A blessed Pascha, and a wonderful Eastertide. Vacation has cometh, and we will be out and about, far away from my Patheos page. I appreciate everyone who visits and throws their three cents in. It’s usually me who ends up the better for it. For my fellow Christians who stop by: Rejoice in the Lord always, for everything is different, and we know why. For my non-Christian and non-religious visitors, may you also find a joy and fulfillment along... Read more
‘Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple,... Read more
In the Christian calendar. Following the timeline, this is when Jesus’ followers scattered, believing their master dead. Hiding from the authorities, figuring they just threw months of their life out the window; dejected, they were not going on with life as normal. But then, neither was God. In the Christian multiverse, we agree that there is reality beyond the five senses. And part of this reality was dealt with today: ‘The soul [of Christ] when it is deified descended into Hades,... Read more
Courtesy of Cecil B. DeMille. From a little piece I jotted down a few years ago. It’s that time of year again. You can still catch in on ABC, I think beginning at 7:00 PM. I remember watching it on TV every year. Even as a kid I thought it was a pretty awesome story. Something about seeing it on network television does bring back the memories. BTW, as a bonus, here is a piece I did kicking around a few... Read more
A Good Friday reminder. It’s easy to shout Hosanna to the Son of David when the crowd is with you. Who will stand up and shout for Jesus when the crowd turns to Barabbas? That’s the big question. ‘As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”... Read more
Is examined over at the American Catholic in the context of St. Justin Martyr and the historical roots of our Faith. Quite an interesting take on things. The rich paper trail of the Christian Faith alone could keep a person busy through ten lifetimes. Justin Martyr also ranks high among those who look at their Evangelical traditions and begin to struggle to find a similar look in the ancient Church. Read more
The Friendly Atheist asks why the media isn’t mentioning the Christian faith of the San Bernardino school shooter. I’d say because it appears the shooting was a crime born of domestic violence, not religion. If an Atheist gunned down a clerk during a stop-and-rob holdup, there would be no reason to mention he was an atheist. If a Muslim killed a bride to be who jilted him, the fact that he was a Muslim shouldn’t come into play. If a... Read more
Mark Shea looks at Bishop Barron’s reflection on the historical basis of the Christian Faith. Mark gives his own characteristic two cents to the discussion. An important thing to remember as we pass through Spy Wednesday and prepare for the culmination of Holy Week and, by extension, the Christian life. Read more
Lest we get careless, the most important person we need to improve is the person we see in the mirror every morning. That’s usually enough to keep most people busy. Worse still is when we become so sure we have it down, that we become unteachable. That’s what had happened here. People who knew so much, they weren’t prepared to listen. Note that this approach was not common for Jesus. This is not how he typically addressed people. He certainly didn’t... Read more
Is not easy. Nonetheless, once again as I speak to people from the region, I get the feeling nobody on our side of the ocean is anywhere close to right about the problems. I had the pleasure of a long conversation with several Syrian immigrants yesterday. Apparently they were itching to tell somebody their thoughts, because I ended up sitting there and listening, until hours later my family insisted it was time to go home. I tried to keep mental notes... Read more
Daffey Thoughts
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