A Positively Poetic Priest

"So make up your minds NOT to prepare your defense in advance;  for I will give you words and a wisdom  that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict."  (Luke 21:5-19) I'll let you into one of my nightmares, because that is exactly what you want right this minute. I am an introvert  and the idea of getting up before a crowd, a judge, even standing here now, without anything prepared to say, is terrifying to me. Down right terrifying. When I was in high school I was terrified of public speaking.  I remember my first public speaking class,  when I wasn't able to complete a short speech  because I thought I was going to throw up.  At the time I knew I wanted to become a priest  and I knew from watching the priests of the church I went to,  that I was going to have to speak in public someday  and that I needed to work on it.  I asked God for help  and God pro...

Teacher, "In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be?" Why do they need to know whose wife this poor woman will be? Hasn't she gone through enough hassle already? Seven husbands??? Give the poor woman a break! Jesus was such a storyteller its not often we hear him going through the paces with  legal logistical argumentative proofs. However, if you remember your ancient Greek rhetoric at all (which I totally understand if you don't...) you'll notice what the Sadducees are doing  and how Jesus responds in kind. The Sadducees who speak to Jesus are using a case study to prove that there is no resurrection. The Sadducees were a group who didn't believe in resurrection, they didn't believe in an afterlife. Yet, they know Jesus does believe in resurrection, he keeps teaching and preaching about the kingdom of God. So they decide to take him on in some old style debating.  They offer a proof that ...

I want you to picture in your mind our local drug dealer. Every town has one or two and by the way the local news talks about the drug crises we have more than one or two in Franklin. I want you to try to picture our local drug dealer, wandering down Buffalo Street, thinking about his business, when he stops and looks up at St. John's doors. For some reason, he decides to walk in and say a prayer. He says, Hey God, to you, I'm messed up. Forgive me, will ya? Also in the church at that time is one of our long time faithful regulars, praying. This long time member is giving thanks for something going really well in their life. Then Jesus walks in with a bunch of people and points to the two people praying. He says that the drug dealer is in better standing with God at that moment than the long time faithful member. What? Its a confusing and shocking and harsh parable. What can Jesus possibly mean? Interestingly, this parable only...

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone." This is one of Thomas Merton's famous prayers, and an extremely useful one for daily life.  Though my favorite Thomas Merton prayer  is one about tulips.  One of the lines says, "Up with the revolution of tulips...