Month: August 2018

  • Da Mihi in Disco

    +JMJ+ I’m 54. That’s a disco. So… Da Mihi in Disco, honey, better get there about half past eight… Since my birthday is the liturgical commemoration of the Beheading of John the Baptist, that means, at least liturgically, I share a birthday with King Herod Antipas.  Antipas, short for “Antipater” means “instead of the Father”,…

  • A Different Rosary

    Watching the Song of Bernadette or the Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima I was often moved by crowds reciting the Rosary. Their whispered earnestness and the passion was carried through the screen: the prayer of the church through the ages. Holy Mary, Mother of God… I know these mid-20th Century religious melodramas are poor by today’s standards. But…

  • Not Sweetness and Light

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Memorial of St MonicaMonday in the 21st Week of Ordinary Time (B2) 2 Thessolonians 1:1-5, 11-12 Matthew 23:13-22 Clauditis regnum caelorum ante homines! vos enim non intratis, nec introeuntes sinitis intrare.You shut the Kingdom of Heaven to men! You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying…

  • As for me and my house…

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time (B2) Joshua 24:1-2A, 15-17, 18B Ephesians 5:21-32 John 6:60-69 Ego autem et domus mea serviemus Domino.I myself and my house will serve the Lord.On the one hand the lectionary for the Novus Ordo Missae gave us more Bible to chew on. On the other hand,…

  • As I say. Not as I do.

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for Saturday in the 20th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Ezekiel 43:1-7ab Matthew 23:1-12 Omnia ergo quaecumque dixerint vobis, servate, et facite : secundum opera vero eorum nolite facere : dicunt enim, et non faciunt.Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but…

  • The Subversive Wedding Feast

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for Thursday in the 20th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Ezekiel 36:23-28 Matthew 22:1-14 Simile factum est regnum caelorum homini regi, qui fecit nuptias filio suo.Similar is the Kingdom of Heaven to a man who was king, who made a wedding for his Son. In this story, the kingdom of God…

  • The Final Mystery of the Rosary

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Memorial of Queenship of MaryWednesday in the 20th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Ezekiel 34:1-11 Matthew 20:1-16 Alleluia. Vivus est enim sermo Dei, et discretor cogitationum et intentionum cordis.  Alleluia. The word of God is living and effective, able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.It’s tempting to take this reading…

  • The Price of Admission

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Memorial of Pope St Pius, XTuesday in the 20th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Ezekiel 28:1-10 Matthew 19:23-30 Multi autem erunt primi novissimi, et novissimi primi. Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first This is one of those verses like the song of…

  • Hashtag BernOp

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Memorial of St Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the ChurchMonday in the 20th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Ezekiel 24:15-23 Matthew 19:16-22 Ait illi Jesus : Si vis perfectus esse, vade, vende quae habes, et da pauperibus, et habebis thesaurum in caelo : et veni, sequere me. Jesus said…

  • A Perfectly Timely Parable

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for Thursday in the 19th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Ezekiel 12:1-12 Matthew 18:21–19:1 Serve nequam, omne debitum dimisi tibi quoniam rogasti me : nonne ergo oportuit et te misereri conservi tui, sicut et ego tui misertus sum? You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you…

  • The True Story of Sleeping Beauty

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Apocalypse 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Luke 1:39-56 Astitit regina a dextris tuis in vestitu deaurato, circumdata varietate. The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir. Let me tell you a love story. This…

  • Confess Your Unpopular Opinions

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Memorial of St Maximilian Kolbe, Priest & MartyrTuesday in the 19th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Ezekiel 2:8-3:4 Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 Alleluia. Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde  Alleuia. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I…

  • In which I came out as Antivax

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the 19th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) 1 Kings 19:4-8 Ephesians 4:30-5:2 John 6:41-51 Nonne hic est Jesus filius Joseph, cujus nos novimus patrem et matrem? quomodo ergo dicit hic : Quia de caelo descendi?Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then…

  • Meanwhile, on the Gridiron.

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Feast of St Laurence 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 John 12:24-26 Qui amat animam suam, perdet eam; et qui odit animam suam in hoc mundo, in vitam aeternam custodit eam. Ὁ φιλῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολλύει αὐτήν · καὶ ὁ μισῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον…

  • Food for the Dogs…

    ✙ JMJ The Readings for the Feast of St DominicWednesday in the 18th Week of Ordinary Time (B2) Jeremiah 31:1-7 Matthew 15:21-28 Non est bonum sumere panem filiorum, et mittere canibus. It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.  It’s a long standing bit of church-geeky wordplay that takes…