In the first five centuries following the death of Jesus, the central emphasis of Christianity was less on a fully developed doctrine of redemption from a universally fallen humanity and more on living out the message he proclaimed—an ethical, communal, and transformative way of life rooted in love, justice, and devotion to God. While themes … Read more
Influential Individuals advocate for alterations to the traditional names of well-known landmarks on our maps. I reside on land that the Haudenosaunee people initially owned. I requested from ChatGPT a list of U.S. geographic locations with names originating from indigenous languages, including their meanings, where possible. States Rivers and Bodies of Water Mountains and Valleys … Read more
Stand and face the North. “Oh, spirits and angels of the North, where fierce storms come from. Come to us and give us strength and courage. Teach us to be strong like the buffalo who turns and faces the fierce winds and storms head on. Come, spirits and angels of the North.” Face the East. … Read more
A Bodhisattva is a being who has attained enlightenment and is dedicated to helping others attain it as well. This is a good thing because Bodhisattvas serve as teachers, guides, and role models of compassion and selflessness, inspiring others to strive for the same level of enlightenment. Bodhisattvas also remind us that all beings are … Read more
Saw this on Representative Mike Thompson’s Twitter feed this morning. Mike Thompson represents California’s 5th Congressional District. This letter from a Catholic Priest friend says it all about Arch Bishop Cordileone’s latest misguided decision: “Bishops, priests, etc. are neither the hosts nor the bouncers nor the ones who wrote the guest list. The Eucharist is … Read more
I’m a regular reader of Fr. Matthew Fox’s Daily Meditations and todays was particularly insightful. You may enjoy it too.
“How do we put on the mind of Christ? How do we see through his eyes? How do we feel through his heart? How do we learn to respond to the world with that same wholeness and healing love? That’s what Christian orthodoxy really is all about. It’s not about right belief; it’s about right … Read more
The possible overturn of Roe v Wade and the gradual erosion of individual liberties in the United States leaves me very concerned for the future of our country and our planet. Our land is on fire. The southwest and other parts of the country are becoming uninhabitable due to climate change which is not being … Read more
I first saw this quote from a framed poster at Mount Irenaeus over twenty years ago. It’s as meaningful now as it was then. In fact I find myself more and more attracted to solitude the older I get. Sitting in church or anywhere for that matter never really turned me on. I find God … Read more
I’m listening to a book by Neil deGrasse Tyson on astrophysics. It’s extremely interesting and mostly over my head. Last year I took a course on “The Bible and Science.” It was a Christian college and though the professor was very open minded many of my fellow students clung to the belief that the Bible … Read more
