These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd . . . . "
(Mk 8:1-10)
This expression of compassion is followed by the feeding of the 4,000. Seven loaves of bread and a few fish: Jesus took “the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd.” Please notice the “Eucharistic elements” in the passage: Jesus takes, gives thanks, breaks, and gives. And the gospel writer notes that there were seven baskets of left-overs!
When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden
at the breezy time of the day,
the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God
among the trees of the garden.
(Gen 3:1-8)
Much ink has been spilt on this passage and some church people have argued that the woman is to blame for all the ills that followed. But I prefer the Exultet from the Easter Vigil: “O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a redeemer! (previous translation)”
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
(Gen 2:18-25)
Human beings need one another. It’s not a design error; it’s intentional by the creator. As Saint Augustine says: “Oh Lord, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they rest in you.” As Bishop William Curlin would say, “Who am I to judge the loves that bring you to God?” Today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.
(Gen 2:4b-9,15-17)
Today we begin the second story of creation. God creates humanity . . . and then decides to plant a garden so we could have something to do. Today is the feast of Saint Scholastica, the twin sister of Saint Benedict. She is considered the mother of all women religious communities. The cartoon says: “The Garden of Eden is a couple of miles down the road. This is the Garden of Morris.”
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
(Gen 1:20-2:4a)
As God finishes the work of creation, God finds everything not just good, but “very good.” It’s understandable that church folks want to focus on “original sin,” but we should never forget the “original blessing.” And as God “rests” on the seventh day, we too are called to rest and appreciate the creation.
