Mary in May

Last updated on: May 9, 2020 at 12:31 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

Mary, the Mother of God, will be explored rigorously by Messy Inspirations throughout the month of May. Mary is important for Catholics. So I would like to invite you all to explore the subject of Mariology—a theology of Mary—over the month of May with special video presentations and reflections. Many Catholics often approach the Mother of God through the devotional and the emotional. This sentimental approach only becomes problematic when it becomes the exclusive way of approaching and living out... Read more

Death of Jesus was Necessary… or Was It?

Last updated on: May 8, 2020 at 4:40 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

Death of Jesus was right and necessary for salvation says one Gospel tradition, in disagreement with another that says the death was wrong. Death and Jesus the author of life. Seems like a contradiction in terms! And Easter Season, still ongoing through these dark days of pandemic, embraces the paradox. So do we, Easter People. Following the Johannine Tradition, we Christians profess that the Source of all life became death and conquered it. Recalling Israelite Burial & Mourning Customs In... Read more

Sheep in the Gospels—Cute or Macho?

Last updated on: May 10, 2020 at 4:34 am By Fellow Dying Inmate

Sheep in the Gospels are the care of male shepherds, and are a most misunderstood animal by American Bible readers. Sheep and shepherds feature prominently in this Sunday’s Scripture readings, especially the Gospel (John 10:1-10). Today we focus on sheep in the Gospels. Tomorrow, shepherds. Cute. Cuddly. Fluffy. Weak. Stupid. That’s the best and worst we Americans can say about sheep. But these adjectives don’t apply to sheep in the Mediterranean world of the Bible. Every homily or sermon you’ve... Read more

ASC & Biblical Wonders: Etic VS Emic

Last updated on: May 1, 2020 at 1:47 am By Fellow Dying Inmate

ASC Experiences fill the Bible but are described in ways alien to Western understanding. ASC—the altered state of consciousness—is a panhuman experience. All humans are capable of them. If humans wrote the Bible, and human characters litter its pages, we should expect to find ASC experiences therein. Indeed, remarkable ASC experiences are found everywhere in Scripture, from Genesis through Revelation. In over 488 societies from all over the earth, including 44 from the circum-Mediterranean ethnographic region, 437 societies (90 percent!)... Read more

Appearances of the Risen Jesus: Emmaus and Beyond

Last updated on: April 28, 2020 at 1:20 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

Appearances of Jesus risen and alive—like in the Emmaus story—vary among the Gospels, but insights from culturally sensitive investigation opens exciting possibilities. Appearances of the Risen Lord are reported in the Gospels, documents that evolved and were not 21st century Western fact-precise biographies. What should modern American readers make of these accounts? Are these appearances literary creations, at best, fables meant to teach readers a message, at worst, fake news? Or are they exact representations of what literally happened, fact-precise... Read more

Disinfectant Cure-all, Trump, & Co-Authoring our Future

Last updated on: April 24, 2020 at 12:58 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

Disinfectant to the lungs from “Dr. POTUS” Trump or authentic hope?—the choice is yours! Inject the disinfectant. Sounds like “drink the Kool-Aid” at Jonestown. Which, of course, many Trump-supporters have already. Copiously. This Thursday, during his daily campaign propagan—er, “press briefing,” President Donald Trump suggested a curious possible remedy for Coronavirus. The possible deterrent? An “injection” of disinfectant into the lungs of someone sick with COVID-19. Let that madness sink in for a moment. Defending the Indefensible Many Trumpers reading... Read more

Birth Again or from Above? John 3:1-21

Last updated on: April 23, 2020 at 8:41 am By Fellow Dying Inmate

Birth from God is what the Johannine Jesus offers, something hopelessly misunderstood by Nicodemus. Birth should be on our minds reading the Gospel of “John” this week. Yesterday we began to explore John 3:1-21, the Gospel passage from these weekdays’ readings. Nicodemus, an archon of the Judaeans, comes to Jesus in darkness and likewise leaves him in darkness. He never understands what Jesus is telling him. These two are like ships passing each other in the dead of night, going... Read more

Nicodemus & Jesus in John 3:1-21

Last updated on: April 21, 2020 at 12:43 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

Nicodemus and Jesus converse in Gospel readings all this second Easter week about spiritual matters spuriously familiar to 21st century Christians. Nicodemus is a fondly remembered character that in all the New Testament only appears in the Gospel called “John.” This week, Christians West and East get very Johannine. In the Latin Rite, Monday through Thursday, the daily Gospels all come from John chapter three and Jesus’ nighttime dialogue with Nicodemus. The Line Between Jesus & Nicodemus The Johannine Jesus’... Read more

Mourning at the Empty Tomb: Ancient Israelite Burial Customs

Last updated on: May 8, 2020 at 3:44 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

Mourning the dead was an important and lengthy process for first century Israelites, a process interrupted in the case of the Risen Jesus. Mourning and celebration are juxtaposed closely in our tradition, even to the breadth of a Holy Saturday, between the Cross of Good Friday and the alleluias of Easter Sunday. The tears of Friday become joyous gladness by Sunday. Of course, everything in our New Testament and our existence as Christians proceeds from Easter. We are an Easter... Read more

Thomas the Doubter

Last updated on: April 19, 2020 at 10:21 am By Fellow Dying Inmate

Thomas, the disciple associated with doubt and incredulity, is the featured character in the original ending of the Gospel called “John.” Thomas and Divine Mercy go together every year. This Sunday’s Gospel is John 20:19-31 and it presents the Risen Jesus commissioning his disciples and the famous “doubting Thomas” episode. It is part of the original conclusion to the Fourth Gospel called “John” (John 20:1-31, as chapter 21 was a later appended section). In its original ending, “John” concludes by... Read more