From the Pastor: 7.24.11

A brief reflection on a curious pattern which seems emergent…  Is it possible that Evangelical Christians – or at least, some of them – are becoming more moderate?  And is it also possible that in the process, their beliefs are coming into closer alignment with those of Roman Catholics?  We all know that there has been, for some years now, a growing “alliance” between Evangelicals and Catholics built on shared “conservative” positions on abortion and other moral issues; but I am thinking here about broader theological and pastoral points of view… I...

Homily: 16th Sunday OT(A) – 7.17.1...

A little more than 30 years ago, Dr. Betty Edwards published a book entitled Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.  The book recounts how most of the adult students in her art classes claimed that they didn’t know how to draw, or were even embarrassed or ashamed by their efforts.  Over time,  she gradually discovered something interesting: namely, that when asked to draw something basic like a house or a cat, these adults – if they could be coaxed into drawing at all – drew the exact same house or cat as they had been drawing earlier in life when they became...

Homily: 14th Sunday OT(A) 7.3.11

I recently watched on Netflix a French film from the 1990s entitled Ridicule.  A lavish period costume drama, the film depicts life at the court of Louis XVI at the palace of Versailles in the years just before the French Revolution.  At the most literal level, the title refers to the sharp-edged wit which reigned supreme among the courtiers of the day.  At dinners and other court functions, nobles at court would engage in actual contests of verbal wit to see who could produce the cleverest and most elegant jests, rhyming verses, epigrams, and the like.  If the film is...

Homily: Corpus Christi 2011

We are all familiar with the infamous line which has long been attributed to the Queen consort of the Sun King, Louis XIV.  Supposedly, on the brink of the French Revolution, when the queen was informed that the poverty of the French peasants was so disastrous that they were unable even to afford bread, she replied: “Let them eat cake.”  The point is that the poor woman was either callous or clueless – more likely, the latter.  In other words, the isolated and highly artificial world of the court at Versailles left Marie so out of touch with the realities of life...

From the Pastor: 7.17.11

As many of you already know, I have spent the past week at Wernersville making my annual retreat.  It has been a wonderful time of rest, reflection, and restoration.  Naturally, I prayed for you and about you – or about us, I should say – every day.  And as I prepare to conclude this week of “vacation with Jesus” (I return to OSJ tomorrow, July 11), I am more convinced than ever that our focus on prayer and spirituality this fall is the right thing for us as a parish, coming at the right time.  In fact, if we were to get stuck in our efforts to foster prayer...

From the Pastor: 7.11.11

When I arrived at OSJ to take up my duties as pastor in September of 2008, I inherited a “pastor” subscription to a monthly journal called “Church Executive.”  My first impression was that the publication was produced by evangelicals for evangelicals, and would likely be of little interest or use to me.  Fortunately, I flipped through it before tossing it into the circular file; and I have been at least skimming it on a monthly basis ever since. In the July issue which arrived this last week, I found an article which spoke to me deeply as we gear up for a...

From the Pastor: 7.3.11

As we gear up for a fall of greater sharing and integration of Ignatian spirituality within our parish faith community, it seems worthwhile to dispel a couple of possible misconceptions.  A Jesuit friend (now retired), nationally recognized as a seasoned retreat master and an expert on Ignatian spirituality, said something a few years ago which I have never forgotten: “We have to be careful of unwittingly promoting ‘Ignatian gnosticism.’” “Gnosticism” is often used to refer to a specific heresy which threatened the Church of Christ early on; but in its...

From the Pastor: 6.26.11

I am not sure what I can add to the thoughtful, lengthy reviews that have already appeared in print regarding “Tree of Life,” the new film from screenwriter and director Terrence Malick.  Known as something of a recluse, Malick has made only five films (including “Days of Heaven,” “The Thin Red Line,” and “The New World”) over a period of 38 years; but all five have been memorable.  His visual style is so lush and distinctive, and so uniquely attentive to detail, that his work is often compared with that of Stanley Kubrick (“2001: A Space Odyssey,”...