Defensiveness, denial, rationalization, avoidance. What do these things have in common? It’s what we do when we avoid shame. None of us like to experience shame. None of us like to experience suffering. And we love to avoid. We love to deny. We love to distract ourselves because shame does not feel good. Here is the gospel, though, where Saint Peter does the same thing. He tells Jesus, “No, you cannot die. You cannot suffer. You cannot experience shame. I will protect you. I will defend you. We will avoid this.” But the reality is that Jesus Christ embraces all of these things. He embraces shame. He embraces suffering for us. This is what makes Christianity so radical that our God is not afraid to embrace shame and suffering for us. So the next time that you experience some shame or suffering, you know that your God has gone before you experience this with you.
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Pentecost
Blessed Pentecost to everyone. Come, Holy Spirit, “Veni Sancte Spiritus,” let the fire fall. An incredible day that we get to realize the perfect love of the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into all of our hearts. The Trinity can be seen as the Father being the lover, the Son being the beloved, and the Holy Spirit being the love between the lover…
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Loved Like The Samaritan Woman
Every year, this Gospel comes up during Lent, and every single year, it wrecks me. Yes, priests can get emotional, too, okay? In the Gospel of the Samaritan woman, she finds her identity in all the husbands who use her. And here is Jesus who is love Himself. And what’s so incredible is that He loves her well, and He loves her how she is…
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Keys to the Kingdom
We live in a culture of life hacks. We can make anything more effortless and more efficient. There are life hacks for finding flights online, cooking eggs, and dating relationships. And when it comes to your dating relationship, please do not use any hacks. We can make things so easy and comfortable. Do we need the Lord? There will be a moment in our lives…
Bible study mode activate. The first reading for this Sunday from Isaiah is fire. God is speaking to the people of Israel, saying, “I will place the keys of the House of David on the shoulder of Eliakim. When he shuts it, no one will open it. And when he opens, no one shall shut. When the king is away, Eliakim, you are in charge.” We see this again in the Gospel. Jesus says…
