casual theology

Over the past three weeks the Gospel readings at mass have been a series of parables taken from Matthew 13 about the Kingdom of God (or the Kingdom of Heaven).  Using the visual language of parables Jesus has described the Kingdom of God as being like: A sower spreading seed on different soils Wheat and weeds growing together in the same field A mustard seed Yeast added to dough A hidden treasure A pearl of great price A net cast into the sea catching good and bad fish When we consider the parables about the Kingdom of God they each provide a different perspective in a simple, yet deeply profound way. Take, for instance, the parables about the hidden treasure and pearl of great price.  “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of gre...

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of ...

Over the past few weeks I've been following a few controversial blog postings and comment wars with unfortunate Catholic on Catholic attacks. Mostly these have been in the form of staunchly conservative Catholics and Catholics who aren't so staunchly conservative. (I'm not talking about liberal, cafeteria Catholics, just those who have a slightly more relaxed attitude towards the faith while still embracing and upholding it. Basically, good Catholics who are okay with the liturgical changes of Vatican II and aren't horribly scandalized by a guitar being used at mass.) So this just got me thinking and stirred up some comments/observations I wanted to make. Let me first say that I want to be clear that I do not personally know anyone involved in these debates, nor am I judging or directing this post to anyone in particular. I have known really, really conservative, Latin-mass loving Catholics. I have know some really far left field, Obama-loving, women priest sup...

“Are we there yet?” Anyone who’s ever traveled anywhere with children knows firsthand how impatient they become on the journey, and the farther the journey the harder the wait for the little ones. This is especially true when they have an idea of where they’re headed. Tell the kids they're going to the dentist and they never ask when they’ll get there, but tell them you’re going to Disney World and you start getting “Are we there yet?” before you get to the end of the block. Two things compel kids to ask that question; excitement about the destination and ignorance of the details of the trip. All they can think about is how much joy awaits them at the destination. Their minds race thinking about what they’ll do and what they’ll see when they get there. Little children have poor concepts of time and even worse concepts of distance. They don’t understand, nor do they care about traffic patterns, construction delays, or refueling needs. How often are we just like a little ...

“The LORD God gave the man this order: You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.” “But the snake said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.” Genesis 2:16-17; 3:4-5 _____________________ “I believe that my position on choice is one that is consistent with my Catholic upbringing, which said that every person has a free will and has the responsibility to live their own lives in a way that they would have to account for in the end.” Nancy Pelosi _____________________ As we enter into the Lenten season we look ahead to the sacrificial gift of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. We are called to remember that it was our sins that made the cross necessary. We look back to the Garden and the Original Sin of our first parents and we...

As many of my friends and family know, Lisa & I spent about 10 years outside the Catholic Church. During our sojourn to non-denominational Evangelicalism we gained a deeper appreciation for our Catholic heritage and were blessed by the things our Protestant brothers and sisters taught us. As much as the Church has to offer, we can also learn quite a bit from the other members of Christ's mystical body. One such lesson is taking full advantage of what you've been given. I know many Catholics who, when looking to their seperated brethern, focus on what is lacking in these various denominations when compared to the full riches of Catholicism. In particular, it is easy on one hand to see how Christ's Eucharistic presence is missing from their worship. I would counter however, that many Protestants do more with the little they have than so many Catholics who squander this great gift of God. In light of the current liturgical focus on the Eucharist, I am speaking principall...