McKenna

Loving Last Words (John 13:34)

I came across a writer who drew on her experience to add some personal texture to Jesus’ words at his Last Supper, “As I have loved you, so love one another.”

Forever Shepherding (John 10: 27-30)

The Lord Jesus has his favorite images. Toward the top of the list is the one of shepherd and sheep – not just any shepherd, but the one who is the Good Shepherd.

Seeing and Believing (John 20: 24-29)

Commenting on the Apostle Thomas, one writer casts him not so much as a doubter but more a stand-in for those many people over the centuries who want more evidence that the Risen Jesus is alive and present.

Knowing the Unknowable (John 3:16)

I came across a poem entitled “To the Unknown God.” This heading conveys two things.

The Planted Word

The Planted Word

The Planted Word (James 1: 17-27) Early in the last century, a boy came home from school to tell his mother how he had thrown snow balls at a homeless man lying drunk in the winter street. Taking him aside, she drove home reasons why he should never demean...

The Planted Word

Swept Up Into

Swept Up Into (Amos 7: 15-15; Ephesians 1: 10-14; Mark 6:7-9) Years ago I was part of a raft trip down a river that was mostly tranquil but which every once in a while would hit rapids. Then what was a calm, sit-back-and-enjoy-the-scenery stream turned into...

The Planted Word

Up on Your Feet!

Up on Your Feet! (Ez 2:2   Mark 6:1-6) If you were to paint a picture of the prophet Ezekiel as he first appears in the Bible, you might have him sitting back in a recliner, at peace with himself and confident that the way he saw his world was the way the world truly...

The Planted Word

Acting For Equality — in Faith

Acting For Equality -- in Faith (2 Corinthians 8:13; Mk 5: 25-34) If you’re looking for a topical subject in the Scriptures, you wouldn’t have to go much further than the one Paul brings up in a request to the Corinthians. He’s asking them to help their poorer...

The Planted Word

Embrace What God is Doing

Embrace What God is Doing (Rom 5:1-2) To appreciate the revolutionary thrust of Paul’s message, I think of the story of a young man whose inner voice kept repeating, “You’re not good enough.” Responding to this, he felt he had to keep demonstrating that he had...

The Planted Word

Trinitarian Nearness

Trinitarian Nearness (Rom. 8; Mt. 28) A woman once told me a lesson she had learned during the last days of her husband’s life. He had all the medical attention possible with hospice workers around the clock. But in those last days, she said, all he really wanted was...

The Planted Word

The Face of Forgiveness

The Face of Forgiveness (Psalm 4) In perhaps an awkward way of putting it, one of the psalms has us asking a favor from a face – the face of God. “Lord let your face shine upon us” and a little later, “Let the light of Your face shine upon us.” (Ps. 4). The phenomenon...

The Planted Word

On Pruning Vines

On Pruning Vines (John 15)  In his letter to the Church in Rome, St. Paul asserts, “All things work together unto good for those who love God.” (Rom. 8:28) No matter what kinds of things happen, both good and indeed bad, good will rise on the other side of it. It’s a...

The Planted Word

On Being Overshadowed

On Being Overshadowed (Every year on the feast of the Annunciation thousands of Daughters of Charity the world over retake their vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service to the poor. This was the homily at one of their Eucharists.) I once heard someone say...

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