Month: November 2023

Sunday 26^th November 2023 (’02) : OUR LORD JESUS UNIVERSAL KING : A

1. EZEK34:11-12, 15-17 (What about the warm vv13-14?)

* Read 34:1-31! Yahweh’s passionate diatribe against TheOfficialShepherds!

* Why has this critique been bla-bla-ed, as if it applied, only to Israel’sShepherds?

* Or is it impossible to hear biblical oracles&stories as having any impact nowadays?

Apart from the occasional deemed worthy of authoritative&authentic interpretation!

* Is EZEK34:1-31 being carefully weighed&explored by each ‘pastoral council’?

* In this excerpt, what are the priorities&aptitudes of a ‘true shepherd’?

* ‘Yahweh’ says, I will do this&that! But who will courageously embody it?

* What aspects of this excerpt is my local neglectfull of?

2. THE PSALM : 22:1-3, 5-6 (Verse 4, arguably the best, omitted!)

* Read 22(23):1-6! ‘Yahweh’, VersatileShepherd! RestorationNurtureGuidance!

* For which situations in my local church is ‘Yahweh’sShepherding’ crucial?

* ‘YahwehNourisherProtectorGuideBenefactor!’: Better than ‘YahwehKing’?

* Tho’ perhaps the ‘king-metaphor’ suits&sits better than ‘nourisher&friend’!

* If I were a ‘sheep’ in the ‘flock’ which is the local church, how’d I describe it?

* NothingShallIWant(WithYahweh)!

What are The20Resources of my local church?

What are My15Needs as an adult disciple?

Which resources are ignored, which needs are unfulfilled?

3. 1COR15:20-26, 28 (What’s the problem with v27?)

* Read 15:1-58! His truly-courageous exploration of ‘Christ’sDeath’!

* To what extent have I been intimately familiarised with this great poem?

* HisMetaphors! SelfShowing/FeetOnTheVanquished/FirstFruits/DeathOfSeed/

AppropriateBodies/BearingTheImageOf/PuttingOn/Sting/Victory!

* How can I explore more deeply the relatedness of ‘Christ&Adam’? Has Paul perhaps

simplified the ‘causality’ of each of these? &What of ‘Eve’? &’Mary’?

* Can he be sure ‘ChristKing’ will ‘put all enemies, especially Death, under HisFeet’?

* Is his mythological perspective over-tentative? Or just biblical?

4. MT25:21-46

* What have I been told about this shallowly-explored JesusStory?

* What is the narrative-relation between ‘TheSon-of-Man’ & ‘TheKing’?

* ‘TheKingdom!’: That ‘Yahweh-in-Jesus Behaviour’, that consists in

seeing ‘TheChrist’ in TheHungryThirstyStrangerSickPrisoned! &responding-in-love!

* ‘OnHisLeftHand!’: But if these had never been diligently-catechised, so as to value

&embody the succouring of ‘ThePoor’, as if it were the succouring of ‘TheChrist’?

* Because the underlying presumptions here, (namely, that recognition-of&responses-to

‘ThePoor’ are also to ‘TheChrist’), are worlds away from ‘normality’!

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

‘Sir, something I’ve always wondered…’ ‘Friend, never conceal wish or query or comment from your friend!’ ‘Well, a previous thought! Which, your hidden dignity or your narrative-making or your struggle-to-heal or certain much-quoted sayings of yours to ones like Kephas or Magdalene, which was the most important aspect…’ ‘Friend, all&everything was the most important at every moment! To be present &awake&going-out-to-others in whatever ways I could! But what I loved&lived in a particular way was storytelling!’ ‘Sir, I would have thought that the struggle-to-heal…’ ‘My storytelling was central to that! Not as impressive, perhaps, as curing the sick, &healing the lame & the blind…’ ‘Yes, TheOneWhoBringsOutFromEgypt…’ ‘But in my stories, TheOneWhoSentMe was present, I was present, those who listened were unusually present, &we moved amongst&within them in an ordinary but extraordinary weaving, thread by thread, of a new seeing&touching-for-good, all people, rich&poor, holy&unholy, men&women&children, Jews&foreigners!’ ‘Sir, I’m so moved! I never thought of such a richness of divine wisdom!’ ‘Friend, ultimately only one story is needed, this is the one pearl! Remember the words of TheKing, “Embracing or repulsing anyone with any need whatever, you embrace or repulse Me!!”…’

6. RIDDLE But who is TheKing?

TheTrueShepherd of the neglected sheep?

TheDefeater of all enemies, including Death?

TheOne hidden in the ubiquitous poor?

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

Sunday 19^th November 2023 (’02) : 33rdSUNinORDINARY : A

1. PROV31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 (Why the penny-pinching selection?)

* Read 31:1-31! KingLemuel’sMother’sOracle to him, about Discipline&Women!

* To what extent is 31:10-31 a ‘program’ for contemporary ‘home-makers’?

* What ‘mother’ is counselling ‘rulers’ (civil, ecclesial, &others) nowadays?

* What ‘agencies’ are setting the ‘agenda’ for wives&mothers?

* What are The15Obstacles&Challenges being encountered by women today?

* Why are mothers being excluded from ‘power-sharing’ in my local church?

* Especially in view of their wisdom! &their experience of body&sexuality&pain!

* In this excerpt, what assures ‘harmony’ between husband&wife (&vice-versa!)?

2. THE PSALM : 127:1-5 (Verse 6?)

* Read 127(128):1-6! Blessings of a man-devoted-to-Yahweh!

Specifically, prosperity in the land, the family, the grandchildren, &Jerusalem!

* Can I write a similar ‘blessing-song’ for a woman-devoted-to-Yahweh?

* Is this psalm a benevolent echo of the ‘woes’ on ‘Adam&Eve’? (GEN3:16-19!)

* ‘FearTheLord!’: To make ThePrioritiesOfYahweh one’s-own ‘priority’!

* Is the psalmist sure that prosperity&fertility&longevity invariably are the reward

of devotion-to-Yahweh? Or is there some pious froth here too?

* What is promised by my local church for ‘devotion-to-Jesus’?

3. 1THESS5:1-6

* In regard to TheCircumstances&Personages-ofTheEndTime, what do I know?

* Even in regard to TheEndTime of one’s own life, is it not quite vague?

* Surely ‘TheLord’sDay’ is in every moment & every situation?

But, am I sharpening my alertness&discernment, so as to recognise&respond to Him?

* Why is Paul so sure that ‘Christians’ are ‘sons-of-light&day’?

Or indeed, that ‘we do not belong to TheWorld-of-Darkness’? Just think of the 20thC!

* What disciplines&rituals are enabling me to ‘stay wide-awake&sober’?

* Who in my local church has Paul’s charism of ‘passionate self-assurance’?

4. MT25:14-30

* What interpretations have I been offered for this JesusStory?

* Is it possible that this more circumstantial ‘parable’ has been expanded by MT/or

his community, from an earlier brief story? What might this latter have been?

* What OT stories or similes or prayers might have inspired this ‘parable’?

* Who is the most significant character in mT’s story? &Why is this?

* Can I describe each character’s ‘one-track-mind’?

* Should the third servant have been blamed&punished for his course-of-action?

* How am I taking-on the urgent task of unfolding-for-others my inner resource?

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

‘Ah, boys-a-boys! that’s all I have t’ describe it, boys-a-boys!’ ‘Begod, many’s a time I heard th’ oul’ Canon say th’ selfsame words…’ ‘Aw, a prophet indeed…’ ‘…as he looked at the state of th’ churcha Christ! I take it y’ w’re above this mornin’, wearin’ y’r first communion suit til th’ bitter…’ ‘Look, I toldja before, I take exception…’ ‘OK, I owe ya! you do yours, I do mine!’ ‘Right-on, mate! Cheers!’ ‘So what’d th’ broth of a boy…’ ‘one a’ th’ stories, whatever they’re called, of Our Lord! Prob’ly aimed, he said, at th’ priests…’ ‘Oh…’ ‘…in the temple!’ ‘Wow, I was wonderin’ would ‘e ‘ve admitted it, if it was ‘is own crowd!’ ‘Anyway, these three codgers got talents from their owner…’ ‘…like playin’ th’ mouth organ an’ tap-dancin’…?’ ‘No, talents means loadsa moola! They hadta do business…’ ‘Prob’ly smugglin’ or drugs…’ ‘…then come back wi’ th’ praffits! one fella just put th’ loot in ‘is hankie, an’ buried it, an’ brought it back, an’ was ate-up an’ swallied an’ sput-out be ‘is owner!’ ‘Y’d think ‘e’d be glad t’ get ‘is own back…’ ‘No, the preacher said! It’s y’r faith from baptism! don’t jus’ cart it back! trade with it! an’ on an’ on an’ on, talkin’ hisself puce in th’ face to a chapel fulla dead frogs… Ah, boys-a-boys-a-boys…!!’

6. RIDDLE Who is the worthwhile role-model?

The capable wife? The devoted Yahwist?

The watchful ‘church’? The thrifty servant?

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

Sunday 12^th November 2023 (’02) : 32ndSUNinORDINARY : A

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE WEEK (PRISONERS)

1. WISD6:12-16

* Read 6:1 – 8:21! Solomon’s description-of&desire-for Wisdom!

* What is comparable to this ‘Wisdom’ in my adult christian experience?

* How desirable or accessible is ‘Wisdom’?

* To what extent does She possess HerOwnReality&Realm&Rituals?

* What of the claim that She’s a divinity, of similar importance, say, as ‘Yahweh’?

* Why is Mary called ‘Seat-of-Wisdom’?

* Why was Adam denied access to ‘TheTreeOfKnowledge’,

whose fruit, in the perception of TheWoman, ‘was to be desired to make one wise’?

2. THE PSALM : 62:1-8

* Read 62(63):1-11! Song of desire&satisfaction to TheTempleDivinity, Elohîm!

* Do I recognise in myself any such longing for Elohîm, or Yahweh, or Wisdom?

* Can I name 10Men or Women who yearned insatiably for ‘God’?

* What indications in the psalm, why this poet ‘desires God’ so palpably?

* To what extent is ‘Thirst-for-God’ being inculcated in contemporary disciples?

* ‘GazeOnYou!’: Did some worshippers have ‘visions’ in TheTemple?

* Was nightly ‘RememberingOfGod’ a healing-of, or cause-of, ‘insomnia’?

3. 1THESS4:13-18

* Read 4:1 – 5:26! Paul’s exhortations&advices to one of his early ‘churches’!

* But what if ‘TheComingOfTheLord’ is not in the ‘future’, but continually-in-the-now?

* &If many of the other ‘events’ that Christians imagine as being in ‘the future’,

or ‘after death’, like JudgmentHellPurgatoryHeaven, are arguably in-the-now?

* RisingAgain! God’s awakening of Adults out of Torpor&Prejudice&Ignorance!

* In TheBehaviour-of-MyChurch, which is superior, life before, or life after, ‘death’?

4. MT25:1-13

* What’s TheKingdom-of-Heaven? ‘TheComingOfTheLord’? TheDayToDayEffort-

ToEmbodyTheStruggleOfJesus? TheCatholicChurch? TheRealm&StateOfHeaven?

* What about each of the main characters of this JesusStory?

Some of the women failed to provide for all eventualities!

Some of the women were ungenerous to other women, out of self-interest!

The bridegroom, arriving late, treated those-there-for-him with disdain!

Would any of them be dependable in a situation demanding love?

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

Mam left her youngest daughter Effie at Gran’s cottage earlier than usual, this particular Thursday! ‘A’m gettin’ a make-over, Gran! T’rrah!’ Effie ran in, sat neatly in her favourite highbacked chair, fresh as cornflowers in her nice blue dress, ‘Gran!’ ‘Welcome from my heart, asthore! What pearl has the ocean offered us today?’ It seems that Samantha&Boysie had another blow-up! he said she was puttin’ him down about his mother’s accent (‘Or may be it was her accident, Gran!’), she then poked his eye with her mobile, &Boysie ran off on his tractor, grogglin’ about a solicitor’s letter! ‘Then Gran, Sam came in all streamy to Mam, “Madge! somethin’ somethin’! tell us, is this somethin’ girl a wise or foolish virgin?”… Gran, I can’t say the somethins, but what’s a wise or foolish virgin?’ Gran dried her hands as she prepared for making wheaten bread, ‘Now that’s a deep question indeed! You can learn a lot listenin’ to Sam…’ ‘An’ us two then talkin’ about th’ pearls!’ ‘True enuff, we’re a great pair of pearl-polishers!’ ‘Gran, wise or foolish virgins!’ ‘Yes, luveen! Now, virgins, what do you think of?’ ‘Th’ Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus’ mammy! Tho’ she wasn’t foolish, was she?’ ‘Effie, she was very very wise…’ ‘Oh wasn’t it great for Jesus to have such a wise mammy! But Sam’s not a mammy, so why’d she ask Mam that question?’ ‘I think she had an old story in her head! Jesus told it, about bridesmaids goin’ to a weddin’!’ ‘Yes, Sam was a bridesmaid for Boysie’s uncle Henny…’ An’ sometimes they were called virgins as a nickname…’ ‘Oh…’ ‘An’ the wise ones brought all they needed…’ ‘Like make-up…’ ‘Yes, this an’ that…’ ‘ Oh, Gran! I’m outa breath with bridesmaids an’ virgins! Let’s start th’ bread!’ ‘An’ take it up some other time!’ ‘Great! great…!!’

6. RIDDLE Which headline do I embrace?

WatchForWisdom! ThirstForGod!

AwaitTheLordJesus! GoToMeetTheBridegroom!

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