Get in the Mud
He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” Mud brings up images of lawns and parks after heavy rainfall, dogs hastily scrubbed with towels, footwear being rinsed with a hose and…
You’re Not Alone
Unlike Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, I have very little experience with being on a mountain. Between these three figures, there have been a multitude of encounters set on mountains: from Sinai to Horeb, Carmel to Calvary, Tabor to Hermon. As for…
Amazed and Afraid
Throughout the summer between third and fourth grade, my parents and I would go to our neighborhood trail once or twice a week and spend an hour helping me learn to ride a bike. They would always be there to…
Doubt Like Thomas
At my elementary school, we had an assembly every semester where awards were handed out for stuff like Good Citizenship, Public Speaking, and—of course—Class Clown. I’d gotten a few awards like Budding Artist and Perfect Attendance before, but they seemed…
The One We Seek
It seems rather odd, at least to me, that Jesus asks a rhetorical question—one that, he above everyone else—knows the answer to: Whom are you looking for?1 Jesus asks this to Judas, the Roman soldiers, and the Chief Priests’ guards…
The Will to Ask
Words can themselves be magical in the sense that they exhibit power in the sense that both possess the ability to compel, receive, and affirm. Remember to say the magic words—“please” and “thank you.” But tied to their power is…
The Disruption of the Cross
This post is taken from the prepared text of the reflection I preached at my parish’s Good Friday Service. The video can be found here, and the scripture readings can be found here. When I was in middle school, one…
