The Fool

Psalm 14:1 reads, “Fools have said in their hearts ‘There is no God’” and this reminds me of the story about the Florida judge who heard the following case: An atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover Holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognised days. The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate [Read more...]

Marilyn Monroe

The gospel this morning sounds similar to the one we heard last week; as it once again speaks to the issue of healing on the Sabbath.   But it also touches on something else, something far more important, the love of our brothers and sister, even the ones who are suffering.   And that thought reminds me of the story about Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe has become a kind of icon—a symbol, in a way—of the sensuality and emptiness of our time. Arthur Miller, in his autobiography Timebends, tells of [Read more...]

Dante Rossetti

Jeremiah 1:6 –“Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.’”   Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the famous nineteenth-century poet and artist, was once approached by an elderly man. The old fellow had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Rossetti to look at and tell him if they were any good, or if they at least showed potential talent. Rossetti looked them over carefully. After the first few, he knew they were worthless, showing not the least sign of artistic [Read more...]

Tommy Lasorda

When Delien and I moved to America in 1988, I started to watch American sports on TV, and soon found that I liked baseball the best of what was on offer. Baseball had so many characters and stories about these ‘great heroes’ of the game that I came to love and followed.   The team that I followed was the Chicago Cubs, which was an east coast team and with us living in Oregon the closest teams to being home teams were the Seattle Mariners in Washington and of course the California teams of which [Read more...]

Pestilence and Fear

In his book The Prayer of the Frog Vol.2, Father Anthony de Mello SJ, tells the story of Pestilence who was on its way to Damascus and sped by a chief’s caravan in the desert.   “Where are you speeding to?” asked the chief.   “To Damascus, I mean to take a thousand lives.”   On its way back from Damascus, Pestilence passed by the caravan again.   The chief said, “It was 50,000 lives that you took, not a thousand!”   “No,” said Pestilence. “I took a thousand, it was Fear that took the [Read more...]