“Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory” (Mk. 13:26). “Hey, man, what’s up?” By the time I was a boy in the 1960s, “man” had become the generic honorific […]
Learn more“God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Eph. 1:20). In our second reading today, the apostle Paul is praying a blessing upon his parishioners in Ephesus. Paul is a pastor, tending […]
Learn more“Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is at hand” (Zeph. 1:7). In Nashville, if you are out raking the leaves or cutting the grass at noon on the first Saturday of the month, you’ll hear the […]
Learn more“Then we who are alive will be caught up in the clouds… to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord for ever” (1 Thess. 4:17). “Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for […]
Learn more“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt. 5:9). At the most basic level, peace is the absence of conflict. These days there isn’t much peace around the world. Think about Ukraine; think […]
Learn more“All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (1 Jo. 3:3). Tonight we celebrate the Feast of All Saints’, and the new ministry of Chad McCabe, as Rector at Trinity Church, Clarksville. […]
Learn more“You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:15). Jesus was a great teacher, but his power as a preceptor did not depend on innovation. In other words, Jesus’ teaching was largely drawn from the […]
Learn more“I call you by your name… though you do not know me” (Is. 45:4). They say that “politics makes strange bedfellows.” When people say this they mean that compromise and cooperation are necessary in a democratic polity like […]
Learn more“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son” (Matt. 22:2). It’s interesting how often Jesus tells stories that involve a wedding. If we look to St. Matthew’s Gospel […]
Learn more“Let it be with me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38). Our Gospel reading today is a familiar one, not only to members of the Community of St. Mary but to all of us: the annunciation to the […]
Learn more“This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (Jo. 6:39). Today, thank God for the liturgy, and […]
Learn more“For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners” (Matt. 9:13). Jesus knows his target audience. He’s not looking for people who have it all together: that’s a good thing, because there aren’t many people in […]
Learn more“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). […]
Learn more“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). Biblical life begins with a breath: that is, all creation begins […]
Learn more“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you…” (Jo. 17:1). If you want to be a TikTok influencer, your fame has to spread. You have to catch the eye, and capture […]
Learn more“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth…” (Jo. 14:16-17). In our Gospel today, Jesus promises the disciples that he will send […]
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