Month: February 2023

Sunday 5 March 2023 (’02) : 2ndSUNofLENT A

1. GEN12:l-14

• Read 11 l – 12:20! TheScattering TheCall TheFamine TheBetrayal ThePlagues! Why?
• How am I affected by the devious opportunism of ‘Abram’? (&Reminded-of what?)
• In what respect is ‘Yahweh’ different from the tribal divinities of all the other nomads?
• For instance,Muhammad’s call by Allah, &the subsequent ‘Rise-of-Islam’?
• ‘All-the-Tnbes¹‘: But what of those ‘tribes’ who resisted ‘ThePeoples-of-TheBook(s)’?
• Isn’t ‘Yahweh’ here giving carte blanche for their enforced ‘conversion’, or destruction?

2 THE PSALM 32 4-5, 18-20, 22

• Read 32(33) 1-22! A Jubilant celebration of ‘Yahweh”
• What evidences m my local church of ‘ThePresence&Power&Action-of-Yahweh’?
• Apart from ‘Yahweh’, which other ‘agencies’ do I count on for protection&sustenance?
• IfYahweh were to ask me, what 20Resources would I admit to needing-from-Him?
• ‘Famine!’ If we don’t muck in, what signs that ‘Yahweh’ is either aware or capable?

3 2TIM1:8-10

• Read 1 3-18! Isn’t this writer actually rather anxious about Timothy’s ‘faith’?
• The12Anxieties in my local church about ‘Faith&Practice&Observance’? &Is there more concern about the ‘enthusiasm’ of children, teenagers or adults? Laity or clergy?
• ‘HeAbolishedDeath” MyUnderstanding of this in 30words of modern language?
• What I0Sorts-of-‘Hardship’ am I bearing ‘for the sake of TheGoodNews’?

4. MT17.1-9
   • What, that no women-disciples are included? &may even be specifically excluded?
   • Was the calling&significance of women in Jesus’ historicall ministry somehow disguised or dissimulated in the formation of ‘gospels’? Unless Jesus actually didn’t call them
   • DAN7·9-14 TheAncientOne! EXOD34: Moses’Face’TheGlory! EXOD24 TheCloud!
   • ‘OnlyJesu’!· Was it all a dream? Or has He absorbed it all? Or is it ‘anti-Jewish’?
   • Apart from ‘devotion’, can I glimpse the ‘big issues’ of this neglected narrative.

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

James&John, the sons of Zebedee-the-Netmaker, were among the first to answer the call of TheLordJesus!Shulammith their mother, known as TheAppleTree, herself I responded at the same time, &was part of the intimate companionship up to & beyond TheMaster’s Exodus! Well known among TheFollowers was the story, how she pleaded for her sons, &how these accepted to drink from TheLord’sOwnCup!Well known too, the day of indignation, when they desired, like TheThreeMessengers-to-Abraham (peace-be-upon him), to call down fire on TheSamaritanVillages, &TheLord rebuked them, &they earned the nickname BenêRégesh, Sons-of-TheThunder, for their impetuous ardour! Well known also, the inspiring stories, how they finally drained TheLord’s Chalice to the bitter dregs, in their-OwnExodusTogether under Herod Agrippa, a mere decade after TheMaster’s own under PontiusPilatus! Less well known their own peculiar ways of relating together, &how they were in constant communication at all times! What is known to no one, apart from one other, is a brief conversation they shared as they prepared to FallAsleep-in-TheLord! It was the first time since it happened, that they’d ever alluded to TheManifestation-of-TheLord’sGlory-on-MountThabor! ‘James, may we now speak of that blessed moment?’ ‘John, surely we may’! ‘James, did we both hear TheVoice?’ ‘John, surely we did!’ ‘&James, was TheVoice that of a man or a woman?’ ‘John, assuredly it was of a woman’ &Let us say together whose it was’! ‘Amen-amen’ TheVoice-of-TheDivineMother, TheLord’sFirstMotherAlways’ Amen!

6. RIDDLE Which? LeaveHome? HopeInLove? BeHoly? FearNot?

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

26FEB 2023 1stSUNinLENT(2002): A

1. GEN2:7-9, 3:1-7

Read 2:4b-3:24! A neglected narrative, smothered by tendentious interpretations!

• Why are there two special ‘trees’ &How are ‘life’ & ‘knowledge’ related?
• How was the suitability of animals (&woman) as a ‘partner’ judged?
• What the values&emotions&taboos around ‘nakedness’ nowadoys?
• What ‘knowledge’ would the ‘tree’ give? &Did woman or man receive it?
• Is ‘self-awareness’ always at a cost? What cost? &What benefit?

2. THE PSALM 50: 3-6, 12-14

• Read 50(51) 1-19! Various strategies for ridding oneself of ‘sin’,&its miasma!
• Why is there so much emphasis on ‘sin’ in TheBible, &in the mainstream Churches?
• What are the ‘secular’ equivalents of ‘sin’? &How are they purged?
• How could I rid myself, once and for all, of this debilitating ‘venom-in-the-bones’?
• How adequate are the current ‘rituals-of-penance’ for dealing with sin’s ramifications?

3. ROM5:12-19

• Read 4.1-7.25! How relate Adam&Christ, Sin&Grace, Life&Death, Fait&Works!
• What about the matter-of-fact self-confident logic of it all? But maybe too eloquent?
• Why does Paul connect ‘sin’ & ‘death'(Read carefully GEN2, 4b -3.24! Again!)
• Does he clarify how ‘all have sinned’? &How ‘death spread to all’?
• Is it ‘physical death’ he means? Or some condition like ‘lack of faith’?
• SinDeathWorldLawGraceRighteousManLife! Can I say this riddle in 20modern words?

4. MT4:1-11

• Read 3.1-4.25! Setting-in-train, by Heaven&John&Jesus&Devil, of ‘TheNewExodus’!
• ‘Tempter’! As Moses was tested for his competence as Leader-of-Exodus, so is Jesus!
• In what 20 ways is my LifeCommitment-as-Disciple being tested?
• ‘Angels’! How did they ‘look after Him’? GEN21.8-21(Hagar), !Kg19.1-8(Elijah)!

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

‘Gran’! ‘Yes, Effie dear?’ ‘Boysie’s goin’ off everythin’ for the forty days an’ forty nights!’

‘O, I’m very impressed to hear it, luveen! But a bit surprised.’ ‘Sam an’ Boysie had another row, which he lost! An’ he got very wampy an’ shouted, “Righto then, that”s me up th’ Swanee! A’m goin’ off everythin’ for the forty days an’ forty nights!’”….’What’s th’ forty, Gran?’ ‘Well, a mhilis, y’ know we’re into Lent’ ‘ Yes, Sister Maggie says it Th’ Spring but y’ pray durin’ it, an’ shouldn’t be goin’ ’round like swans or lambs’ ‘ oh’ ‘ ‘an go off cursin’ an’ tearin’ up Gran, Boysie’s goin’ off too, but everythin’! ‘Did Sister Maggie also tell you that Lent is was forty days an’ forty nights…’ ‘ Maybe while I was listenin’ to a family a’ sparras talkin’ outside’ ‘But I wonder why it’s forty days an’ nights’ ‘Mam says she’s goin’ to be forty forever…’ ‘ so it must be a good number!’ ‘Yes, I think Jesus went off everythin’ for forty days an’ nights’ ‘ Had he a nargument with his friend?’ ‘ During the forty days an’ nights he had a big nargument with someone very bold’ ‘ I think I know, behind my eyes,’ …’who was trying to get Jesus to turn against God’ ‘ But Jesus shouted, “No, you don’t! I will never turn against God…”’…’… “Y’ must know, I’ve gone off everythin’ these forty days…”..’ ‘”except God alone!!”’ Effie smoothed her nice blue dress, & whispered to Gran, ‘Thank you, my favourite lady of all! I love you the same as I love God, all the days an’ all the night! Great, great!!’

6. RIDDLE Sin! Disobedience-to-Law? Refusal-of-Friendship?

Embrace-of-AnotherGod? MisrepresentedAutonomy?

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

19FEB2023 7thSUNinORDINARY(1996): A

1. LEV19:1-2, 17-18

Lev 18-20! What are the main preoccupations reflected in these Prescriptions?

What is the affect of appending to an Imperative, ‘I am TheLord/Yahweh!’?

In my Community, what ‘leverage’ is available, to either “Rulers’ or ‘Subjects’, to

ensure that Prescriptions&Stipulations are adhered to or fulfilled?

Which do I find moves me more to undertake a course of action:

Description of it as a ‘Divine Law’ or ‘The Word of the Lord’?

Support of its ‘truth’ by philosophical or quotational arguments?

Threats of ‘eternal’ or ‘temporal’ Loss or Punishment?

Presentation of one or more Exemplars who freely live the imperative?

Whisper of the InnerVoice of Soul, to take &taste&endure alertly?

Unwillingness to confront or embarrass ‘Authority Figures’?

What are the 5principal ingredients/exemplars/drawbacks of ‘Holiness’?

2. 1COR3:16-23

Why is Paul so obsessive about other claims to ‘Wisdom’?

Was he ironic enough to intuit that in time, even his own ‘Divine Wisdom’ might well topple over into ‘Worldly Wisdom’? How might this happen?

What about the mass of ‘Argument’ in the ‘traditional’ Catholic Apologetics?

Ultimately, what did/do people find so compelling about Paul?

Name the 5mostimpressive Writers Preachers Activists Controversialists?

If I am ‘Temple of God’, in whom dwells ‘Breath of God’

What am I doing to Protect Nourish Explore Honour this?

In what ways do I Neglect Avoid Dishonour Squander this?

Who else do I invite into The Temple? Or who do I exclude?

Who forces their way in: by Violence Fraud or Sweet Talk?

To what extent might Paul be devaluing the NittyGritty of experience?

3. MT5:38-48

In what situations can I glimpse myself to be vengeful vindictive reactive?

Where have I learned this behaviour?

What alternatives to ‘Vengeance’ have I discovered or attempted?

Can I se that ‘Eye-for-Eye’ promotes a basic irreducible ‘Justice’?

Why are exhortations to Tolerance Forgiveness Patience Letting Go Compassion & especially ‘LoveOfEnemies’, falling on deaf ears?

What Mindsets&Models are in possession in our PsychicTapestry, that makes it essentially impossible ludicrous dangerous, to be ‘Soft’ & ‘Wimpish’?

How do the initiations of Children into Adulthood, accentuate attitudes of SelfInterest rather than Altruism? &so involve Violence etc!

In what ways is ‘TheHeavenlyFather’ perfect? &How could I emulate this?

To what extent have I found intensive ‘SoulWork’ helpful in all of this?

4. OVERALL QUESTION

Lord! Now & then a stone turns,

&It’s You, smiling! More Conflagration

&Cauldron than before! Like now! O why?

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

Sunday 12^th.February 2023 (1996) 6^th.Sunday in Ordinary A

1. ECCLUS/SIRACH 15: 15-20

Read ECCLUS/SIR 14:20-15:20 Another example of the disarmingly sanguine&optimistic mindset: which imagines that Rhetoric&Knowledge! will give birth without further ado, to appropriately virtuous behaviours, either in oneself or others!

• What hints do I receive that ‘Unconscious Factors’ are at work in me?
• What am I currently identifying as ‘TheTrueWisdom’?
• What Rituals&Methods&Processes am I working, so as to embrace This?
• What aspects of my total experience, are represented by ‘Fire&Water?’
• In what sense is one of these dimensions less valuable or desirable than the other?
• How am I affected by this Fantasy, of Yahweh as a ‘Censorious Watcher?’
• What about the somewhat hectoring&truculent tone of this extract?
• &How about the pervasively masculine texture of this English Version?
• Which phrases of the extract would I want to test against my adult experience?

2. 1COR2: 6-10

• The wisdom that weaves in my adult experience: how describe It?
• How do I represent the relatedness between this Wisdom & myself?
• How does It stand vis-a-vis what Paul means as ‘Wisdom?’
• What counts as ‘Maturity’ in my Church/Community? What are the ‘Criteria?’
• Who declares&applies the Criteria for ‘Wisdom’ in my Community?
• In Paul’s Community, how will people actually reach ‘Maturity,’ without ‘Wisdom?’
• If Paul were here now, would he still say TheMasters had come to their End?
• Who are TheMasters, whose Thinking Example Imperatives dominate this Age?
• How can the modes of Initiation of AdultEducation be more affective?
• ‘Crucify the Lord of Glory’: why does he choose such emotive&tendentious terms?
• As One-who-loves-God, what do I imagine is being ‘prepared for me?’
• What opportunities exist in my Community, for the Spirit to Reveal the Depths?

3 MT5: 17-37

• Read aloud&slowly TheDecalogue (EXOD 20)! Keeping in mind that these were part of the Covenant-with-Yahweh, and all its dimly-glimpsed implications for the life in the world for a ‘ServantOfYahweh’ (Jos 11:24)! &How truly dismaying to hear Him say that ‘embodying Yahweh’ demands more struggle than being a Pharisee! These Jews being, not Freaks&Frauds, but the best exemplars of JewishBiblicalPiety!
• What, if&when I glimpse that ‘Yahweh’ was the InnerEssence of ‘Law&Prophets?’
• Why have CatholicChristians so little esteem for ‘TheOldTestament?’
• What if Paul’s dismissive attitude to ‘TheLaw’ has rubbed onto Catholics: who in another sense have even less esteem than Paul!
• Jesus’ impossibly demanding understandings of Discipleship! What can I do but Ignore or Spiritualise or Analyse or Ridicule His unmistakable thought! Unless…
• How compatible is this extract with current Ecclesial&Social conventions?

4. OVERALL QUESTION:

Lord! Let me get my breath back!

‘Which of us is in the real world!’ That’s what’ll be said!

Can I settle for TheSacredHeart?

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