The King's Corner

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying: This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord: "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds," Quite the curious statement!  I prefer the fact that the Holy Spirit puts love in our hearts – not laws.  Some would say laws are made to broken – or gotten around because they were made by man and are often unjust and used by the powerful to subjugate the weak – the poor, for example.  Others would say, laws create order.  Of course they do when respected, enforced, and when they are just. Love, on the other hand, should fill our hearts and be written on our minds.   That is the real covenant – love of God with all our hearts, minds, and souls. Deacon David Pierce

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"  He said to them,"Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?" Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath." Let’s pick some heads of grain.  By this I mean let’s agree that women should be deacons and even priests.  Gender is not the determinate.   It’s the commitment to God and people that should tip the balance in favor of such changes, certainly deacons.  Then again, the obstacle to such change is the doctrine called apo

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him.   But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man.  Then he can plunder his house.   Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."  Our government shutdown is over – for a few weeks, perhaps.  Our kingdom is divided against itself.  Jesus said that sort of kingdom cannot stand.   Alarming but true words spoken by our Savior.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day.  He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.  He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.  Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." Jesus read the words of Isaiah from the scroll, and then he said he had fulfilled that passage.  How many of us would be able to read from the scroll – from our Bible – and say the same things?   Have we brought glad tidings to the poor?   And why not because our

January 27, 2019, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings for today's Homily  To watch Mass in its entirety click The Mass

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  Picking up snakes with my hands doesn’t appeal.  No thanks.  Drinking deadly poison seems a bit foolish.   Sorry Jesus, but in this case, I do not believe.  So what do you really mean?  If this is your test of faith, then I flunk (condemned?). This picturesque language suggests that Christians are filled with a power to cope with life that others do not possess.  That power is Christ. 

The January issue of America had results of a poll entitled “Are you in favor of legalizing marijuana?”  Eighty-nine (89) percent of respondents said they were in favor of marijuana legalization, either for medicinal purposes only (17%) or for both medicinal and recreational use (72%).  Notable to me was the finding that a reason for legalization was it would prevent the criminal justice system from being overburdened by low-level offenders (67%).  I hadn’t given this reason much thought until now.   Misuse and difficult-to-regulate were a few of my reasons to oppose legalization. Noteworthy is a September 2017 Washington Port article that read: " In 2016 more people were arrested for marijuana possession than for all crimes the FBI classifies as violent, according to 2016 crime data released by the agency on Monday…

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him.  He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us. "Then he said to the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent.  Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death. Silence is not golden, as many of us have been led to believe by this popular expression.  Jesus certainly didn’t believe silence was golden on the Sabbath because through silence (inaction) he would not do good.  He felt anytime was the right time to help someone, such as the man

Transformation – changing from one thing into another such as Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde or as in the Beauty and the Beast – the Beast into a Prince.  There’s water into ice.  There’s a simple wafer into the bread of life – our Eucharist. But, in our case today, it’s water into wine or more to the point: a hateful attitude changed into one of compassion and even love.  That’s the transformation described in our Gospel story about the wedding at Cana – at least that’s one interpretation. Helping us to understand transformation and what it can mean for us as individuals and even as communities, is a book you’ll find at the entrance to our church.   That book is by Matthew Kelly: The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity.  All have been invited to take a copy and then read it. Kelly begins with this story.

The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. This passage from Hebrews is quite definitive.    It tells us we can run, but we cannot hide.    The word of God is the best tracker.   No bloodhounds are needed.    The word penetrates between the soul and spirit and discerns our hearts.   And, we must eventually render an account, i.e., what have we done wrong and what have we failed to do.   We are naked before God.     Sort of like Adam and Eve before they reached for the leaves.    We won’t even have that.    Quite intimidating! Frankly, we must all render an account now, and not later.    We need an every-day reflection important for our course corrections.   Otherwise, that final accounting may b

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them.  They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, "Child, your sins are forgiven." Many of us are lying on mats, and we’re paralyzed with the guilt of our mistakes – hurting others through neglect, carelessness, or ambivalence.  Fortunately, we don’t need to have our roofs opened to gain access to Jesus.  He opens the door for those who carry us – those who encourage us to seek forgiveness, such a friend or family member witnessing our suffering from that guilt. Forgiveness makes us walk again.  Our sins no longer weigh us down - or those w

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"  Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet!  Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.  All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority.  He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. Jesus was a Jew.   Many people tend to forget this critical aspect of Jesus’ life.   He taught in the synagogue.   His disciples were Jews.   Mary was Jewish.    For these reasons it’s important for us to understand the Jewish fai

I came across a November 12, 2018 issue of TIME in my town’s library.  The cover highlighted articles about “Beyond Hate” by Jon Meacham, Nancy Gibbs, Daniel Benjamin, Malcom Graham, Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., Katie Couric, and Deborah Lipstadt.   These commentaries were part of TIME’s Special Report about hate and how to get beyond it. Gibbs said, “Hate among our base instincts, is the most distinctly human.  In animals, violence and venom are tools of survival; in humans, of supremacy.  Small, scared people hate, self-hating people hate, bullied and betrayed.”  All the authors had words of wisdom and shared their experiences." Meacham was especially timely.  The author of “The Soul of America: The Battle for our Better Angels,” Meacham ended his article with the following: “So is Trump the harbinger of a new dark age?  Not if We the People engage fully and consistently in the arena.  The demographic and cultural trends that will continue to produce a more diverse America are i

January 13 2019, The Baptism of the Lord Readings for today's Homily To watch Mass in its entirety click The Mass

The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.  John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.  I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." The Holy Spirit is “in bodily form like a dove.”    We use the dove as an image of peace.    It’s a soothing image to some.  But if using a bird, I’d rather have the Holy Spirit in bodily form like a raven.   Ravens are smart and aggressive. 

Not feeling very well a few days ago and unable to fall asleep, I sat in front of the television to continue reading the 2018 book “THEM: Why We Hate Each Other And How To Heal” by U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (Nebraska).   I suddenly heard Late Night Show host Stephen Colbert, and to my surprise, there was Senator Sasse.   Quite the coincidence, or was it? Our Church preaches against hate, and that’s needed because many of us do hate – someone or some group(s).  Sasse says: “The first part of this book is about the collapse of the local tribes that give us true, meaningful identity—family, workplace, and neighborhood.  It’s about the evaporation of social capital—the relational resources that help us navigate the world—and about the precipitous decline in recent years of the institutions that Alexis de Tocqueville, nearly two hundred years ago, saw were the heart and soul of America.   It’s about the waning influence of the Rotary Club and the Scouts, the VFW and the local bowling lea

Today is the Epiphany of the Lord when the magi (three kings or wise men) “were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.  They prostrated themselves and did him homage.  Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.”  Some have said the magi’s identity as kings came about later in Christian writings and was probably linked to Psalm 72:11, "May all kings fall down before him.” Myrrh was commonly used as an anointing oil; frankincense as a perfume; and gold as a valuable.  Gold was a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death.  Gold also symbolizes virtue, frankincense as prayer, and myrrh as suffering.  There is much to this three-kings-gifts tradition. What gifts did we bring to Mary and the

Beloved: This is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another,  unlike Cain who belonged to the Evil One and slaughtered his brother.  Why did he slaughter him?  Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother righteous.  Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.   We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Whoever does not love remains in death.  Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.  The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?  Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.

Beloved: Who is the liar?  Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.  Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.  Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. These are tough and harsh words from John in his first letter.  Once again it’s about lying; however, in this instance we’re more certain of the author’s intent.  If we don’t believe Jesus is the Christ, then we are liars and antichrists, so says John.  Clearly, John is not talking about the devil or Satan.   It’s a simple point: the truth is “Jesus is the Christ.”  The lie is that he is not. What is Christ to us?   Christ is the risen Jesus who we believe will come again – eventually.  I also believe Christ comes again every time we show respect, compassion, and love to those around us.   Christ is made present though our words and actions when focused on God’s will.   That will is to love one another and, of course, to love God with all our he

Today is the Octave Day of Christmas Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and we read: “The LORD said to Moses: "Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:  This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them." It’s the first day of the new year.  We all wish for that shining, graciousness, kindness, and peace.  This is the sort of blessing we wish to receive.  Perhaps it’s best we first offer the same blessing to those around us.  It is better to give than to receive.  We start 2019 with a reminder that Mary said “yes” to God.   We must do the same.  Let's keep giving so our faces shine upon those in need of love and kindness. Deacon David Pierce