Catholic Blogging

There is an interesting article by Timothy Drake of the National Catholic Register recently in which he states, “If you haven’t yet heard of blogging, you soon will. The latest Internet trend in personal journalism, it is currently undergoing an explosion among Catholics, connecting lay Catholics, priests and seminarians across the country.”

Thanks to the following Catholic Bloggers who have recently noted or promoted The New Gasparian on their Blogs.

Fr. Jim Tucker
Fr. Bryce Sibley
Amy Welborn
Gerard Serafin
Dale and Heather Price

Timothy Drake has his own Blog too.

Seems the collection of Catholic Blogs is becoming known as "St. Blogs Parish."

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 9:36 PM link

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Ramblings on Sunday's readings
and the Ministry of the Word



C3. The Society dedicates itself to the service of the Church through the apostolic and missionary activity of the ministry of the word.
From the Normative Texts

(I was not in the pulpit today, one of those rare opportunities to relax, but these are some of my favorite readings, so I could not resist. Some phrases have been borrowed freely from the New Jerome Biblical Commentary, but the organization and presentation are my own)

The word comes gently from God,
never intended to remain suspended like clouds in mid-air,
but to soak the earth and to be drawn back toward God
like plants and trees.

God's spirit is infused within human beings
where it brings forth divine gifts.

God's word is less a message
and more an event,

an event perceived in the mystery of the salvation of humanity.

All the world,
all of creation,
breaks into song
as God brings home the people,
as God brings back the nations,
as God makes room even for us.

The curse of darkness is removed forever,
and in it's place grow the trees of paradise
that join in the song
and clap their hands in the rhythm of the celebration.

Love is no longer distant and abstract
The covenant between God and human beings
is no longer a legal contract.

It is now communion of the whole of life;
it is now this person,
this other human being,
this family,
these children.

The saving love of God
is made flesh in this love which is now before our eyes to see.


God's word is less a message
and more an event
by the sea
not some academic hothouse
words addressed to earth
not to some esoteric cloud
but to people of the country
earthy people
all people
not some select few

the road:
un-plowable
unreachable
the seed was sowed here anyway
the ground may be unable to receive it
but the great generosity of the sower
extends even here
the the birds reap the benefit

rocky soil
unprotected
without depth
among thorns

good soil

The sower
God
Jesus
one of God's messengers
Lady wisdom from the Hebrew Scriptures

the seed
revelation
the kingdom of God

despite some failures
the sower's work
ultimately succeeds
The sign of success is the fruit-bearing of the recipients


locus of failure:
failure to understand
failure of the heart
the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart;

love of God
with heart mind and strength
is what makes it possible to understand

parable of the soil, emphasis is not on the seed or the sower but on the kind of soil that receives it.

How is it possible that there be such a gulf between us and those who cannot and will not see? The answer is in this parable.

hearing God's word is not to be a passive experience of merely receiving information, but a means of re-creating us in God's image and likeness — a continual process of conversion.

In spite of hindrances, the reign would come as surely and as richly as the harvest he had described

1.There are those who do not understand
2.There are fair weather Christians who rejoice at the positive elements of the message but reject the cross and the persecution.
3.There are those with good intentions but whose time and energy are devoured by other interests.
4.There are those who hear, keep and live the Word, yielding a rich harvest.

Though it be subtle as the dew or overwhelming as a torrent, the Word of God is never ineffective. Preachers of the word can learn much from the patient, trusting farmer, who every season devotes all his energies and fortunes in hopes of a harvest.

The word comes gently from God,
never intended to remain suspended like clouds in mid-air,
but to soak the earth and to be drawn back toward God
like plants and trees.

God's spirit is infused within human beings
where it brings forth divine gift.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 3:06 PM link

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