“Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth” (Mic. 5:3). The image of pregnancy is a favorite prophetic trope: that is, the prophets’ propensity for likening the People […]
Learn more“The Lord is near” (Phil. 4:5). In our second reading this morning, St. Paul tells the Church in Phillipi that the Lord is near; in earlier translations, that the Lord is “at hand.” The English word “near” in […]
Learn more“In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land”(Jer. 33:15). Judgment is a traditional Advent theme, and our reading […]
Learn more“Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (Jo. 18:37). What is the truth, anyway? The ancient Greeks believed that truth was reality, things that were plainly evident. Truth is what actually took place in contrast […]
Learn more“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7). Today we celebrate the feast of St. Clement of Rome, traditionally accounted the […]
Learn more“But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book” (Dan. 12:1). We begin with the keeping of records: whether on tablets of clay or stone, or scrolls of papyrus or […]
Learn more“Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? * and who can stand in his holy place?” (Ps. 24:3). There are two movements in our psalm today, for All Saints’ Day; two processions from one place to another. The […]
Learn more“Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way” (Mk. 10:52). The Gospel writer Mark loves the word “immediately.” Over and over again, he describes things happening “immediately.” The Spirit drives Jesus out into the desert […]
Learn more“The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized”(Mk. 10:39). The disciples in Mark’s Gospel just don’t get it. They’re like those hapless comic figures in […]
Learn more“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”(Matt. 5:4). It’s a great pleasure to officiate today at the wedding of Claire Shelnutt and Zachary Berry, and to join with all of you in the celebration and […]
Learn more“They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’”(Mk. 10:26). “Go”; “Sell”; “Give”; “Follow”: these are all action words we find in our Gospel today. Jesus casts them all in imperative form: that […]
Learn more“I will seek him whom my soul loves”(Song of Songs 3:2). It’s an honor to preside and preach today as a part of the Anglican/Episcopal House of Studies and Fons Vitae commemoration of John Henry Newman at Duke […]
Learn more“Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it”(Mk. 10:15). On a couple of occasions in his ministry, Jesus turned to children to illustrate the nature of […]
Learn more“And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon” (Rev. 12:7). Just when you thought dragons were not real, along come the computer-generated images from HBO’s Game of Thrones, giving us fleshed out […]
Learn more“Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked” (Ps. 1:1). Last weekend, Caroline and I were at a family wedding in Chicago, and as it turned out we did a lot of walking. […]
Learn more“You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Jas. 2:8). This quotation from Leviticus in our reading today has a very distinguished track record. Not […]
Learn more