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Breath of the Spirit

Pastoral, Liturgical, Teaching, and Social Justice Moments brought to you by www.DignityUSA.org.

Breath of the Spirit is DignityUSA’s electronic spiritual and liturgical resource for our members and potential members. Nothing can replace your chapter or other faith community, but we hope you will find further support here for integrating your spirituality with your sexuality and all the strands of your life.

We welcome relevant homilies, inspirational writings, social justice opportunities, or theological articles from other sources also — particularly from wise women and men who can help us grow as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) and allied Catholic/Christians. You may volunteer to help with this program or send your comments by e-mailing info@DignityUSA.org ATTN: Breath of the Spirit.

OCTOBER 26, 2008: THIRTIETH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Readings: 
Exodus 22: 20-26
I Thessalonians 1:5-10
Matthew 22:34-40

Today’s Exodus reading brings up an interesting problem: half the laws it contains are no longer in effect, and almost all of us constantly break one of them. Though most of our 20 ecumenical councils condemned anyone who dared charge interest for lending money, our new Catholic Catechism doesn’t even have a section on usury. Over the last 300 years that sin dropped off our moral radar screens quicker than the falling interest rates on passbook saving accounts.

OCTOBER 19, 2008: TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Readings: 
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
I Thessalonians 1:1-5
Matthew 22:15-21

The title of Mircea Eliade’s best-known book, The Sacred and the Profane, is also the theme behind today’s first and third readings. As an expert on ancient myths, Eliade constantly reminded his readers and students of the powerful human tendency to divide the universe into God’s world and our world. God takes care of the sacred; we’re in charge of the profane. On some unique occasions and in some special places we’re permitted to come into contact with the sacred.

OCTOBER 12, 2008: TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Readings: 
Isaiah 25:6-10
Philippians 4:12-14.19-20
Matthew 22:1-14

Modern Scripture scholars are just as focused on surfacing the mindset of the sacred authors as they are on explaining the words they’ve written. One’s frame of mind best demonstrates the faith one professes.

OCTOBER 5, 2008: TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Readings: 
Isaiah 5:1-7
Phil 4:6-9
Matthew 21:33-43

No one wrote in a vacuum. Our Scriptures are composed against the background of real life faith communities experiencing real life problems in living that faith. I often remind my students, “If there are no problems, we have no Bible.” Scripture only comes into existence when someone in the community is sharp enough to notice that the faith which is professed isn’t the faith which is being lived. That insight, together with the determination to correct the discrepancy, forces our authors to write.

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