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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.

NOVEMBER 29, 2009: FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Readings: 
Jeremiah 33:14-16
I Thessalonians 3:12-4:2
Luke 21:25-28,34-36

Luke appears to be the first author of the Christian Scriptures to presume Jesus’ Parousia won’t take place during his lifetime. Paul and Luke’s two gospel predecessors - Mark and Matthew - faithfully held onto the hope that Jesus’ Second Coming was just around the corner. By the mid-80s, Luke has given up that hope. He takes for granted he and his readers will live their whole lives, die natural deaths, and only then experience their personal Parousias.

NOVEMBER 22, 2009: CHRIST THE KING

Readings: 
Daniel 7:13-14
Revelation 1:5-8
John 18:33-37

I can’t imagine the historical Jesus being comfortable with today’s feast. During his earthly ministry, if anyone called him a king it would have been a sign that person misunderstood what his life and ministry were all about. Such a title carried lots of unwanted baggage, especially during Jesus’ and the early church’s day and age.

NOVEMBER 15, 2009: THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Readings: 
Daniel 12:1-3
Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
Mark 13:24-32

One of the objections to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s evolution-based theology about the end of the world revolves around his omission of any earth-shattering, all-destructive, eschatological battles or natural disasters preceding the event. In Teilhard’s vision, the final transition from this world to the next will be relatively peaceful. When the “omega point” eventually arrives, all of us will simply become one with Christ and Christ one with us.

NOVEMBER 8, 2009: THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Readings: 
I Kings 17, 10-16
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44

Difficult as it is, we Christians must constantly discipline ourselves to listen to what the gospel Jesus actually says, not to what we’d like him to say. Nowhere is this more a problem than in today’s gospel pericope. Once our church “got institutionalized” this narrative took on a meaning totally counter to what Mark and the historical Jesus originally intended. Any priest or deacon who leaves out verses 38-40 of this passage will one day have to answer to both at the pearly gates.

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