populations. At the same time, we affirm continued efforts to allow humanitarian access, including corridors for those seeking safety, and urge Congress to provide support for relief efforts. As Pope Francis reminds the world, ‘War is always a defeat; it is a destruction of human fraternity.’ “We continue to pray for the victims caug

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.  For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation, they shall shine and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever.  Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect. (Wisdom 3:1-9)

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.