The way of imagination

Ancient relevance.   Any conscientious catholic who has the habit of watching the news cannot help but notice a direct link between today’s first reading and what is going on in the Church these days.   Last week, a grand jury released a report detailing the results of their 2-year long investigation into dozens of clergymen who had abused upwards of 1,000 children in various dioceses in the state of Pennsylvania.   Every time cases of the abuse of children by priests and religious come to light, we are reminded that we live in a world – and are part of a Church – deeply infected by evil .   And of course, let’s not forget that the line between good and evil runs through each one of us (cf. Solzhenitsyn).   In today’s first reading, the prophet Ezekiel proclaims an oracle of judgment against the false “shepherds” of God’s “flock”.   Instead of caring for, protecting and nurturing God’s people , Israel’s leaders had exploited the people for their...

AUDIO SEEKING THE MEANING OF THE CROSS OF JESUS Is there a meaning on this hill?   Almost 2,000 years ago, on a hill outside of the capital city of the Roman province of Judaea, a blue-collar worker from the tetrarchy of Galilee (i.e. a nobody ) was crucified – along with two other brigands – on a charge of political sedition (i.e. defying the empire).   In the eyes of the world at that moment, what happened that day was a non-event – it definitely wasn’t “gospel” .   The word “gospel” was actually a common word in the world of the New Testament; it was not invented by Christians (from a pagan background; Jews had a biblical concept of “gospel”: Is. 52.7).   “Gospel” meant “good news”, “ worthy of the front page ”.   Even the close friends of the executed man were so scared of sharing his fate that they were holed up in a locked apartment.   Fortunately, a sympathetic member of the Jewish Supreme Court took it upon himself to give the condemned m...