Kasich! That name was chanted last Tuesday night in the Ohio governor’s home state. It’s a name that could stand to be heard more often in the present election-year cacophony. But his home victory was quickly drowned out in the news cycle by the attention being paid to the other, shall we say, showier candidates. (more…) Read more
I’m sorry, but I really cannot resist posting this very Catholic joke today. “If scripture will not cast out the Devil, use laughter. For Satan cannot bear to be mocked.” (Martin Luther) A blessed Lent to everyone! Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses... Read more
It‘s amazing how seemingly chance events can shape us. This can happen at any age, but it is especially true when we are young. In 1995, at the age of 12, I saw a film that would change my life. Ironically, it wasn’t a very good movie. When I heard the premise – about a pig that learns to herd sheep – I thought it seemed much too childish for sophisticated, William-Blake reading, 12-year-old me. But when I saw Babe,... Read more
Still late, but I am determined to see this through. This reflection was actually very useful for me as I thought about a reading I essentially hear every year but somehow stopped listening to. And, once I got rolling, it turned out longer than I was expecting. Belatedly, a very blessed and Spirit filled Lent to all the readers of Vox Nova. Today is the first Sunday of Lent, and with it we begin our our journey to Easter. The... Read more
Late again. REALLY late. I actually had the main idea worked out two weeks ago Sunday, and I started writing it last week. But somehow things got away from me. In any event, The theme struck me immediately after reading the readings, and it fits perfectly with the beginning of Lent. I hope it speaks to you. Two weeks ago, the Gospel reading from Luke marked the opening of Jesus’ public ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth. Reading from... Read more
This post was originally published at sASK-a-Theologian. I have recently come across questions about dialogue in the Catholic tradition in at least three different contexts. First of all, Pope Francis’s prayer intention for January 2016 was interreligious dialogue. This got a lot more play than is normal for a Pope’s monthly intention because it was also the first time the Vatican accompanied the announcement of the Pope’s prayer intention with a video. Many Catholics expressed concern about this choice of... Read more
Late again. However, guilt is a marvelous motivator, so Saturday morning I am typing this while waiting for the walls to dry before I paint my office. The idea has been with me all week, but somehow I never made myself sit down and write it. My focus today is almost completely on the gospel, though the reading from Paul does put in an appearance. Today’s gospel is the immediate continuation of the reading from Luke last week. Then, we... Read more
Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all dispositions constantly form associations. They have not only commercial and manufacturing companies, in which all take part, but associations of a thousand other kinds, religious, moral, serious, futile, general or restricted, enormous or diminutive. The Americans make associations to give entertainments, to found seminaries, to build inns, to construct churches, to diffuse books, to send missionaries to the antipodes; in this manner they found hospitals, prisons, and schools. If it is proposed... Read more
Today, Vox Nova is pleased to present a guest post by Alessandro Rovati, Ph.D., who is an adjunct professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College, NC. We are almost two months into the Holy Year of Mercy and the greatest temptation we face is formalism. We are surrounded by words and gestures that remind us of mercy, but we risk letting the various events pass us by without changing anything in us. Even those of us who are either scholars... Read more
Very, very late, for which I apologize. Things got out of hand over the weekend and then at work. But I am determined to do this! The first and third readings again are closely linked, at least for me. A lot of commentaries expressed puzzlement that the reading from Nehemiah was paired with this gospel. Also on Saturday(!) as I was sketching an outline, I realized that I could tie the reading from Paul in as well. In today’s gospel,... Read more
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