Month: May 2022

SUN 5THJUN 2022 (2001): PENTECOST SUNDAY: C

1. AA2:1-11

• Read 2:1-47! Paradigm-narrative! SourceContentAffectof TheApostolicPreaching!
• ‘All!: The120Disciples! TheTwelve! TheAssembledNations!
• ‘Tongues/Languages!’ GEN 11:1-9! The inclusiveness of One, the richness of Many!
• Where in my local church is this manifold ‘public utterance of truth’?
• Why are so many disillusioned about our training in ‘TheHolyBreath’?
• Is ThePreaching only for&to men? Or is ‘TheHolyBreath’ something greater?

2. THE PSALM: 103:1, 24, 29-31 (What? This great CreationSong?)

• Read 103(104) 1-35! How poignant in our ecological blunderings!
• In 35 words, my Understanding&Experience of ‘TheBreath-of-Yahweh’?
• But will the masculine divinity truly-inspire me to ‘Love-the-Earth’?
• Especially if I think He’s ‘elsewhere’. Waiting with my ‘Salvation’…
• What of the song’s assertion that ‘Wisdom’ is ‘TheContainerOfEarth’?
• Is there a hint that ‘Yahweh’sBreath’ is feminine, & ‘Mother-of-AllTheCreatures’?

3. ROM 8:8-17

• Read 8:1-39! His daring exploration of the dynamics of ‘TheBreath’!
• ‘Brother/Sons’! Is it possible that Paul would exclude women from this?
• What are The20PrincipalCategories of ‘Spiritual’ & ‘UnSpiritual’ behaviour’?
• What if ‘TheBreath’ & my-own”Breath’ were to pulse-as-one?
• Is our prevalent disdain of ‘ritual breathing’, &collusive pollution of tghe planet’s atmosphere, contributing to the repression of ‘TheHolyBreath’?

4. JN 14: 15-16, 23-26

• Read 14:1-31!The JohannineCommunity endeavours to name TheNuances-of-Power that underpin its faith! &theirOrigin&Interrelatedness&Implications!
• ‘Advocate’! Does He envisage that this ‘DefendingCounsel’ will take His-place?
• Or is ‘TheArrival-of-Father&SonTogether’ also imagined to be ‘TheAdvocate’?
• Can I glimpse here, cohabiting in a relaxed&innocent fashion, ideas&images&possibilities that were entrained another time&place into the trinitarian dogma?
• ‘BeWith&Teach&Remind!’ What’s TheAdvocate’s ‘priority’ in my local church?

5. The presence&action of TheBlessedOne, is it like this?

‘Apart from the stimulating skepticism of Job,” ‘Careful now!, TheOfficialBeliever interjected with avuncular geniality! ThePractisingSkeptic nodded, then plunged on with enthusiastic precipitateness! ‘..I can think of nothing in all TheBible more dark &more strange than the so-called Last Supper Discourses’ ‘Less of the so-called, if you don’t..’

‘in John’ Especially the opaque relationships’ ‘ Not so, TheHoly&UndividedTrinity is a mystery! But it’s not opaque!’ ‘You jump in, that smooth theological way, as if’  ‘Not smooth as you understand smooth, nor theological as you bad-mouth theology, but the sublimest dogma of all!’ ‘ Sure, if you insist! though not yet in John! I doubt if even that community of spiritual elitists had the least intention of declaring anything as non-obscure as a trinity-of-persons!’ ‘&Why not? considering they were specially inspired to embrace the totality of truth that emanated from the lips of TheWordIncarnate!’ ‘Well, so you choose to think! But for me,  your simple-minded exposition of TheTrinity has merely betrayed the dark strangeness of John!’ ‘Away with you! Why do I bother?, not so avuncular now!’

 6. RIDDLE   TheHolyBreath! CharismaticEnthusiasm? Or Mother-of-AllThatLives?

                        Or TrueLife-of-TheCommunity? Or ActualPresence-of-TheChrist?

Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie

1 AAl·l-11

Sunday 29 May 2, 2022 (’01) : ASCENSION OF THE LORD

• Read 1.1 – 2 47! How to deal-creatively with TheDepartureOfJesus! from the christological&ecclesial&hierchical&apostohc points-of-view!
• ‘Witness!’ Concerning Jesus, what are TheChurches testifying-to? &In what ways does this ‘witness’ connect (or not) with the vagaries of contemporary experience?
• ‘LiftedUp/Cloud”: What traditional Jewish stories&psalms&rituals are evoked?

2 THE PSALM 46:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

• Read6(47)·1-9! But why are the ‘Jewish’ elements removed from the excerpt?
• ‘GoesUp” A procession to TheTemple, or up steps, carrying TheArk?
• Why did a small nation claim that their divinity was ‘over all the earth’?
• ‘Fear!’· Struggle to incarnate the moral imperative (what?) of Yahweh!
• What reasons am I given, for shouting&singing-praise to ‘God’ & ‘TheLord’?

3 EPH1·17-23

• Read 1·3 – 2 10! TheBlessing of Participation in TheMysteryOfChrist!
• The hierarchical structure-of-power&rank in which he visualises Jesus, what is the equivalent in my religio-political world?
• As an adult disciple, whence do I derive&test my ‘KnowledgeOfGod’?

4 HEB9.24-28, 10 19-23

• Read 9:1-10 39! The Shadow&Substance of TheRemovalOfSin!
• In what way is ‘Blood’ powerful in the modern world?
• ‘Once&ForAll!’ One of the great claims of Christianity to be the ‘fulfilment’ of Judaism! But am I thereby also finding holistic access to ‘Christ’sAchievement’?
• How will this Eucharist enable me to embody His’MomentOfConsummation’?

5 LK24:46-53

• Read 24·1-53! Some explorations of TheNewWeek-of-TheLord!
• How is my local church enduring the presences&absences of TheChrist?
• To what extent is the ‘program’ presented here by-Jesus, also-ours?
• In what sense is it connected with ‘WorldComtnumcationsDay’?
• In 35words, how would ‘Jesus’ address the current labyrinthine system of communications that enwebs our planet&ourselves&our-future?

6 The presence&act1on of the BlessedOne, is it like this?

THE DISCIPLES TO THEIR MASTER IN HIS GOING!

You CALLED US OUT OF EGYPT INTO THEDESERT!

You FED US DAY BY DAY WITH CUNNING NARRATIVE!

You AWOKE IN EACH A HUNGER&THIRST FOR JUSTICE!

You TAUGHT US TO VALUE WOMEN AS WELL AS MEN!

You EXEMPLIFIED COMPASSION&PIETY &TRUTH!

You EVOKED THE GOAT-OF-ACCEPTING, THERAM-OF-GIVING!

You MADE THE DEMANDING CHOICES, FAMILY&TEMPLE!

You SHOWED THAT LIFE&LOVE&DEATH ARE-ONE!

You LEFT US A TALENT, TO WORK TILL YOU-RETURN!

7. RIDDLE

TheAscension! TnumphantClosureOfHisEarthlyMission?

ConvenientBridgeOfPast&Future?

SymbolicAssertionOfOurNewAutonomy?

Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie

Sunday 22 May 2022 (’01): 6^th Sunday of Easter: C

1. AA15:l-2, 22-29

• Read 15:1-41! Many sons of dissension around&within the roots TheChristian Churches! What sorts? &How are they relevant to my local church?
• Why is the impression given that only men-disciples dissent, decide, &dispose?
• What is the valence in my local church, of TheVatTwoDocuments, the various teachings&declarataons from TheVatican, the exhortations of the local bishop, the explorations of contemporary theologians, the muted controversies?

2 THE PSALM • 66:2-3, 5-6, 8

• Read 66(67):1- 7(8)! A ShoutFor’Elohim/God’, TheTempleDivnity!
• ‘Face!’: Like TheSun! A reminder too of the modem ‘Cult-of-TheBeauteousFace’!
• The insistent emphasis on ‘All/Nations’! Is this purely disinterested&altruistic?
• Why were ‘TheNations’ not encouraged to deepen their own religious cultures?
• What other imagings of ‘God’ are suggested nowadays, apart from ‘Emperor/King’?
• But will other ‘imagings’ then look for ‘other rituals’ (apart from CourtlyPomp!)?
• Say, what appropriate ‘rituals’ for ‘Friend’, ‘Lover’, Teacher’, ‘Shield’,.?

3. APOC21:10-14, 22-23 (Hey, what about vv15-21?)

• ‘InTheSpirit/Breath!’: Another hint that these ‘Visions’ come from a ‘ritual’!
• What is hinted by the constant references to ‘great height’?
• ‘TheNewJerusalem!’: How was this apocalyptic fantasy fulfilled (If ever!)?
• What is hinted by the synergic presence-together of ‘God’ & ‘TheLamb’?

4. JN14:23-29

• Read 14 1-31! Exploration of Jesus’ manifold relatedness to ‘TheFather’!
• ‘KeepHisWord!’: Make HisPriorities&Choices&Behaviours actually-one’s-own!
• Can I glimpse in this abstract the clues that led to the dogma of ‘TheTrinity’?
• How is ‘TheHolyBreath’ at-work in my experience as ‘adult disciple’?
• Whyis TheHolyBreath from ‘Confirmatton’ not much more assiduously unfolded?

5. The presence&action of the BlessedOne, is it like this?

‘Sir! TheAdvocate, TheHolySpirit, may I ask as one who’s learnt to gabble the language, what is this for You?’ ‘Friend! It is TheBreath that sustains me in my great struggle as a witness’ &In my great work as finger-of-God!’ ‘But sir, may I be so bold as to wonder, where is TheBreath hidden when I most need it? when my world topples in ruin,when prayer is impossible, when love is but a word that lacks all fire?’ ‘Friend, TbeBreath is yours moment-to-moment! only, you-yourself must yearn &embrace&breathe-it!’ ‘Sir, how will this be? since I find it all so unfamiliar!’ ‘That which is most intimate & most near, is also most unfamiliar! TheBreath indeed must be wooed by the hopeful lover!’ ‘Where will I begin, sir?’ ‘Friend, begin with your own familiar breath, that moves between the unknown & the known! ask TheAngel that breathes while you sleep, to grant appreciation of that familiar breath! everything will flow from this” ‘Sir, I thank You for Your friendly encouragement! may what You suggest be but the beginning-of-breath, that will invest me in-time-of­ grace with TheAdvocate, TheBreath!!’

6. RIDDLE   Which is the most nourishing aspect of my local church?

Our courageous dealing-with the manydissensions?

Our understanding&experience of that which we call ‘God’?

Our cultivation of TheBreath as TheTeacher&Remmder-of-Jesus?

Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie

                                        Sunday 15^th May 2022 (’01)  5^th Sunday of Easter                   

1. AA14:21-27

• Read 14.1-28! Some basic patterns of early Christian narrative! Greatly enriched by the intriguing allusion to Zeus&Hermes, and the accompanying éclat!
• ‘Prayer& fasting!’ Hints the place in rituals of ‘altered states of consciousness?’
• What are the 12 PrincipalHardships I endure as an ‘adult Christian?’
• Why is ‘Hardship’ deemed to be essential to ‘practical discipleship?’
• But can the current passive minimalist devotion be called ‘discipleship?’
• Elders! What criteria of AgeGenderExperienceHonestySkillCourageLaffter?
• In 45 words, how would I encourage adults now, to be ‘truly-converted?’

2. THEPSALM: 144:8-13 (An ungenerous loyful)

• Read 144 (145) 1-21!  Big flattering hopefull ‘YahwehShout!’
• Since Yahweh is still a crucial, if misrepresented reality,
• Will I gather the courage to distinguish ‘Yahweh’ from ‘God?’
• How can I even begin to know an essentially  nomadic divinity?
• What of the claim that ‘Yahweh’ is still imprisoned in TheTemple?
• Am I yet safer with a ‘devotional Jesus’ than a ‘raging Yahweh?’

3. APOC 21:1-5

• Read 21: 1-22.7!  How will this Jewish-apocalyptic imagery feel when slowed-up?
• ‘God-with-us!’ More than ever, it must be strenuously asked, ‘Which-god?’
• Cos TheOtherGods also are undertaking to ‘wipe away our tears’ & promising ‘surcease of death & sadness’! & they have the Media&InformationTechnology!
• How can ‘AdultChristians’ continue to pretend&keep silent&kowtow?
• ‘MakingNew!’ Are the paradigms of Copernicus&Nietzsche&Einstein part of this?

4. JN 13:31-35 (What? Such a paltry?)

• Read 13: 1-38! What is the double-insistence of ‘Glorification’ and ‘Love?’
• In 25 words my Understanding&Experience of ‘Glory?’
• What are the 15Ways in which Jesus has ‘loved’ me?
• In how many of these ways am I loving any&some-one else?
• How are we ‘known’ as disciples? Mutual Love? Or BelongingToA ‘Church?’
• (‘Cos one maintains, the other transcends&dissolves, boundaries!)

5. The presence&action of The BlessedOne, is it like this?

‘Y’re in y’r suit, y’ musta been above this mornin’! any inspiration? ‘No, he was explainin’ somethin’ til us, but he lost me in th’ middle a’ th’ burra!’ ‘Wha’? th’ usual, goin’ over th’ readin’.. ‘Like turnin’ hay!’ ‘He mentioned glory, the man above said, God ‘d give ‘im glory…’

‘Like glory be t’ Th’ Father, in Th’ Rosary, I remember.’ ‘Glory’s a sorta bright light, he said! But very holy, not like th’ floods say, in Dalymount!’ ‘What’d the man above want all this light f’r?’  ‘T’ show th’ whole world how holy he is! Ornerry saints does on’y have a bittov it on their heads! Our Lady does have it comin’ out of HerHands!’ ‘HerHands?’ ‘An’ sometimes y’ see it when  someone gets married, a kinda glory!’ ‘Did he mention th’ oul Canon?’ ‘What d’ya think y’rself?’ ‘Well, he wasn’t inta any a’ that stuff! Turnin’ hay!’ ‘Remember him!’ ‘Socialists are people who love one another!!…’ ‘Aw God be good til ‘im! He was away ahead of ‘is time!!’

6. RIDDLE            How to be a disciple? Hardship, DivineFlattery, SpinThrRhetoric. Give&AcceptDifficultLove?

Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie

                         Sunday 8^th May 2022 (’01)     4^th Sunday of Easter

1. AA13: 43-52

• Read 13: 1-52! Paul and Barnabas set out on TheFirstMissionaryJourney
• In 25 words, what’s the origin&nature&criterion of my own ‘vocation?’
• How can someone be certain they are presenting ‘TheWordOfGod?’
• How ‘actual&real,’ for me are ‘TheOtherGods’ & their ‘Callings’ of&to me?
• Especially since my ‘CradleMonotheism’ maybe un-alert to them?
• What distinguishes ‘Yahweh’sSalvation’ from, say, Baal’sSalvation?

2. The Psalm 99: 1-3, 5

• Read 99(100):1-5!  CelebratoryEntry of Yahweh’sFlock into TheTemple?
• What makes ‘Yahweh’ in particular, worthy of Praise&thanksgiving?
• And why are Yahweh’s people imaged as ‘TheFlockOfSheepheOwns?’
• ‘Merciful Love!’: The active mutuality that binds Yahweh&ThePeople in ‘covenant?’

3. APOC 7:9, 14-17

• Read 7: 1-17! TheRituals of those ‘SealedWithTheName’ & ‘RobedInWhite!’
• What relation between ‘TheCrowdFromIsrael’ & ‘TheCrowdFromAllNations?’
• ‘Persecution!’ When followers of a ‘True’ are opposed to those of a ‘FalseGod?’
• For Biblical people, what makes Yahweh a ‘True’ & Baal a ‘FalseGod?’
• In this excerpt, what is the relation between ‘God’ & ‘TheLamb?’
• ‘HungerThirstSunWindTears!’ : Where & who are these in my local church?
• Who, in contemporary Ireland is articulating ‘Threatening&ConsolingVisions?’

4. JN 10: 27-30

• Read 10: 1-30! Four messianic amphlifications of a biblical image!
• ‘BelongListenKnowFollowGiveNotLostNotStolen!’: Shepherd&Sheep! In my own StruggleForMaturation, how are these moments perceived endured connected?
• In this brief&familiar&apparently-innocent excerpt,
• What can I glimpse of the early christological&ecclesial&trinitarian dogmas?
• How is the modern world subverting the calm confidence of TheSpeaker?
• Where is this programmatic challenge being unfolded in the local church?
• Eternal life, sure! But is it ‘wishful thinking’ or a ‘shattering of slumber?’

5. The presence&action of the BlessedOne, is it like this?

‘Gran!’ ‘Yes, darling?’ ‘Sam fell out with Boysie an’ called him a name!’ ‘Oh my poor Effie…!’

‘They were comin’ back to Mam’s in Boysie’s jeep! Outside, they stoppt cruckit, I was watchin,’ an’ Sam fell out the door in the flowerbeds! Boysie got out laffin’ to give her a help, but Sam shouted in her tractor voice, “y’ misst y’r focation, y’…, ”an’ she called him a name, “Y’ shoulda been a nundertaker, with y’r oul’ dead snot on ya!’ an’ wouldn’t let him in, an’ Mam bustin’ her sides !’ ‘Oh my goodness…, ‘Gran! Boysie misst his focation!’ ‘Righto, Effie! His focation! What’ll we say?’ ‘Is it like Mam says on the mobile, “One of those occasions!”,,,? ‘A special occasion, maybe…’ ‘…when Boysie shoulda been …’ ‘…shoulda known that he shoulda been…’ ‘…a nundertaker!’ Gran&Effie paused for breath, &laffed! ‘But, Gran, how’d he not know?’ ‘He misst…’ ‘…his focation! His focation…’ ‘…woulda…’ ‘…toldhim…’ “Boysie, go & be a nundertaker!”…’ ‘But, instead…’ ‘…he misst his focation! Great great!!

6. RIDDLE       Which will nourish an adult faith?

DogmaDevotion ControversyRitualRevivalismConscienceAttention?

Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie