Category Archives: Personal

personal items about Jerry

God is Love (I John 4:8 & I John 4:16)

The profundity of this declaration and others like it in the Gospel according to John have been growing on me since my retreat in August. There the retreat master urged us to see God’s love as enfolding us and God … Continue reading

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PostDoom spirituality www.Postdoom.com.

Richard Rohr references the work of Michael Dowd and Ivey Cone on moving beyond the doom I feel when I reflect on where we are with our planet today. : “A foreboding sense of climate chaos, societal breakdown, and economic … Continue reading

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Friendship

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15: 13-14) In his daily meditations this last week Richard Rohr focussed on … Continue reading

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Mark 1:29-39 — Being pushed and pulled

So Jesus goes to Simon and Andrew’s house. James and John go along. (These four are the only named disciples at this time.) Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law. “He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up.” (A … Continue reading

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Epiphany 4: Mark 1:21-28

On the Sabbath Jesus does what most Jewish men do. He goes to the synagogue to read the Torah and Prophets and to pray. This was in Capernaum and he was traveling, presumably with those he had called earlier to … Continue reading

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Stuff

“Actually this is just a place for my stuff, ya know? That’s all, a little place for my stuff. That’s all I want, that’s all you need in life, is a little place for your stuff, ya know? I can … Continue reading

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Utopia, Optimism, Dystopia

On September 11, 2001, our daughter was seven years old. We all woke up that morning to a horrific “accident” at the World Trade Center. It very quickly became apparent that this was not an accident; it was an attack … Continue reading

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Matthew 18: 15-20 — Reconciliation and Forgiveness

When our daughter, Jacquelyn, was in middle school, she was in a rehearsal for a play with other classmates and students. The teacher/director had a sign on the gymnasium door that read, “Do Not Disturb. Practice in Session.” She often … Continue reading

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Mt 16: 13-20. Who do you say that I am?

There is much that comes to mind when reflecting on this passage. I tell the candidates that this is the central question of all four gospels. Is it? John does not have Jesus asking the question. Maybe that’s because John’s … Continue reading

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Matthew 14: 22-33 — Prayer in Quiet and Prayer in Chaos

This Sunday’s Gospel is the story of Jesus walking on the water (Mt 14: 22-33). The phrase “He dismissed the crowds” is repeated in the first verse. Jesus “made” the disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the … Continue reading

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