Month: December 2016

passion

Reflections from the Kasbah in Marrakesh, Morocco “Knock, And He'll open the door Vanish, And He'll make you shine like the sun Fall, And He'll raise you to the heavens Become nothing, And He'll turn you into everything.” ― Jalaluddin Rumi When the scouts returned to Moses to prove that...

light shards and wounds

“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ― Jalaluddin Rumi When we are wounded in life, we feel pierced, cut, hurt.  We may bleed if we are physically wounded and if our wound is relational like betrayal,manipulation, the dissolution of a friendship or marriage, then the wound...

King of Peace or Warden of Prison

I don’t want Jesus to come.  He looks like He knows something.  Even Mary seems worried. I don’t.  I want Jesus to stay away.  In heaven, where he belongs. These are hard words to think, let alone to write down, and place out there in public, even as a priest...

An Advent Prayer

In these last days of Advent, guide me to this child careening towards me. Prepare my heart for this welcome salvation. Make my soul a stable. Make my heart a cave. Remind me that something wonderful is about to happen. Don’t let the busyness of the season destroy the silent...

advent intimacy

Jesus was born in a stable or a cave, we know that.  But we do not know what time of the day or night Jesus was born. It may sound like an insignificant detail, but I want to know. My inner child wants to know.  I mean, I have written...

shine

“Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” Says our psalm today – three times in such a short passage.  Over and over and over again.   “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved”   Joseph.  Could he sense...

John and Farouk in Advent

Let’s say that the average, run-of-the-mill guy in Iraq were given a pen and paper and asked to write about the average run-of-the-mill American.  As an American man, I expect that when I read what the Iraqi guy wrote I would disagree.  I would read his writing and I would...

they should not meet for coffee…

That God would reconcile with humanity and the sentient beings of this planet by choosing to insert Herself into our time, never ceases to astound me with wonder.  Poor John The Baptist.  No wonder he went around screaming and ranting.  Though I expect he got still when he saw Jesus....

birds and questions

One of my favorite things about the early Renaissance paintings is their use of birds.  Here the angel Gabriel is about to have a chat with Mary about the whole upcoming manger situation.  It’s a bright sunny day with birds chirping and Mary off-image in a corset and busy knitting...

the blue feather

Wings rustle in the Advent night of Jesus’ coming. The Angels are restless. They look calm because that is there job- all serene and quiet. But you can tell they are all nearly bursting from their white robes with excitement that He would go to Them. Their blue wings quiver...