The King's Corner

I've often thought about the word "antichrist."  In my opinion there are many in our society, government, and even in our Church.   I somewhat disagree with the following statement from today's reading from Wisdom.  The "destructive drug among us" is lying and deception for power, influence, and money.  This "drug" can cause justice to die.  When we decide to belong to the devil's company, we experience spiritual death, and we perish. God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. For he fashioned all things that they might have being; and the creatures of the world are wholesome, and there is not a destructive drug among them nor any domain of the netherworld on earth, for justice is undying. For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who belong to his company experience it. (Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24)

Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles.  Our readings address both men separately. In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. It was the feast of Unleavened Bread. He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf. On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. T

  In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the month,  Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his whole army advanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it, and built siege walls on every side. The siege of the city continued until the eleventh year of Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the fourth month, when famine had gripped the city, and the people had no more bread, the city walls were breached. Then the king and all the soldiers left the city by night through the gate between the two walls that was near the king’s garden. Since the Chaldeans had the city surrounded, they went in the direction of the Arabah. But the Chaldean army pursued the king and overtook him in the desert near Jericho, abandoned by his whole army.  The king was therefore arrested and brought to Riblah to the king of Babylon, who pronounced sentence on him. He had Zedekiah’s sons slain before his eyes. Then he blinded Zedekiah, bound him with fetters, and had him brought to Babylo

Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught

Jesus said to his disciples: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them." (Matthew 7:15-20) It's time for some critical thinking and to set aside our prejudices and biases. It’s time to open our eyes and to listen even to that which makes us uncomfortable.  November and elections are only about five months away.   Who are the false prophets in sheep’s clothing but really are ravenous wolves? Who are rotten trees?  By their fruits already on display we should know them.  What would Jesus do during these divided and chaotic times with the world se

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:6, 12-14) How many of us follow the crowd without giving any serious thought as to why we voluntarily join the group, or party?  A wide gate is tempting because there is no waiting, just the ability to quickly move on through without thinking if we really should.  We get carried along with the crowd.  It’s somewhat like mass hysteria.  For example, if they are afraid, then we should feel the same way.  Propagandists are quite skilled at this motivation for us to do their bidding.  They cry, “B

  There is some truth to what the great wise ass says. Ignorance is bliss?  Well, yes and no.  I'd rather know the doings of manipulative and corrupt people seeking to hide their nasty and evil behavior.  In years past secrets could be more easily kept, and people were unaware of behind-the scene, out-of-sight steps to mislead and lie in pursuit of power and money.  Therefore, despite the avalanche of news we now endure through social media and cable news, at least we have a greater understanding of and appreciation for the art of deception and outright lying.  However, the burden is still on us to separate fact from fiction when our news source(s) cannot be trusted.   Consider the Associated Press April 18, 2023 article: Dominion reach $787M settlement over election claims.  (begin)   Fox News agreed Tuesday to pay Dominion Voting Systems nearly $800 million to avert a trial in the voting machine company’s lawsuit that would have exposed how the network promoted lies about the 202

The Lord addressed Job out of the storm and said: Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb; when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling bands? When I set limits for it and fastened the bar of its door, and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled! (Job 38:1, 8-11) On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.  They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great

Jesus said to his disciples: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?&

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be." (Matthew 6:19-23) It cannot get much clearer than this advice.  It gets straight to point.  If our “eyes” are bad, we will be full of darkness.  The light of Christ within us can be darkened or snuffed out if we refuse to see.  And what should we see?  The truth is what we should see by not letting forces of evil convince us to believe lies spread in darkness.  

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace. Their staff of bread he shattered; in his zeal he reduced them to straits. By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire.  How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Whose glory is equal to yours? You brought a dead man back to life from the nether world, by the will of the LORD. You sent kings down to destruction and easily broke their power into pieces. You brought down nobles from their beds of sickness.  You heard threats at Sinai, at Horeb avenging judgments. You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance and a prophet as your successor. You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses. You were destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD; to turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons; and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob. 

  When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here; the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.” “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you,” Elisha replied. And so the two went on together. Fifty of the guild prophets followed and when the two stopped at the Jordan, they stood facing them at a distance. Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up and struck the water, which divided, and both crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.” “You have asked something that is not easy,” Elijah replied. “Still, if you see me taken up from you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not.” As they walked on conversing, a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. W

When I hold up the Eucharist and simply say, “the Body of Christ,” I wish it was proper for me also to say, “You are the Body of Christ.”   We all are.  What follows is an adapted extract taken from a talk given by Father Richard Rohr in 2000. I found it to be very useful and on target. (begin) I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from Heaven so that one may eat it and not die. (John 6:58) I am the living bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. (John 6:51)

Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow." (Matthew 5:38-42) When there is a severe power imbalance between us and our opponent – especially a violent one – then this approach seems the best, as given to us by Jesus.  It was necessary during Jesus’ time (and at many other times throughout history) when the penalty for noncooperation was crucifixion and death.  Deescalate rather than confront and challenge a much stronger and dangerous opponent is a strategy sensible even for today. Nevertheless, offering no resistance to one who is

Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. (Mark 4:26-34)

Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the Evil One." (Matthew 5:33-37) We all swear oaths of one kind or another.  I did when I became a deacon.  I did when I married my wife in 1971.  I did when I gave testimony at a trial. Oaths sworn on the Bible or said in Church or in a court of law are to be taken seriously, although many of us don’t.  Our “yes” doesn’t mean “yes,” and our “no” doesn’t mean “no.”  We can be hypocrites. We lie, and the Evil One gets the upper hand.  We sell our souls to the Devil, cons

Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. "It was also said, whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." (Matthew 5:27-32) Divorce has been such a troubling aspect of the Catholic Church with its rules that to some seem unfair.  Nevertheless, when a man and woman – husband and wife – swear sacred oaths bef

Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.  Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released unt

“The disturbing rhetorical device permeating American politics: Comparing people to animals is a hallmark of an illiberal society” by William Schulz (May 15, 2024) is an article we all need to read.  So, here it is. William F. Schulz is the former executive director of Amnesty International USA and author of the recent book “Reversing the Rivers: A Memoir of History, Hope and Human Rights.” I provide his article because it speaks about who we are – us-versus-them-thinking animals.  When used improperly, we “animals” are downright stupid and anti-Christian. (begin) At a political rally in Ohio a few weeks ago, Donald Trump declared that migrants are “not humans . . . they’re animals.” This was nothing new. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee had previously called unauthorized migrants “animals” breaching the country’s borders in a 2018 Cabinet meeting at the White House. Trump is hardly the first to denigrate humans in this way — declaring humans to be animals is a trope th

  This commandment may not be on the tablets, but it is included in Jesus's beatitudes. "When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your

  Whose guidance do we heed and follow?  Our GPS should be God's (Go Pummel Satan).  Too many of us blindly punch in coordinates that lead us to our destruction.  Our final destination must be the Kingdom of Heaven we bring to earth for the benefit of all.   When we listen to and are guided by God's GPS, we get into boats with Jesus.  To do otherwise is to get into a different kind of boat with the wrong pilot. Deacon David Pierce

Jesus came home with his disciples. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons." 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 the 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 fo

  Each year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old (my emphasis) , they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days   (my emphasis) they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Fathe

Too many of us have this attitude towards our neighbors who we are supposed to love as ourselves.  We Cape Codders used to great white sharks prowling our shores can appreciate that our being chum is not very ideal.   The better choice consistent with Jesus' commandment is to make our neighbors chum as defined by the English.  A chum is a friend or a pal. [Note: We and our best chums might spend the weekend camping together. The informal word chum is more common in Britain than the US, but we can still talk about our school chums or the new chum we made on a Caribbean cruise or hiking in the woods.] Let's make our neighbors chums, not bait. Deacon David Pierce

Loving our neighbor is easy to say but hard to do.  Here is some guidance from Rabbi Sharon Brous found in Father Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations at the Center for Action and Contemplation   (begin) Rabbi Sharon Brous draws on her Jewish tradition to name the dignity of every human being.    Rabbinic text … from the ninth century declares that every person is accompanied, at all times, by a procession of angels crying out, “Make way, for an image of the Holy One is approaching!” Every person, like royalty. And yet, again and again, the image of the Holy One is controlled and contained, humiliated and degraded, incarcerated and incapacitated, shot and killed before our very eyes. How do we keep missing all those angels, with their trumpets and proclamations, desperate to rouse us to the dignity of every human being? 

This cartoon indicates that artificial intelligence (AI) will stifle if not erase creativity.  I can see how.  For example, I could use AI to write my homilies for me.  It could write my blog entries.  Now that is startling and, frankly, quite terrifying.  It is plagiarism and extreme laziness.  It is also deception.  It is lying. Students using AI are noncreative and all of the above.  I suspect using AI to write term papers or college entrance essays will confound teachers and admission personnel.  It will give unfair advantage to those with the know-how to use AI tools.  It will disadvantage those who are honest and write their own works. God is about creation.  AI subverts and perverts the human mind with regards to creativity.  It's a dumbing down. Calling AI anti-God is a real over-reach for sure, but I admit there are many good reasons to call it that. Deacon David Pierce

Beloved: Wait for and hasten the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire. But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace. And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation.  Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled and to fall from your own stability. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:12-15, 17-18)

The Synod will conclude this fall.  Will it conclude that women should be permanent deacons?  I believe very unlikely. Why?  Pope Francis provided a preview of his conclusion in his recent 60 Minutes interview in which it was reported: “Pope Francis has placed more women in positions of power than any of his predecessors, but he told us he opposes allowing women to be ordained as priests or deacons.” Consider what was published in America Magazine by Kerry Weber (May 2019): (begin) We asked Catholic women if they supported the possibility of women deacons. Here is what they said. The Study Commission on the Women’s Diaconate may remain uncertain about whether women should be ordained to the diaconate, but the majority of American Catholic women are not: Six in 10 American Catholic women support the possibility for women to be ordained as permanent deacons  (my emphasis), according to our national survey published last year in partnership with the Center for Applied Research in the Apos

Some authors capture my attention.  Brian McLaren is on my list of must-read books.  What follows is his latest contribution.  It’s entitled Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart.  Relevant questions are: What does faith look like when cynicism seems more plausible? What does hope look like when hope seems irrational? What does love look like when hate becomes more popular? First review: In recent years, author and activist Brian McLaren has sensed a widespread emotional shift among growing numbers of people. More and more friends, colleagues, students, and readers confess their sense of futility, their feelings of frustration bordering on despair. They feel that human civilization has passed certain tipping points and that a tide of doom is inexorably rising. This feeling creates a deep inner divide, a tension between a sincere and hopeful commitment to action for the common good on the one hand, and on the other, a feeling that no actions can prevent the arri

Today is the Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr.  He lived from 100 C.E. to 165 C.E.  It’s a bit strange to memorialize Justin in view of his “war” against the Jews.  He was an early Church Father who waged an active polemic against Jews and Judaism.  (begin) Justin Martyr was born to pagan parents in Neapolis, the modern Nablus. After his conversion to Christianity he became a staunch advocate of his new faith against its major then current adversaries, Greek philosophy and Judaism. He was martyred for his faith as a Christian by the Roman authorities sometime between 163 and 167. Justin's principal polemic against Judaism was waged in his work, Dialogue with Trypho. The latter is presented as a Jew who during the Bar Kokhba war fled from Jerusalem to Ephesus, where he encountered Justin, and the two engaged in a dialogue on the merits of Judaism and Christianity. All the issues then current between the two faiths are marshaled in the dialogue. Justin is the aggressive protagonist;