Category: QUESTIONS

‘WHAT’S YOUR DEMON’S NAME?’ (Mt 4:1-11):  10 February 2008 (First Sunday of Lent)

Today’s Readings

My most vivid images of the devil understandably come from the movies, and it’s amazing how the shape of the devil has evolved in the imagination of filmmakers through the years.   He has come a long way from the conventional red tights, horns, and tail.

The most recent significant appearance of the devil on film is found in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.”  Satan appears early on in the film as our Lord is shown going through his agony in the garden.  It is a most unconventional appearance:  You can’t tell if the devil is male or female.  Eyebrows shaved, he has a feminine face and a voice that is neither masculine nor feminine.  The best way I can think of describing this version of the devil is by comparing it to the lead vocalist of the 80’s band, Culture Club, Boy George–but without the make-up.

“HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICES?” (Lk 5:27-32): 09 February 2008 (Saturday after Ash Wednesday)

Today’s Readings

Today’s reading is about God’s choices, the type of people that God chooses and uses to do his work.

In the Gospel, our Lord chooses Matthew–a tax collector.  Tax collectors have never been anybody’s favorite characters.  Today, as before, they continue to be associated with graft and corruption.  However, at the time of our Lord, they were hated by the Jews for an additional reason:  Not only were they notorious for cheating the people that they taxed; but also, because the taxes they collected went to a foreign power, they were branded as traitors, as collaborators with Rome.

“CAN YOU BLAME US?” (Lk 9:22-25):  07 February 2008 (Thursday after Ash Wednesday)

Today’s Readings

The TV series “Smallville” is, of course, about Clark Kent (played by Tom Welling) before he discovers his superpowers and becomes Superman.   It’s already on its 7th season, but I’ve only watched the first season back in 2002.  As it sometimes happens to some successful shows, the second season got a little too weird for me (Think “Lost”) although I’m told that the later seasons are actually quite good.  

“WHY SMEAR OURSELVES WITH ASHES?” (Mt 6:1-6, 16-18):  06 February 2008 (Ash Wednesday)

Today’s Readings

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter—later made into a movie starring Demi Moore—opens with the leading character, Hester, being led to the scaffold where she is to be publicly humiliated for committing the sin of adultery.  There she is forced to wear the letter “A” on her gown at all times as a sign of her sin.  By wearing this letter, she is identified and labeled as a sinner.  By wearing this label of her sin, she is ostracized and excluded from society.

“ARE WE DESPERATE FOR MIRACLES?” (Mk 5:21-43): 05 February 2008 (Tuesday)

Today’s Readings

Today’s Gospel reading is about desperate people—two desperate people:  One a synagogue official named Jairus; another an unnamed woman who has been ill for twelve years.  For each one of them, our Lord performs an extraordinary miracle.