Month: June 2016

2 Corinthians 3:1-6 & Luke 10, 1-7

June 26, 2016 at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Norman, Oklahoma

Now we pick up Luke’s take on the great mission. There is a shift of focus from Israel and the Jews to the wider mission that bear more resemblance to the mission of the church after the resurrection of Christ. The 72 is our clue to this universality because it reminds those steeped in the Book of Genesis that the descendants of Noah were 72 in number meaning everyone left after the flood. Luke is anticipating the mission to all the nations begun at Pentecost after Easter when people from every nation under heaven (that’s what it says in Acts 2, 5) were gathered in Jerusalem that Pentecost to hear the Apostolic proclamation. … more »

1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 27-30 & Matthew 10, 16-25

June 19, 2016 at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Norman, Oklahoma

After calling, appointing, and authorizing apostles and then giving traveling instructions, there is still more. Now there is instruction about what it means to share in the mission of Jesus, and what consequences can be expected. It is important to notice that in Matthew’s Gospel there is no specific missionary journey recorded as there is in Mark and in Luke where the 72 and the 12 are sent out and return to report what had happened. Those instruction that we heard last week were about how the faithful, the church, should present itself to the world, and so today Matthew continues to direct us on about to expect and how to respond. … more »

The Fifth Sunday of Pentecost

Philippians 3:7-14 & Matthew 10, 1-7

June 12, 2016 at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Norman, Oklahoma

Matthew is carefully unfolding the story of Jesus. In the story of his baptism, Jesus accepts his task of ushering in the Kingdom of God. Then in the story of the Desert Temptations that follows, Jesus chooses the method he will use to proclaim and realize that Kingdom. The great Sermon on the Mount comes next with which Jesus describes the attitudes that will identify those who live in that Kingdom. They will be called “Blessed.” After the sermon, Jesus begins his mission of teaching, preaching, healing, and forgiving; and he begins to meet opposition from the authorities who have a lot to lose with his message. … more »

The Fourth Sunday of Pentecost in the Maronite Rite

1 Corinthians 2, 11-16 & Luke 10, 21-24

June 5, 2016 at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Norman, Oklahoma

A couple of years ago my grand-nephews were visiting me, and I took them to the Museum of Osteology just up the road from here. This is not the sort of museum that would normally attract my attention. A building full of bones does not exactly excite my curiosity, but I trusted the recommendation of a friend who had been there a few weeks earlier with her grandchildren. It is not a very imposing or impressive place like the grand Natural History Museum here in Norman. I think the boys were mostly cooperative with my idea because they did not know what Osteology was, and because they had trusted me with a trip to Andy Alligators the day before, they liked it a lot. … more »